HUNDREDS of people travelled to the unveiling of a new secret garden cocktail bar, which will run alongside a planned artisan market as part of a £150,000 project.

The Secret Garden brunch and cocktail bar is now open at the site of the former CostCutter store in Leigh Road, where a new luxury artisan market is also being created.

Artisan Market Group is behind the development and the new cocktail bar.

The market plans include 22 stalls offering a range of items from food to gifts - with hundreds of applicants for stalls already.

Sam Giles, 28, company director, said the response to the eating and drinking hotspot blew the team away.

He said: “We opened on Saturday and it went fantastic and we’ve had people coming from as far as London.

Echo:

Alfresco - the Secret Garden restaurant 

“We posted about it on Instagram and it went crazy. We had more than 200 people come over the weekend.

“We offer all-day breakfast, light food bits, cocktails and drinks.

“The feedback has been fantastic too and we’ve been blown away by how great it’s been so far.

“The customers just keep coming and coming.”

He said works are going well on the market development.

The businessman said the construction workers focussed on the Secret Garden to get it open, to take staff off furlough leave, and get some income coming in.

He is basing the new market site on Borough Market in London.

It is hoped the market can become a “one-stop shop” with a butchers included, and create a busy and buzzing vibrant market.

READ MORE >> 

Mr Giles added: “We are looking for cocktail mixtures and coffee baristas and other staff to grow the Secret Garden.

“We are still going through the trader applications as there are so many and it’s about getting the right people and products.

“We’ve got a butcher, baker and donut trader so far and are looking at the arts and crafts sellers now too.

“I think the works on the market construction should be done in about three weeks.”

Early designs show a green frontage with large windows.