The landmark Victorian Shelter Hall was originally built in the 1880s to provide rest and refreshments to promenaders and beach-goers. The structure was topped with a glass dome and a decagonal glass-sided kiosk that lit the space from above that is now home to a local seafood restaurant.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the space was repurposed, from an amusement arcade to a gym, before closing in 2012 due to structural failure. It remained closed until April 2021 when – following a multimillion-pound refurbishment of the site and wider seafront arches – the venue was brought back to life as a food hall bringing the best of Brighton’s food and drink casual dining scene to the seafront.
“We first reopened Shelter Hall in 2021,” said Skye Merriman, the venue’s operations manager.
“Since then we’ve welcomed many tens of thousands of guests through our doors and have never closed for a period longer than four days in order to complete minor refurbishments or upgrades to the building.”
The venue temporarily closed in early January for an extensive month-long upgrade to both the public areas – including seating, sound system, lighting and heating – and also the back-of-house spaces to improve the operations of the building for the kitchens and service team. There have also been updates to the app-based ordering system to create a more streamlined experience for guests.
With the reopening on Monday, February 9, guests can expect an elevated dining and drinking experience with revamped seating and kitchen frontages that are more accessible and relevant to contemporary consumer trends.
“Alongside the refurbishment to our main bar, furniture and toilets, you’ll also see that our kitchen units have had a facelift,” said Skye.
“Our traders have had free rein on designing their kitchen fronts which gives the space more life and helps to solidify the food brands themselves. Many of whom are small, independent traders, without bricks and mortar sites.” Shelter Hall gives them a great opportunity to grow brand awareness.”
Ever-popular kitchens, including VIP Pizza, Saltio Mexican, 3Bros Burgers, Lost Boys Chicken, Temaki Bros sushi, ThaiAngle and White Cloud Coffee all return, and are joined by newcomers Churrasco Portuguese barbecue from The Salt Shed team who have two other sites in Brighton.
“We’re really excited to be welcoming Laurence Stevens and Frank Sweeney, co-founders of The Salt Shed, to the line up with their new Portuguese barbecue concept,” said Skye.
“These guys are big names in Brighton now – with The Salt Shed locations in the Kings Road Arches and Church Street – but it all started at Shelter Hall back in 2022 when they first took over one of our kitchens. It feels like a real full-circle moment, and it shows how powerful food halls can be as a launch pad for independent businesses. We’re always on the look out for fresh talent to bring new ideas to the hall.”
The Salt Shed’s co-founder Laurence Stevens is excited about the launch of Churrasco at Shelter Hall.
“Fire-led cooking is at the heart of everything we do – it’s been that way since Frank and I first barbecued together at school and it still draws us in wherever we are in the world,” said Laurence.
“Churrasco simply means barbecue in Portuguese, and after travelling through the country, we saw an opportunity we know Brightonians would love.
“Barbecue across Portugal is simple but incredibly good; meat and fish brushed with quality oil, chilli, garlic and salt. Whole piri-piri chickens, steak pregos; all cooked over fire with precision. There’s huge potential for this menu to evolve, but we’re buzzing to put the concept to the test at Shelter Hall. Our Salt Shed journey changed for the better in Brighton a few years ago, let’s see if we can do it all over again with Churrasco.”
As an anchor hospitality operator on the central seafront, Shelter Hall has a strong and influential overview of the beach area between the piers that are Brighton’s shop window.
“During the winter months, it feels more important than ever for seafront spaces to grow and adapt while holding on to the things that make them special,” said operations director, Skye.
“We hope the improvements at Shelter Hall strike that balance and allow us to continue playing our part in the resilient community of seafront businesses.
“As we look ahead to Easter, the Brighton Festival in May, and the summer months, we feel confident the works that we’ve invested in will support our resident independent traders and keep the seafront welcoming and exciting for everyone who visits. We can’t wait to welcome Brighton back through the doors of Shelter Hall.”
Visit www.shelterhall.co.uk for kitchen menus and details of their Valentine’s and Chinese New Year events in February.
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