Features / wapping wharf
‘We want people to enjoy Wapping Wharf again, but safely’
Stuart Hatton walked down Gaol Ferry Steps on Tuesday afternoon, greeting half a dozen people by name.
The developer behind Wapping Wharf does not live in Bristol but currently spends one day a week here, with Tuesday’s conversations about bins, toilet facilities and signage – all vitally important aspects to get right as the area slowly returns from hibernation.
It will take some time for Wapping Wharf to get back to what it was like before the coronavirus pandemic hit, but Hatton is confident that this can be achieved if people visit in a “safe and controlled manner”.
is needed now More than ever
As soon as the government told non-essential businesses to close, Hatton contacted all of the tenants in the development to give them a rent holiday while they were closed.
He is also realistic, however, to appreciate that not all of the businesses within Wapping Wharf will be able to continue.
But interest continues to be there for units that come on the market, with the former Portside gallery in Cargo 2 due to be turned into a takeaway pie shop from Freddy Bird, co-owner of Little French restaurant in Westbury Park and former executive head chef at the Lido in Clifton.
Stuart Hatton is managing director of Umberslade, the family-owned property development company behind Wapping Wharf – photo by Martin Booth
Measures due to be introduced include one-way systems, and the creation of an extended outdoor seating area at the bottom of Gaol Ferry Steps between Wild Beer and Cargo 1 during the afternoons and evenings.
“I have got to ensure that these guys survive,” said Hatton, sipping on a takeaway tea from Little Victories as he gestured to some of the 40 independent businesses now located within Wapping Wharf.
Some of these have adapted in innovative ways, with Hatton and his team at Umberslade, a business that he owns with his family, dealing with each one depending on their own unique circumstances.
While some of the restaurants remain closed, others have already reopened for takeaway. Meanwhile, shops such as Clifton Seafood Co. have reported record takings.
Gambas on the first floor of Cargo 2 has reopened for takeaway – photo by Martin Booth
“I know that things are not going to get back to how they were quickly,” Hatton said. “But I hope that every single business here can reopen and start trading successfully, perhaps in a new way.
“I hope that we can come back and rebuild the community that was here before. I hope that people will come and support the businesses here.
“We have got to reopen and I am optimistic. I have to be. We want people to enjoy Wapping Wharf again, but safely. Right now, I’m feeling really excited. But it’s a cautious excitement.”
Main photo by Martin Booth
Read more: Breakfast With Bristol24/7: Stuart Hatton
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