Lancaster’s latest food and music establishment arrive in the shape of ‘Kanteena’; what was once known as the former Mitchells Brewery and pop drinks factory dating back to 1871. The repurposed building reveals itself as the newest thriving addition to the regeneration district of Lancaster’s Canal Quarter. The man leading the project is street food aficionado Pablo Aguilar, who has reimagined the space with landowners of the site; ‘Worthington Properties’ and Lancaster City Council.
The vision for Kanteena is to develop an all-inclusive communal hub and social dining place of food, music and culture. The former brewery, nestled in the heart of the city, is part of a 16-acre regeneration area covering additional sites such as The Duke’s, The Grand, and The Musicians’ Co-Op all located alongside Lancaster Canal.
Pablo Aguilar agreed on a deal with the family-run business ‘Worthington’s Properties’ and Lancaster City Council to utilise the historic building, bringing it back into public use ahead of future developments for the site. The new opening activates the initial phase of the Canal Quarter’s regeneration project.
11th October marks the official opening with ‘This Soul Town’; a dedicated night of the soul with bands and DJs to welcome in the first of the venue’s punters. On 12th & 13th October, Kanteena will play host to headline acts Mr Ben and The Bens and The Lovely Eggs for Lancaster Music Festival, as it is revealed as the latest venue involved.
The Lovely Eggs duo and fellow Lancastrians, Holly Ross and David Blackwell will play a key part in leading the curation of future music events. With the ambition to draw in touring bands from across the globe with the location offering the perfect stopover point between the North of England and Scotland.
When not busy playing the role of inaugural host to local music events; Kanteena will be open from Wednesday to Sunday, with a cohort of rotating street food vendors rustling up an array of world foods.
The transformation presents, boasting an impressive 500m2 indoor space, a myriad of uses. With a central seating area surrounded by a selection of artisan food and drink traders, there will be a newly built stage and large communal outdoor space which has been repurposed for use as a beer garden. This eclectic multipurpose space was born with the idea of providing a social hub of creativity, inclusivity and locally sourced top-quality produce.
Kanteena arrives with boundless ambition taking the lead as a vital part of the city’s vibrant cultural food and music scene. Together with serving the growing appetite for new street food and family-friendly destination; plans include utilising the independent venue as a social giving enterprise and delivering food-related projects that connect with less advantaged communities from the local area.
“Kanteena will be a versatile space aimed at bringing people together from far and wide, to enjoy a high calibre line up of constantly changing food and drink from all over the world. We have been given a chance to use this amazing setting to deliver a quality and varied line up of events to the area and hope to be the first of many new ventures to bring some energy to the city. We will open in October temporarily until New Year’s Eve, after which we will close for a few weeks to polish the place and make a few adjustments before opening for Independent Venue Week at the end of January. We look forward to welcoming people into Kanteena”.
– Pablo Aguilar, Project Lead of Kanteena.
