Latest news with #Queen'sMarket
North Wales Live
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
We visit Rhyl's new seafront food hall and pick the biggest queue
The new Queen's Market in Rhyl has officially opened its doors to the pubic. The long-awaited development includes 16 individual food and retail units, a double-sided theme bar and a large events space, and promises to be an integral community space right in the heart of Rhyl. The food hall and market cost over £12m to develop and received funding from the Welsh Government, largely through its transforming towns programme. The project has also received funding from the UK Government and by Denbighshire County Council. The new glass fronted building certainly looks sleek and contemporary with a mezzanine for additional seating, alongside a nod to the past with a mural, which shows how Queens Street used to look like in days gone by. The venue looks well set up to host a variety of live entertainment and events with a full-size stage and tv screens showing live sport around the venue. However, it was the delicious aroma drifting from the food courts, which we were interested in testing out today. The list of independent vendors is certainly impressive, with a choice that will unquestionably please the fussiest of families. Bad burgers and dirty dogs offer a range of handmade smash burgers and gourmet hotdogs with a variety of fully loaded fries and a range of soft drinks. Go Greek offer a full range of traditional Greek food with souvlaki, halloumi fries and Greek desserts. There is a noodle bar called Kumo Ramen alongside a wide range of Thai food including red and green curries and pad Thai from Kinn Kinn. Fans of pizza won't be disappointed with freshy made, hand-stretched, stone-baked pizzas, from Little Italy pizza Rhyl. Wrapped and loaded offer artisan wraps, with high protein fillings, whilst Street Pot cook up Caribbean delights and feature dishes such as jerk chicken, jerk curry, rice and peas, and fried plantain. Pudz Ice Cream rolls dish out ice cream rolls, freshly made waffles and crepes, which can be topped with classic toppings such as fresh fruit, chocolate, cream and more, as well as their famous fresh milkshakes. Donat DWT, entice you with a full range of glazed and filled donuts. You can wash it all down with spill the beans, who serve up freshly ground coffee, a choice of artisan tea as well as pastries and cake favourites. The full-service bar, which provides drinks for both the events area and the market space is named 'The Spirit of Rhyl' and run by Spirit of Wales distillery, where visitors can even make their own flavoured gin. Now, where do you start with such a vast list of options. The different sweet and savory aromas from each of the vendors played havoc with my senses. We decided to go for the one with the biggest queue, as that was surely a good sign? Although all the vendors looked pretty busy to be fair. Go Greek had a number of pitta wraps, kebabs and special boxes on the menu, which was certainly attracting the customers. When you think of Greek food you probably think of the delicious Greek chicken gyros. Vendors line the streets in all the Greek cities with their vertical rotisserie of meat (either pork or chicken) The name gyro comes from the Greek word for 'turn': the meat is usually cooked on a vertical spit. We ordered a special chicken gyro box for £10, which included fries, salad and tzatziki. They give you a buzzer that will light up and vibrate when your food is ready. I kept staring at the buzzer in anticipation but still got started, when it actually went off. It only took about 10 minutes for order to be ready and that was with a fairly big queue. Our plan was to share the Greek box between the two of us and then grab a cake and drink from a different vendor. The generous Greek portion was easily enough for two people, especially for a lunch time meal. The chicken thighs were marinated and tasted succulent and juicy. The salad consisted of shredded lettuce, tomato, and thinly sliced onion. Tzatziki is one of the most common dips you'll find in Greek cuisine. The cucumber yogurt dip really added a bit of zing to the dish. I could see why the kiosk was proving such a huge hit. Go Greek had desserts such as Baklava or Portokalopita, which is a very popular orange cake. However, in the interest of trying a different vendor, we headed to 'spill the beans' for coffee and cake. Spill the beans had a variety of hot or cold drinks with a small cake menu. The cakes included the usual traditional fare of Victoria sponges, lemon drizzle and tiffin. After a bit of hesitation, I opted for a crunchie brownie, which was surprisingly dense and gooey with a layer of honeycomb on the top. My wife went for her usual fruit scone with lashings of jam and cream, and was certainly not disappointed. She washed it down with a small americano with hot milk, whilst I went for the intriguingly titled 'mango and dragon fruit' drink. It turned out to be a bit like a blue passionfruit squash but it did the job of quenching my first after the rich chocolate brownie. The place was very busy with a real buzz in the air, helped as it was the start of the summer holidays. We walked around the vendors and noticed Aber falls gin and Conwy brewery were selling their wares, alongside a sweet shop and a soon to be opened sandwich kiosk. Upstairs, there were dart boards, shuffleboards and table top football games to entertain the whole family. The new 'Queens Market' offers a variety of street food from independent vendors, all under one brand new shiny roof. The designers have a done a good job of preserving its proud past whilst embracing the future. These kinds of Artisan markets have done well in other parts of the country, and I must admit, I was more than impressed with the entertainment options and variety of choice on offer in the revitalized food courts of the Queens Market. The Facts Go Greek Special Box £10 Sill The Beans coffee Scone £4.00 Brownie £3.75 Americano £3.35 Mango and Dragon refresher £3.75 £14.85 Opening Times: Monday to Saturday 10am to 10pm Sunday 10am to 8pm Atmosphere- Busy and buzzing due to the start of the summer holidays Car Parking- We managed to get the last spot available in a rather small car park to the right of the building £1.50. Disabled Access- Full disabled access and toilets. Service- Order at your vendor of choice and grab a buzzer Overall- We tested the food courts at the brand new revitalized 'Queens Market' in Rhyl. Queens Market Sussex Street Rhyl
Rhyl Journal
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Review: I sampled some of the food at Rhyl's Queen's Market
From stone-baked pizzas to dishes inspired by Indian, American, Greek Chinese and Caribbean cuisine, there is plenty to tantalise the tastebuds and satisfy the heartiest of appetites. That's not to mention the ice cream, coffee and cake, donuts, traditional sweets, and much more. Oh, and there's also a pub! Queen's Market in Rhyl Let's get something out of the way before we go on - The Queen's Market is not a market of the sort we might have visited in days gone by. There is no butchered meat, fresh fish, second hand books, clothing, or souvenirs to be had. What it is, however, is a modern food court that have proved popular in places like Chester. And early signs are it will do the same in Rhyl. MORE NEWS: Taxi drivers in Rhyl 'furious' amid wait for fare uplift to take effect Concerns in Prestatyn as 'retrospective' homeless hostel application submitted Fight breaks out on train travelling between Prestatyn & Flint stations The food court in the market is light, although it is always busy with people navigating the market. There are booths on the mezzanine, which are a better option if you don't like the hustle and bustle of the market while enjoying your meal. Queen's Market: Ice cream rolls being made We were a party of three so decided to order from several of the kitchens to sample as many of the cuisines as possible. Now, as a fan of Bob's Burgers, I love a dish with a pun name. At Queen's Market, there are puns aplenty as most of vendors. For our initiation, we chose food from Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs, Go Greek, and Street Pot. I must preface the rest of this article by saying we visited on the opening day and it was the first time the vendors served the public at the market. I don't think anyone expected how popular the new food court would be from the off, and there were reports of kitchen's running out of food before the day was out. This, and any other teething troubles, I am sure have now been addressed. Queen's Market: Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs serves up a range of handmade smash burgers and gourmet hotdogs with a variety of toppings on offer, along with fully loaded fries. It has to be said that, on day one when we were there, there was a lot of feet finding. Queen's Market: Burger The burger and dog we ordered did not arrive particularly quickly, but I am sure the team are firing on all cylinders now. That said, the food was worth the wait. HUNGRY FOR MORE? This might be my favourite restaurant in North Wales! I enjoyed breakfast at what might be Rhyl's friendliest cafe I tried authentic Sri Lankan food in Rhyl - and it was fantastic! The prison/crime themed pub names of the burger and hot dog escape me right now (see what I did there?) but they were hot, fresh and loaded with flavour. With all the variations on the menu, I can see a lot of return custom for this burger joint. Queen's Market: Team members at Street Pot We also tried some of the food from Street Pot, which focuses on authentic Caribbean and USA flavours. Specialties include jerk chicken, curry, rice and peas, and fried plantain. We tried the mac and cheese and jerk chicken leg, which came with two pots of sauce. Queen's Market: Food from Street Pot The mac and cheese was rich, gooey and plentiful. I would have liked bigger portions of sauce, and perhaps something to add crunch or spice to balance the richness of the cheese sauce, but overall, it was a very tasty and filling. Queen's Market: Street Pot The star item from Street Pot, though, was the fresh fruit juice blends, which were equal parts refreshing and delicious. My favourite of the kitchens we sampled was Go Greek. Queen's Market: Food served up at Go Greek Go Greek offers a full range of traditional Greek food, including gyros, souvlaki, halloumi fries, as well as desserts, including the magical orange cake. Queen's Market: Go Greek We shared a gyro and sausage box with a side of halloumi fries with tzatziki. Queen's Market: Box from Go Greek The box was an implosion of different flavours, saltiness, umami, zest, and freshness. The sausage was an added treat, but the mix of meats and salad in the box without it would have still felt like value for money. I have had similar boxes in cities like Manchester, and the food served in Rhyl is their equal at least. We finished our lunchtime dining experience with some cold treats from Pudz Ice Cream Rolls. Queen's Market: Team at Pudz Ice Cream The Pudz team serve freshly made waffles and crepes with a variety of fillings and toppings, as well as their famous fresh milkshakes. Queen's Market: Ice cream The signature treats, however, are ice cream rolls, the preparation of which is a few moments of theatre in itself. We tried Biscoff Blizzard and Magic Mint. The former was very enjoyable, a perfect blend of textures from smooth ice cream to the crumbly crunch of biscuit. Queen's Market: Ice cream The mint, however, was too extreme for our tastes, but I'm sure it will find fans who like their mintiness turned up to the max. Since its launch, there have been a few chops and changes in the vendor line-up, but the market is now at full capacity and welcoming thousands of people through its doors. I will definitely return, as I would very much like to try the delights of Anarkali and Salt & Pepper Box. Queen's Market food court Not to mention, Little Italy Pizza Rhyl who were enjoying a brisk trade on the day I visited. It seemed every other person leaving the market was carrying at least one pizza box. Recently, Little Italy Pizza Rhyl posted: "A special moment for Little Italy Pizza Rhyl this evening, we served our 1,000th customer since being here in the New Queen's Market. Thank you, hope you enjoyed your Take it Cheesy garlic bread on us." Queen's Market: The team at Spill the Beans I will certainly go back to Queen's Market when I'm next in Rhyl. Whether it's for coffee and a donut, a bubble tea, a quick bite for lunch, or something more substantial with friends, it is available at Rhyl's impressive new food court.
Leader Live
24-07-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Hannah Blythyn MS for Delyn says 'our towns matter'
MS for Delyn Our towns matter. They're more than just places on a map, they're where we grow up, build our lives and create our futures – that's why I've always believed in backing them. Last week in the Senedd, I asked the First Minister about the Welsh Government's commitment to investing in our towns across North Wales and to go further by putting local people at the heart of decisions that shape their communities. From Rhyl's new Queen's Market to the transformation of Theatr Clwyd, the Welsh Government is investing in our towns. I'm proud to have played a part in establishing the Transforming Towns approach that's seen a significant amount of investment across the country and nearly £5.5m alone in Flintshire and Denbighshire. You can see many of my contributions in the Senedd on my Facebook page at I'm proud to see once again our green spaces across the constituency recognised as part of the record-breaking Green Flag Awards. From Bailey Hill in Mold to Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, these places play such a significant part in our lives – they're vital for our wellbeing, our wildlife and our communities. The full list for Wales includes 315 spaces recognised for their excellence, securing Wales that global benchmark of the highest number of Green Flags. A huge thank you to all the volunteers, community groups and the local authorities who make this possible. Your hard work has helped put our favourite North Wales spaces on the map with a Green Flag award. We recently saw the School Essentials Grant open for applications – a really helpful way to get hold of uniform, school equipment, books and laptops as well as paying for school trips for families on low incomes. Grants of up to £125 per child are available, going up to £200 for Year 7 students to reflect the extra cost of going to secondary school. To qualify, families need to be on certain benefits and children need to qualify for Free School Meals – grants are administered by Flintshire County Council, so to find out more and apply, go to Age Cymru recently launched a new, free and confidential telephone advice line specifically for older carers in Wales. Whether you're new to caring or have been doing it for years, the new telephone line provides information and advice tailored to the needs of older carers – advisors can help with a range of issues, including access to services, benefits, your rights as a carer and more, so it could be a real help to older carers in our corner of North Wales. You can contact the Older Carers Advice Line on 03300 564 365 to speak to a friendly advisor who understands your situation. I recently had the chance to join the RSPB at Talacre to do a bit of birdwatching – we were looking for the Little Tern, which can sometimes be seen in Talacre and also at Gronant Dunes. Regular readers might remember that I'm the Senedd Species Champion for the Little Tern, which the RSPB has put on the 'amber' list of birds of conservation concern. Sadly, I didn't spot any Little Terns but I did see some Sandwich Terns and Curlew! And, finally, I'm recruiting – I'm currently looking for someone to join my busy team as a Caseworker and Constituency Coordinator. This role is based in the constituency and involves helping local residents with casework, coordinating constituency visits and events and ensuring the day-to-day running of the office is responsive to the needs of the people and communities I represent. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, or if you know someone who might be a good fit, you can see full details at As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don't hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don't need to wait for an advice surgery.
Rhyl Journal
18-07-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
All units filled at Rhyl's £12million Queen's Market
All of the hot food units at the £12.6m food hall and market in Rhyl have now been leased, with just one - Salt & Pepper Box - still preparing to open. Salt & Pepper Box (Chinese food) has replaced Kinn Kinn (Thai) and will be open imminently. Kumo Ramen was replaced by Anarkali (an Indian food stall) who have been open since the launch of the market. The donut unit opened on the launch weekend, though the operator of the unit has changed since the original proposal. RELATED STORIES We enjoy an exclusive tour of Rhyl's new £12m Queen's Market Aber Falls Distillery and Conwy Brewery took on retail units prior to opening day, and Baked & Loaded (Jacket Potatoes) and the sandwich shop will be opening imminently. A spokesperson from Denbighshire County Council said: "Kumo Ramen and Kinn Kinn (Thai) made a decision to pull out of Queen's Market prior to the opening day. "Kumo Ramen was replaced by Anarkali (Indian food stall), who have been open since day one. Kinn Kinn has been replaced by Salt & Pepper Box (Chinese food), who are currently setting up and will be open imminently. "Signage for the new vendors is currently being installed. "It would not be appropriate for us to comment on the reasons why they decided to pull out, but we are really pleased to see two high quality food vendors coming in to replace them." The spokesperson confirmed that all traders have signed a 24-month licence, which is in line with the agreement that is in place with the operator of Queen's Market - Midland Events (Rhyl) Limited. "Over time, there is always likely to be a certain amount of change in terms of the food and retail offer in Queen's Market," the spokesperson said. "This is to be expected and should not be deemed as a negative. "The donut unit opened during the opening weekend, although the operator of the unit has changed since the original proposal. Again, this is not unusual, and it certainly not a concern to the council or Midland Events (Rhyl) Limited. "All of the hot food units are leased out, with only one (Salt & Pepper Box) still preparing to open. "Aber Falls Distillery and Conwy Brewery took on retail units prior to opening day, and Baked & Loaded (Jacket Potatoes) and the sandwich shop will be opening imminently. "The market has also recently signed up a Bubble Tea vendor, which means that there will be 100 per cent occupancy of the internal retail units within the building. "We would like to thank everyone who visited and supported Queen's Market on what was an extremely successful opening weekend. "We would like to thank the community for bringing the market to life, it was great to see so many people come through the doors." The market, which also boasts a leisure space with shuffleboard, darts, football tables, a double-sided bar, booths to relax and watch TV, and a large flexible events space, opened on Thursday, July 10 at 10am.
Rhyl Journal
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
£12million Queen's Market in Rhyl opens its doors!
The £12.6m food hall and market - which boasts street food, cakes and treats, 'make your own gin', and a leisure space with shuffleboard, darts, football tables, a double-sided bar, booths to relax and watch TV, and a large flexible events space - opened on Thursday, July 10 at 10am. The opening attracted a crowd; first through the doors were Julie and Paul, who, when asked for their first impressions, said: "Nice and fresh." With smiles on their faces, Julie and Paul were the first through the doors! (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) As the morning went on, the space became busier, with many residents initially walking through to have a 'nose' before grabbing a drink or bite to eat. RELATED NEWS: We enjoy an exclusive tour of Rhyl's new £12m Queen's Market Loz Corcoran, general manager of the Queen's Market, said: "It's a brand new building and we are really excited to get started. The market and food hall got busier and busier as the day went on (Image: Denbighshire County Council) "We actually had a queue of the public waiting to come through the doors, so thank you to everybody in the community who has come and supported us straight off the back. Loz Corcoran, general manager of the Queen's Market (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) "We have had real positive engagement with what people have seen inside." Free entertainment is running at the venue over the next few days. Mike Andrew as Robbie Williams and spotlight artists Sarah Price and Marney Bailey performed at the event space during opening night. Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs (Image: Denbighshire County Council) On Friday evening, there will be live performances from singers Jess Pallett, Joseph Leo, and Chris Fletcher from 7pm. Saturday will see Tabitha as Whitney, and will feature a rendition of Whitney Houston's greatest hits from 8pm followed by a second set of Soul and Motown hits and on Sunday, a family friendly disco is planned featuring 'DJ Paul Maffia'. This will run from 2pm until 5pm. Visitors could take their pick from an array of street food vendors (Image: Denbighshire County Council) Coastal Chief Reporter Suzanne Kendrick attended the opening along with Matt Warner, digital audience content editor, and Terry Canty, regional print content editor. Coastal Chief Reporter Suzanne Kendrick attended the opening along with Matt Warner, digital audience content editor, and Terry Canty, regional print content editor (Image: Newsquest) We tried food from Go Greek, Bad Burgers and Dirty Dogs, Street Pot and Pudz Ice Cream rolls and were impressed with the dishes on offer. Andrew Burnett, director at Midlands Events (Rhyl) (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) Andrew Burnett and Jordan Burnett, directors at Midlands Events (Rhyl), are the operators of the space. Speaking to the Journal at the opening, Andrew said: "I'm feeling quite a mix of emotions but first of all, relieved that we have managed to get it done in time and secondly, I'm proud of what we have achieved here. Go Greek (Image: Denbighshire County Council) "I think the morning has gone exceptionally well. There was a few people waiting and as soon as we opened the doors, the place was very well populated. "I'm looking forward to what lies ahead, absolutely. As long as the people of Rhyl continue to support us, we will continue to produce a great product. I think it has got a very good future. Sophie Southern of Spill The Beans and Pudz Ice Cream Rolls with parents Melanie and Paul Southern (Image: Denbighshire County Council) "I would like to thank the people of Rhyl for turning up today. "I would like to thank the council for the support they have given us and thank my team for the amount of work they have put in." The idea to redevelop the former Queen's buildings - including the Savoy Hotel and Fusion nightclub - first emerged in 2018. Denbighshire County Council acquired the dilapidated seafront buildings in 2019. The buildings had no active uses on upper floors (the seafront buildings are four stories) and significant void levels on the ground floor. The large mural acts as a nod to Rhyl's history (Image: Suzanne Kendrick / Newsquest) The journey to create the multi-million pound food hall and market has been a long and complex one but despite setbacks, Tony Ward, Corporate Director for Economy and Environment at Denbighshire County Council, said the local authority had "no intentions of ever giving up on this." A mural which acts as a nod to Rhyl's history is located at the back entrance to the events space. The mural shows how Queen's Street looked many many moons ago. The image was taken from where the steps to the Children's Village are now.
