The trip to the city was “incomplete” without visiting the lost food hall

For years, a trip to Liverpool city center was ‘incomplete’ without visiting a lost food hall.

It is now more than 25 years since Coopers Food Hall first came to Bold Street. Officially opening on July 25, 1996, the butchers and grocers were a popular spot with shoppers.

Located at 65 Bold Street, today the site is home to LEAF. But it was master butcher Kevin Birchall, who opened his first butcher shop on Mill Lane in Old Swan in the 1980s, who was the man behind the popular food hall that came to town in the 90s.

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On 30 July 1996, the ECHO reported that any visit to the city center would be “pleasantly incomplete without a trip to Coopers Food Hall”. The article says: “Opening for just a few weeks, Coopers Food Hall has already become a staple of quality shopping in Liverpool city centre.

“Fayre’s selection is amazing and offers a variety of food to suit literally every taste. Fresh chicken – cook daily; fresh bread – baked daily; cooked meat specialties; fresh food of the best quality; selection of worldwide cheeses; high quality pastry; fresh farm produce. produce top quality salads.

On site, customers could also get fresh poultry, sandwiches, groceries, fine wines, exotic fruits and vegetables, and more. For years, many will remember heading to the food hall and in some cases trying certain foods for the first time.

For readers who have lived on Merseyside for many years, the name Coopers may be familiar. But Bold Street Coopers had no connection with Coopers of Church Street, which had been in the town for more than 100 years.

Remember Coopers Food Hall? Let us know in the comments section below.

It’s been more than 50 years since Coopers on Church Street closed its doors for good. A familiar city center fixture for decades, Cooper & Co was first founded in 1871 and has grown to become one of Scotland’s leading grocery chains.

Boasting a wide range of food and drink, Coopers is perhaps best remembered for specializing in tea and coffee. Many customers will remember the distinct smell of Coopers wafting through the air and over the years suggestions have been made that the two businesses were linked.

The business has been very successful in the city, gaining many loyal customers and appearing frequently in the Liverpool ECHO after winning several awards. In 1998, the ECHO reported how the business had expanded to offer a new takeaway brewery.

At that time, the premises had seats for fifty diners. There, you could eat full English breakfast as well as hot or cold meals.

The photos, unearthed from our archive, offer a glimpse of Coopers Food Hall from the early 2000s. Here, you can see what the site looked like frozen in time, as well as members of staff who worked there, including owner Kevin Birchall and manager Rod Parry.

In the 00s, we said goodbye to Coopers Food Hall. But the site remains and has a long history in the city.

Over a century ago, the site was home to the Yamen Café, which was initially owned by Mann and Crosthwaite, who were known for their specialty coffee. Often known as Yeman, the place also hosted numerous local groups and societies.

After Coopers Food Hall closed on Bold Street, the building, with its art deco decor, housed Microzine, a trendy store selling sporting goods and gadgets. But today, it’s home to LEAF, which came to Bold Street in 2010.

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