Bustler Market

What Bustler Market does

Bustler Market is a privately held UK hospitality company operating a multi-venue street food and events business across the East Midlands, founded in 2017 and structured as Bustler Market LTD. It runs two permanent venues: The Chocolate Factory in Derby, a 20,000+ sq ft regenerated warehouse hosting street food markets, weddings, beer festivals and corporate events; and the Bustler Nottingham Foodhall at Sneinton Market, featuring four independent kitchen tenants, a craft beer and cocktail bar, and a weekly events programme. A third venue, St James' Yard in Derby City Centre, is under development as a container-built destination for micro-restaurants, bars, retail and lifestyle tenants, with opening scheduled for late Spring 2026.

The company monetises through four streams: food and beverage sales (including vendor commissions and revenue-share with traders at both venues), private venue hire (corporate events, weddings, conferences), event ticketing (e.g., bottomless brunch packages, sports screenings, festivals) sold primarily through the Design My Night platform, and a Shopify-powered e-commerce channel for merchandise and food orders with local pickup and UK shipping. Pricing is granular and event-specific, ranging from free street food entry to £25 per-person bottomless packages and bespoke private hire quotes.

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a WIX-hosted website with Shopify for e-commerce, Google Analytics for behavioural tracking, and Scenariio smart-building infrastructure at the Derby flagship. Distribution is regional, with operations concentrated in Derbyshire and Nottingham, augmented by the 'Bustler on the Road' touring event series. The business is bootstrapped and founder-led by co-founder Olivia Pritchard, with Operations Manager Andy Darke and Marketing & Events Director Jess Hassall as named leaders; no external institutional investment is disclosed.

Name

Bustler Market

Legal name

Bustler Market LTD

Website

https://bustlermarket.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bustler Market is a UK private hospitality company operating multi-venue street food markets, a Nottingham food hall, and event spaces across the East Midlands, serving local consumers, corporate clients, and private-hire customers via curated independent food traders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Street Food Markets and Event Venues

NAICS

Cafeterias, Grill Buffets, and Buffets (722514), Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Pop-Up Food Vendors (Temporary Stands/Markets) (THAFAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobile Specialty Food Vendors (e.g., BBQ, Tacos, Seafood, Ethnic) (THAFAHAH)

Keywords

• Street food market
• Food hall venue
• Event venue hire
• Craft beer cocktails
• Pop-up events

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales: Revenue from street food vendor commissions, craft beer, cocktails, and specialty coffee sales across Derby and Nottingham venues. Traders operate within the venue and pay for space or revenue share arrangements.
2. Venue Hire: Private hire of The Chocolate Factory (20,000+ sq ft multi-room space) and Nottingham venue for weddings, corporate events, beer festivals, awards nights, and private functions. Capacity for 100-400 people at Nottingham.
3. Event Ticketing: Ticket sales for special events including World Cup screenings, Boozy Bottomless brunch packages, and festival entry. Bookings managed through Design My Night platform.
4. E-commerce Sales: Online merchandise and food ordering through the Bustler website with local pickup from Derby venue (Tuesday-Sunday, 12pm-6pm) and UK shipping via Royal Mail First Class with flat rate postage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bustler Market operates a multi-venue street food and events hospitality business across the East Midlands, running permanent venues in Derby (The Chocolate Factory) and Nottingham (Bustler Foodhall) that host independent food traders, serve craft beer and cocktails, and offer private hire for weddings and corporate events. The company also runs 'Bustler on the Road' mobile pop-up events at various Derbyshire locations and sells merchandise and food online via Shopify.

Product overview

Bustler Market is a multi-venue street food and events hospitality business operating across the East Midlands. The company operates two permanent venues: Bustler Derby at The Chocolate Factory (a 20,000+ sq ft warehouse events space) and Bustler Nottingham Foodhall (an independent food hall with four kitchen traders). The company also runs 'Bustler on the Road' - a mobile event series bringing street food experiences to outdoor locations across Derbyshire. A new development, St James' Yard (shipping container-based destination), is planned for Derby City Centre opening late 2026. Both venues offer private hire services for weddings, corporate events, and functions. The business champions independent food traders and curates street food, craft beverages, and entertainment experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bustler Derby (The Chocolate Factory) Derby's flagship street food and events venue housed in The Chocolate Factory, a 20,000+ sq ft multi-room warehouse space hosting weddings, beer festivals, corporate events, street food markets, and sporting screenings. Available for private hire and open to walk-in diners.
• Bustler Nottingham Foodhall Nottingham's independent food hall located in Sneinton Market, featuring four independent kitchen units (Banquet 1415, Dirty Chicken, Big Mouth Gyoza, Little Big Sicily), craft beers, cocktails, and Cartwheel specialty coffee. Hosts weekly events including Wine Wednesdays, Speed Pub Quiz, Live Music Fridays, and Spin Saturdays. Available for private hire for 100-400 people.
• Bustler on the Road Mobile street food event series bringing Bustler's signature street food traders, cocktail bars, DJs, family entertainment, and live music to outdoor locations across Derbyshire including Elvaston Castle, Duffield Eyes Meadow, and Mickleover Summer Festival.
• Private Hire Services Private hire of The Chocolate Factory in Derby (20,000+ sq ft multi-room space) and the Nottingham venue (capacity 100-400 people) for weddings, corporate functions, beer festivals, awards nights, networking events, conferences, launch parties, and fashion shows.
• Bustler E-commerce Store Online merchandise and food ordering through the Bustler website powered by Shopify. Offers local pickup from the Derby venue (Tuesday-Sunday, 12pm-6pm) and UK-wide shipping via Royal Mail First Class with flat rate £3 postage (free on orders over £50). Includes gift vouchers and pre-paid event vouchers.
• Boozy Bottomless Brunch Ticketed 90-minute bottomless drinks experience available Saturday and Sunday 12-3:30pm (last booking 2pm) at £25 per person. Includes Mimosas, Espresso Martini, Mango Tango, Passionfruit Mule, Prosecco, Orchard Pig Cider, and Freedom 4 Lager. Food not included.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regular events hosting up to 5,000 visitors over a weekend
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and planned.

• ScenariiocoreTechnology or IntegrationSmart building solutions provider that has installed over 200 LED smart lighting fixtures, real-time energy tracking systems, and sensor networks for temperature, power consumption and movement detection. Partnership enables Bustler to monitor and optimise energy usage across The Chocolate Factory venue.
• Cartwheel CoffeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal specialty coffee provider serving Cartwheel Coffee at the Nottingham venue, complementing the food and drink offerings with quality coffee.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering Bustler's online store for merchandise and food ordering, enabling order processing, payment collection, and shipping management.
• Ecologi Climate Positive WorkforceplannedStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organisation running the Climate Positive Workforce scheme. Bustler aims to join the scheme within 6 months as part of their sustainability commitments.
• The Chocolate FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chocolate Factory venue (John Street, Derby) serves as Bustler's headquarters and main Derby venue, housing the street food operations and events. The 20,000+ sq ft industrial space was regenerated by Bustler from an unused chocolate factory into a multi-events venue.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Boxpark: Multi-site shipping-container food and retail destination (Boxpark Croydon, Wembley, etc.) with independent traders and events. Closest large-scale, multi-venue peer to Bustler's planned St James' Yard container concept.

Direct peers

• Escape to Freight Island: Manchester-based food, drink and live events destination built around independent traders, DJs and themed nights. Closest direct peer combining street food, bar, and event programming at multi-thousand-visitor scale.
• KERB (Street Food Markets): London street food market operator running trader-led events and a permanent Seven Dials food hall. Comparable to Bustler in curating independent traders, hosting events, and combining pop-up with permanent venues.
• Flat Iron Square: South London food, drink and events destination with independent kitchens, bars, and live entertainment. Comparable to Bustler's combination of street food, craft drinks, and ticketed events.
• Market Halls London: Operator of multi-kitchen food halls (Market Halls Fulham, Victoria, Canary Wharf) anchored by independent traders and craft drinks. Direct UK food-hall peer to Bustler Nottingham Foodhall.
• Street Feast (Street Feast London): London-based operator of large street food markets and event venues (Dinerama, Hawker House, Giant Robot) using independent traders, craft drinks and ticketed entry. Closest direct analogue to Bustler's food hall / event-led model.

Regional players

• Mackie Mayor: Grade II-listed Manchester food hall hosting nine independent kitchens with craft beer and cocktails. Comparable regional UK food hall benchmark to Bustler Nottingham Foodhall.
• Altrincham Market House: Repurposed market hall in Greater Manchester with independent food traders and event hire. Direct regional analogue to Bustler's Derby Chocolate Factory regeneration model.

Emerging players

• Chick 'n' Sours: Independent trader-style operator (restaurants plus events) that illustrates the type of street food brand Bustler on the Road curates and could host. Useful adjacent comparable for trader economics and brand trajectory.

Others

• Design My Night: Ticketing and bookings platform that Bustler already uses for events. Relevant ecosystem partner / distribution channel that demonstrates the booking and event marketing stack used by similar UK venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bustlermarket
• Instagraminstagram.com/bustler_derby
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bustler-market

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bustler Market