CREWE Market Hall is fast becoming the "go-to" place for food, drink and live music.

The Earle Street venue is a hive of activity stretching from Wednesdays through to Sundays and the friendliest of meeting points for everyone in the town.

There's a warm environment guaranteed at the heart of one of Crewe's historic buildings that has benefited hugely from a £3 million revamp and a revival of the spirit of markets past.

Food hall traders tantalise the taste buds, including Greek/Cypriot, Mexican, Jordy's Pizza, the Mighty Burger, and coming soon two new exotic food units.

There is a mouth-watering array of deserts from Swirly Pearls and if you want to taste the best coffee in Crewe, there is the Mini Beans Coffee Shop.

If you love your craft ale there is Crewe Dog, serving a huge selection as well as the finest gins and rums.

And it doesn't stop there, the retail offering boasts an Asian food store and a retro sweet shop and if there is a new arrival on the way or perhaps already here, Mia's Baby Boutique.

David Jewkes art gallery has something to brighten up the dreariest walls and, like the food and drink hall, new traders will be arriving soon. For example, the popular Crewe Dog is taking up extra space to establish a bottle shop for its customers who prefer to take their favourite craft ales home with them. The shop will also include a vinyl record outlet.

Live entertainment is standard with music - ranging from folk and pop to tribute acts and even international country singers – the focus of the Hall's stage across the weekend.

Along with Thursday's regular quiz nights, hosted by Cat FM community radio, and a packed schedule of other events they have brought the cacophony of music and trade in to transform a venue that had lain empty and silent for more than two years.

Embracing the concept of how markets used to cherish being the beating heart of the communities they served has helped direct the vision for Crewe's new Market Hall.

There was an era when people didn't just go to markets to sell their goods and wares, but ventured to engage and communicate with fellow members of their community.

It is not hard to think how the original 'Cheese Hall', opened in Crewe in 1854, would have been just that sort of place.

From a busy hall shifting thousands of tonnes of cheese, a corn exchange was built next door in 1857, followed by a warehouse for butter and bacon.

It was a thriving centre of 19th century commerce and soon became a popular general market, cementing its place in the daily life of Crewe townsfolk.

Recent years have seen the popularity of market halls wane and in Crewe the problems of the town centre and the effects of out-of-town retail development accelerated that decline.

Through no fault of its own or the people of the town, the old market hall had become a sorry reflection of its former self.

Then enter new ambitions for the regeneration for the town centre and it's not hard to see why the Hall was chosen to lead the way.

A queue formed outside when it reopened on May 19 last year and the interest has soared ever since, with Hall General Manager Gary Johnson declaring: "Our vision is to be not just the go-to place in Crewe and Cheshire East for food, drink and live entertainment, but to be up there alongside the most popular venues in the whole of the North West."

Gary goes onto state: "For centuries market halls and squares were the hub of their communities, where people got together to engage, which is what we want to continue to do here.

"We do that by inviting charity groups, parent and toddler groups and other community groups to come in and make the Hall their base."

There is nowhere better to host a big event in Crewe. Already the Hall has celebrated the Indian Festival of Light, Diwali, with a themed day, staged several fundraisers and been the venue for a series of popular Vinyl Record Days and smaller markets.

The busy schedule over the next two months includes plans for a "Poland Day" to get the area's Eastern European community involved [on Saturday, February 26] and an event to mark International Women's Day on March 3.

Gary and his staff pride themselves on the fact the Hall is a safe and engaging space where people can once again meet and get together after the tribulations and isolation of lockdowns.

Whether it is to catch up with friends, or to link up with other members of community groups, or even to take up a pew at one of the Hall's many tables with a laptop to do some remote working.

"You can just find some time for yourself too, it's a spacious and versatile venue that has something for everyone and all the family," says Gary.

"We have got seven or eight community groups who are using us on a regular basis and we are looking to develop after-school clubs and other extracurricular activities."

The pop-up markets have proved a popular draw where smaller traders have been given the opportunity to test the water for future business plans.

And there are plans aplenty for the Market Hall going forward. Gary says a bingo night is in the pipeline after the success of Thursday's quiz nights and the focus will be to extend the promotion of great local bands and musicians on the bill.

The Hall's manager can report some exciting figures for footfall too with 4,000 people a week coming through 27 Earle Street, Crewe, CW1 making it one of the most successful market halls in the stable of Market Asset Management, who operate it on behalf of Cheshire East Council.

Publicity is going swell too with over 8,000 Facebook followers already enjoying reading about this real Crewe success story.

And now you can read even more updates about traders, great events and check out listings for the galaxy of free live music on Crewe Nub News as the Market Hall has announced it is exclusively sponsoring our popular What's On section.

Gary adds: "This is a community hub which is bringing people into the town centre. There are people who are coming into Crewe for the first time in years because they are coming in here.

"As the first part of the town centre's regeneration, Crewe Market Hall has become a shining beacon and with the addition of further projects being completed later this year, we can start to provide a town centre that the people of Crewe deserve."

Nub News CEO Karl Hancock said: "Crewe is my home town and it is great to see the regeneration starting in the town centre.

"Crewe Market Hall is the best thing to happen in Crewe for a long, long time and at Nub News we hope it's the start of many more exciting developments.

"We are looking forward to providing all the news about events and the traders that are making the Market Hall such a vibrant place to visit, including regular listings in our What's On section.

"Crewe Market Hall is the exclusive What's On sponsor of Crewe Nub News. Without such community-minded partners we would not be able to produce the locally-relevant, clickbait-free news to the people of Crewe."

Opening times

Monday & Tuesday 8.30am-2.30pm

Saturday 9.30pm – 5.00pm

Wednesday 11.00am - 6.00pm

Friday & Saturday 11.00am – 11.00pm

• NB Last orders 30 minutes before close

Wednesday -Saturday 9.30am - 6.00pm