Eataly enters the UK, wins at MIPIM

London and the UK’s first branch of Eataly is launching in partnership with UK REIT British Land, at the developer’s 135 Bishopsgate scheme in 2020. Eataly has signed a 3,900 m2 lease on the ground and first floors of the building, finally bringing Eataly to the UK capital after a number of near-misses.

With a selection of high-quality Italian products, restaurants, bars, quick services, on-site production laboratories and a cookery school, Eataly will add to the restaurant and bar offering at Broadgate, creating opportunities to learn about Italian food and culture though courses, guided tastings, demonstrations and special events.

‘Visiting Borough Market before opening our first Eataly in Italy was a source of great inspiration for our concept,’ said Luca Baffigo, CEO, Eataly. ‘This is why opening a place in London where people can buy, eat and learn is a very important and exciting milestone for us. Being able to bring our model into a place that is so significant fills us with satisfaction and stimulates us to create in London a wonderful multifunctional experience.’

Award winning

Another Eataly project, Fico Eataly World near Bologna in Italy, won Best Shopping Centre at the MIPIM Awards last month, defeating category finalists including the Rive Gauche project in Charleroi (Belgium), the Suzhou Center in Suzhou (China) and the Tokyu Plaza Ginza in Tokyo (Japan).

‘It’s a great honour to receive this prestigious international award,’ said Prelios general manager Andrea Cornetti, who accepted the MIPIM Award in Cannes for Fico. ‘We share it with everyone who believed in the project from the start, both in the public sector and the very many private investors. I want to thank everyone who helped make this splendid initiative possible.’

Built by CAAB, Eatalyworld and Prelios and backed by a raft of Italian institutional investors, Fico Eataly World in Bologna is the world’s largest agro-food park, promoting Italian biodiversity in a location of more than 10 hectares. The word fico in Italian means fig, and is also used as slang for ‘cool’.

‘The MIPIM Award is a tribute first of all to the people who initiated the Fico project and chose the Prelios Group as their partner on this great adventure,’ said Riccardo Serrini, Prelios Group chief operating officer. ‘It’s also an award that Italy and everyone who played a part in creating Fico Eataly World can be proud of.’