Following our very successful food and beverage tender, Empire Tavern at Hackney Empire opened just over a week ago. With the early reviews praising the fantastic design, food and drink, this is one venue to visit, theatre or no theatre visit!
Hackney Empire is situated in the heart of London’s East End and has been an iconic venue for the arts and popular culture since it first opened in 1901. It is now an exceptional variety theatre for the 21st century that embraces a local and global community of artists and audiences; and presents work that is at once extraordinary, relevant, inspirational and transformative.
Montfort Consultants were appointed to identify and embed a new operator and food and drink concept for this dual aspect location with prominent street frontage. Critical considerations included ensuring that the new food and drink offer and concept would be a destination in its own right as well as support the local community and serve the 200,000 theatre audience members who visit the theatre each year.
Montfort Catering Consultants supported Hackney Empire with the identification, selection and appointment of an exciting new hospitality operator for their ‘Empire Bar’ space on Mare Street, Hackney. From utilisation of our broad hospitality and cultural sector professional contacts to introduce the opportunity to, to developing full request for proposal documents, heads of terms and negotiations, we supported through the entire catering tender process. Needless to say we had some very strong and exciting proposals from some of the most high-profile restaurateurs, neighbourhood pub and dining rooms, art based bar operators, cafes, breweries, hospitality based social enterprises, coffee companies and event providers.
After a detailed and thorough competitive tender process involving multiple stakeholder from Hackney Empire, including the Executive Director, Artistic Director and Trustees, East London Brewing Co. & Taverns East Pub Group have been appointed as a joint venture and Empire Tavern is now live!
If you are looking for specialist catering experience to develop a food and drink offer at your theatre or are keen to elevate the audience experience and commercial potential with your existing theatre hospitality offer, do get in touch for an informal chat.
See more here: Empire Tavern
Posted on March 27th, 2026
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