Lock 29 evolution is giving Banbury town centre a huge boost - the holiday crowds prove it

The Lock 29 enterprise has given a new, central focus to the shopping area now the venture has begun to really mature. There is more to come.

The Banbury population still has huge regret that our major department stores have moved out, but the town centre still has lots to commend it from the independent shops of Parsons Street to the High Street’s favourites.

Castle Quay is now twinned with the Waterfront complex, complete with superstore, cinema and restaurants and sitting at the heart, linking these elements is Lock 29.

It is a place where you can go to sit down and rest and relax, with an amazing selection of refreshments, from the Tap Social bar to Vintage Teas, Bubble Teas, ice creams and sustainable cocktails.

You can get burgers of all kinds, Caribbean, Mexican and Greek food, pizzas and Asian food from the Nori Shed along with ice creams, crepes and waffles. The retailers include Flower Funky, Peachy Paws Boutique Callisto Gifts and the colourful World of Fudge and Sweets.

And if there is a big sporting moment going on, you will be able to watch the action – whether it’s Wimbledon, the Six Nations or the Women’s World Cup – on the big screen while you’re having a breather and enjoying some refreshment. There is loads of space inside and out and dogs are welcome.

I visited on Saturday afternoon while the women’s football was on the screen. It was a lovely day and the doors were wide open with light streaming in from the canalside entrance. The development (the ground floor of the old BHS store) has been criticised for being dark, but in the summer with the light streaming in, the ‘cave’ accusation evaporates.

And Lock 29 manager, Chris Catford, is constantly adding bunting, flags and lights to the decor to give the space a bright and cheerful feel. Sorry to mention the word, but Christmas should be spectacular!

The development has its own performance area – the Live Locker - in the middle of the floor where up and coming musicians play on Saturdays – and Lock 29 also runs sell-out comedy gigs in the dedicated event and cinema space where the organisation also hopes to run workshops, events and activities. It is also available to hire.

Pop-ups bring their stalls to Lock 29 selling all sorts of interesting and eclectic collections and these are going to be popular (daren’t say the name again) in the coming months.

My brief visit with a friend included a crispy chicken burger from the Chicken Shed with a drink from the Tap Social bar, followed by a visit to the amazingly colourful sweet stall – World of Fudge and Sweets; a child’s dream – for a taste of their delicious, 5-star fudges of some incredible flavours. Their range of sweets is huge and includes loads of the old kids’ favourites.

We caught up with Kate Arnold at Flower Funky. Kate is a clothes-maker and up-cycler who is incredibly inventive and makes brooches out of recycled materials. Her vintage garments are very popular and she will be expanding her outlet this month.

Going to Banbury on a Saturday meant a visit to the market was a must, after which we returned to Lock 29 to enjoy tea and the most scrumptious cake at Vintage Teas. Saturday’s selection included coconut old school cake, Rolo cookie bar, chocolate muffin, Biscoff brownie, raspberry and white chocolate muffin, fudge cake, lemon drizzle, carrot cake, assorted scones, Danish and also apple and mango chutney sausage rolls.

Owner Heidi Rushby, from Banbury, started in Lock 29 with a shop selling home made items and opened a tea shop alongside it. It was so popular she moved into a bigger unit.

"I didn’t have time to sew any more and this has gone from strength to strength, it’s really busy,” she said. “I’ve got a lady who comes in two days a week to make the cakes and a few are bought in. I make all the scones, pies, pastries and sausage rolls here on the premises. We employ six or seven part time staff.

"I’ve always been into vintage things and I like the bone china tea idea. I’ve worked mostly in retail management so it’s not a step too far from that.”

Nori Shed is run by Josh Tollett and Tom Gillett went to Banbury college to study catering and went off travelling; they met up ten years later.

"I went to his restaurant to help out. We worked together for six months and decided to set up in business together. This opportunity came up and we jumped at it. Tom was in Asia for a while and I was in Australia and we were influenced by their flavours. We wanted to do Asian food and it’s popular.” The two also run The Chicken Shed, also in Lock 29.

We also got a chance to sample a taste of Greece from Mr Souvlaki’s outlet – the menu offers different variations of the food from this Mediterranean and Adriatic country. We look forward to a return to Lock 29 to give the other outlets a taste test, from Roses ice creams, crepes and waffles to DMoodz Caribbean food and Jammin Pizza.

Mr Catford said Lock 29 had started as a £2.2m Covid-era investment in Castle Quay by Cherwell District Council. Lock 29 provides the tills and each outlet pays the same 12.5 per cent of their turnover as rent. Each is helped with the centre’s promotion. And with other council innovations, the town centre is winning.

For more details about Lock 29 including the traders and their opening times, What’s On, event space hire and a look back at the news stories from the enterprise, visit https://www.lock29.co.uk/