Oat and Olive Opens in the Former Turnbull's Butchers on Market Street

One of Alnwick's most recognisable shopfronts has begun a new chapter. The Grade II listed building on Market Street that for generations housed Turnbull's butchers has reopened at the end of June as Oat and Olive, a 50-cover cafe and bistro. Above it sit five new holiday apartments, and the venture has created several jobs in the town.

A long restoration

The project was, in the words of owner Alex Swinney, "a colossal project". Swinney, who also co-owns the Pavilion Tipi and The Pressed Club in Morpeth, took on a historic building that needed careful handling. Heritage specialists worked on the scheme to make sure the listed building's original features were preserved and restored rather than lost, a sensitive approach for one of the most prominent frontages in Alnwick's town centre.

The result is a bright, contemporary cafe-bistro that keeps a strong sense of the building's character. The kitchen is built around a healthy menu of breakfast and brunch, with an emphasis on local produce, fitting for a building with such deep roots in the town's food trade.

Five Market Street Apartments

The upper floors have been turned into five self-catering holiday lets, branded the Market Street Apartments. They give visitors a base in the heart of the town, within a short walk of the castle, the garden, and the independent shops that draw people to Alnwick. The combination of a daytime eatery downstairs and short-stay accommodation above is an increasingly common model for breathing new life into listed town-centre buildings.

Best for: The Turnbull's name lives on nearby — the sixth-generation butcher still trades from its Market Street shop and Willowburn Food Hall.

A vote of confidence in the town centre

The opening adds to a busy stretch of independent food and drink businesses in central Alnwick and brings a long-empty landmark building back into use. You can read more about the opening and the launch event in the Northumberland Gazette.

Opening hours and the full menu are best checked directly with the cafe before visiting.

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