South Bristol has a strong reputation for sustaining a high street dominated by independents. Residents have grown to develop a fiercely loyal relationship with local businesses along its high streets, like North Street and East Street.
Once the robust home of the tobacco industry in the early 20th century, it has become a hub for hipster coffee shops, brunch spots and independent clothing lines - with the Tobacco Factory building growing from a theatre company to housing its own café bar in the early 2000s. The street was named the most gentrified street in Bristol in a 2018 survey, a trend thought to have commenced around the 1980s amid nationwide house price rises.
Veteran Bedminster business owner, Derek Knapman of Lion Stores, celebrated the shop’s 50th anniversary this year and has seen the area evolve over the past few decades. He cited the arrival of The Lounge, a popular cafe and coffee shop, as one of the turning points of the area.
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Justin Carter, managing director of Lounge, said: “It’s pertinent because we’ve just hit our 20th anniversary of Lounge in Bedminster. We’re very proud to have been a part of the revitalisation of North Street and we’ve grown over the years.”
The business started with just one shop front and grew to expand into two more. The group now has around 173 sites across the UK.
“The neighbourhood around North Street provided us with the template for the kind of neighbourhood area that could support a business like ours, offering an all day casual cafe-bar-restaurant environment. North Street is very dear to our heart,” Mr Carter added.
And it’s the cafes and coffee shops that have queuing running out of the door each weekend.
Since the arrival of Lounge, there has been a surge in new coffee shops and brunch spots. On North Street there’s cafe chain Coffee #1, Tincan, Albatross and Sweven. There is a stark contrast on neighbouring East Street.
The shuttered units have increased in number over recent years, but the area has kept much of its character and there are plenty of personalities helping to keep the place vibrant. There's still life brought by cafes like the Hippie Flower, the Toast Room and all-vegan cafe Vx Bristol.
Joshua Harris, 26, from Bedminster, said: “Tincan has doubled as a brunch place and coffee shop. It is the lifeblood of North Street. During the week you'll see the regulars grabbing a pre-work coffee and on the weekends it's packed with brunchers. It really gives life and character to North Street.”
Another Bristol resident welcomed the number of cafes and coffee shops in the area but also thought there was room for more restaurants offering diverse cuisines.
“I think the influx of coffee shops is very exciting for Bedminster, bringing more people to the area and footfall in our wonderful local shops,” said resident, Eva Poliszczuk.
“I feel they should aim for a variety of eateries would be better - if they all have the same offering this won’t bring more people as we would hope.”
It’s clear the independent scene remains strong in Bedminster, but have been some losses in recent months. Among those lost is deli store Flip while Pony Bistro announced it will have its last service this December.
Interestingly, a new restaurant operating under a dining hall concept is opening in the area this weekend hoping to diversify the culinary offering in the area. Kitchen by Kask, another fixture of the wine bar a few doors down, hopes to capture that area of the market lost to those who prefer to try new food when eating out rather than returning to the same venue time and time again.
Bristol pizza chain Pizzarova is also poised to open its first restaurant south of the river in a matter of weeks. A sign posted to the front of the door says it's waiting on gas and electricity metres to be installed before they can welcome customers. While there's ample choice in the city centre, Bedminster is a bustling pocket within the community that allows independents to thrive.
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