Unique opportunity to run cafe at new £35million leisure development

Artist impression of the new multi-million pound Highlight leisure development for Hartlepool
-Credit: (Image: Hartlepool Council)


Businesses in the catering trade are being offered and 'unrivalled opportunity' to be part of a new £35million leisure development.

Council bosses in Hartlepool are on the lookout for someone to operate the cafe at Highlight, the town's active wellbeing hub which is currently under construction. The authority says it want to develop a long-term relationship with a well-established operator to provide a high-quality food and drink offering at the venue.

Highlight is a huge development which is being funded by Hartlepool Borough Council, Tees Valley Combined Authority and Sport England.

Once completed it will have a vast array of facilities including a 25-metre eight-lane main pool, a 25-metre four-lane learner pool with moveable floor, a leisure pool, including a race slide and water play features, gym, fitness studios, soft play, function rooms, a cafe with seating overlooking the marina, watersport facilities and an NHS consultation suite.

The council is aiming to let the cafe premises by informal tender and the closing date for tenders to be submitted is 12 noon on Friday, December 6.

Building work on Highlight, Hartlepool’s new flagship leisure development, is well underway
Building work on Highlight, Hartlepool’s new flagship leisure development, is well underway -Credit:Hartlepool Borough Council

Cllr Gary Allen, chairman of the council's adult and community based services committee, said: "This is an unrivalled opportunity to lease large waterfront cafe premises in a brand new building situated in an impressive location overlooking Hartlepool Marina and the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool.

"Highlight is going to be a fantastic facility, both for residents of Hartlepool and visitors from further afield, so it is fair to say that opportunities such as this rarely become available."

The active wellbeing hub which is expected to welcome around 500,000 visitors annually, is due for completion in late 2025 and will open to the public in early 2026.

The main café seating area will extend to around 267 square metres with waterside views, and there will also be a ground-floor external terrace with further seating. In addition, there will be opportunities to provide catering for a party room within the hub and for other events.

It will focus on contemporary cafe-style products, including a range of hot drinks, cold soft drinks, light meals, snacks and healthy alternatives.

Tenders should be submitted to Philip Timmins in the Council’s Strategic Asset Management Team at philip.timmins@hartlepool.gov.uk an include the following information:

  • Name, address, contact details and tenderer's status (company, partnership etc).

  • Outline of proposed menus and hours of opening (it is proposed that Highlight’s usual opening hours will be 6.30am-9.30pm Monday-Friday and 8.30am-7pm Saturdays and Sundays, although the council reserves the right to amend these times)

  • Outline of current hospitality business operations, including food hygiene ratings.

  • Amount of rental offer in pounds sterling and all other terms and conditions proposed.

It is proposed to place vending machines in the seating area, principally to cover times when the café is closed. If tenderers wish to operate these, it should be stated in their submission.

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