Two new tenants are pulling in to Old Spitalfields Market

East-London based Monty’s Deli has opened this month with Taiwanese street food brand JiaBa set to launch in the space soon.

The New York inspired deli will replace Swedish brand Rok, which BigHospitality reported earlier this month was departing the street food collective as it moves to focus on the launch of its solo Soho restaurant later this year.

The deli, which was founded last year and which serves ‘Jewish comfort food’, will offer a condensed version of its Hoxton flagship restaurant menu. It is expected to keep its pitch in The Kitchens for six months.

Asian-inspired restaurant brand Bar Barbarian has also left The Kitchens, with Taiwanese player JiaBa its replacement. JiaBa, whose name translates to a daily greeting of ‘have you eaten?’, is a homage to the food founder Pokai Wan missed from his homeland of Taiwan.

Dishes will include braised beef noodle; Taiwanese sausage; baby corn; and fried king oyster mushroom. Dessert options like Taiwanese tea jelly will also be available.

Bar Barbarian says it has vacated the Spitalfields site to focus on finding its own permanent site, according to its website.

The Kitchens was founded last year by Nuno Mendes’ creative organisation Ten Ten, and is a lineup of 10 food traders that are housed in permanent kitchens within the mid-renovation Old Spitalfields Market.

Once completed, the space will be home to more than 100 independent traders, and will run an events programme expected to be announced this spring.

We want to put Old Spitalfields Market back on the map as one of the most exciting and lauded destinations in London” says Mendes.

“In an age where retail is becoming much more impersonal and en masse, we want to re-establish that unique connection between traders and consumers, creating a more rewarding and personalised experience.”