Help Our Hospitality: Owner of pop-up food and drink venue says ‘constant variety is what we’re all about’

The owner of an innovative pop-up food and drink venue in Northamptonshire says “constant variety is what they’re all about” – and it is what visitors have come to expect from their unique venture.

The Pop Up Place, located in High Street, Long Buckby, has now been open for more than a year and has continued to be well-received among the community.

The collaborative pop-up space for food and drink vendors, with themed events regularly hosted, was a new concept for the area.

The venue is the brainchild of two businesses – Muddled Lime by Jay Adams and his partner Chloe Southgate’s business, Pop Up Planners.

Having become the home of all kinds of offerings – from Pan-Asian delights, tacos and Caribbean food, to desserts, cocktails and Sicilian coffee – the community is now spoiled for choice.

Jay last spoke to the Chronicle & Echo in August for his first instalment of the Help Our Hospitality campaign, and was asked how business has been over the past six months since then.

“It was a great end to 2023,” said Jay. “With loads of events building up to Christmas, the place was really buzzing. We were really happy with how 2023 wrapped up.

“Same as most people, January was a quiet time and we’re slowly getting back into the swing of things. We’ve talked about the current climate and the constant energy it takes to keep things going but, all things considered, it’s going really well.”

The Pop Up Place works hard to offer varying events and cuisines for customers to indulge in. This includes live music and quirky workshops, including learning how to make pasta.

“The constant variety is what we’re all about and people have come to expect it from us,” Jay added.

“Our most stable offering is our brunch menu. We’re constantly developing the daytime food offering and the menu is in a really strong place. We get a lot of praise for that from repeat customers.”

The hope for 2024 is to continue building on last year’s success, with new and different pop-ups in the pipeline.

The Chef’s Larder, an “amazing” group of chefs, have already held their first event – a five-course taster menu for Valentine’s Day.

They will bring different cuisines to their monthly events, including deluxe hot dogs that hype is already building for.

Jay said: “Essentially we want to create more consistency in terms of people knowing what to expect when they visit us.”

Tapas nights are set in stone for Fridays, Saturdays are always event nights, and loaded Yorkshire puddings are available on Just Eat on Sundays – as well as for those who visit in person.

When asked what he believes is the key to running a successful hospitality business, Jay said: “Absolutely resilience, and being able to dust yourself off and pick yourself up after a tough time.”

He also says communication is vital as hospitality is “all about people”. Though it is important to get the food and drink right, Jay believes building good relationships and rapport is equally as paramount.

For more information on The Pop Up Place, visit their Facebook page here.