Tees Business Tees Business issue 12 | Page 25

Serving the Teesside Business Community | 25 Reasons to be cheerful about Middlesbrough’s present… 1. Bistrot Pierre: The fashionable French restaurant opened its first North East venture in a derelict location on the Albert Road side of the Cleveland Centre in 2017 and has been impressing diners ever since. 2. Flannels: The former BHS site in the Cleveland Centre is now a bustling luxury fashion retailer stocking brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo and Vivienne Westwood. 3. Turtle Bay: An £800,000 investment has transformed the former Walkabout site on Corporation Road into a 231-seat Caribbean restaurant. 4. The Fork in the Road: This non-profit restaurant in the formerly empty Romer Parrish toy store building gives employment opportunities to recovering addicts, ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed. 5: Micropubs: Where do we start? A few years ago there was only one micropub in Middlesbrough, Dr Phil’s. Now they're springing up everywhere and include the Infant Hercules, Sherlock’s, the Twisted Lip, the Bottled Note and the Slater’s Pick. 6: Cocktail bars: If real ales aren’t your thing, try an expertly mixed Moscow Mule at the Nuthatch on Bedford Street or the Artizan on Roman Road – or choose from the huge range of gins on offer in the Dovecot on Linthorpe Road. 7: Vine Restaurant: The former MCS carpet store on the corner of Roman Road was derelict for several years before opening its doors as an upmarket seafood restaurant, cafe and bar. 8. The Smeltery: Combining cuisine and culture, this slow food restaurant in the town’s mima gallery is truly a work of art in itself. 9. Acklam Hall: The town’s only Grade 1-listed building opened as a top weddings, fine dining, office and conference venue eight years after being vacated by Middlesbrough College. 10: The Curing House: An authentic charcuterie menu features air dried continental hams and cheeses complemented by homemade breads, pickles and chutneys. That’s not to mention the fantastic Middlesbrough Sports Village, the Orange Pip Market, the STEM Centre and ongoing success stories such as Teesside University and Psyche – and we could go on! And now we’ve whetted your appetite, here are a few more reasons to be even more positive about the town’s future… Jobs: Companies locating to the Enterprise Zones at Teesside Advanced Manufacturing Park and the Historic Quarter could qualify for rate relief of up to £275,000 over five years. Improved rail services: A direct link to London, electrification of the Northallerton to Middlesbrough line and improved services to Tyneside, Leeds and York. The snow centre: Developed by Cool Runnings (NE), this ambitious venue is projected to attract at least 2.25 million visitors each year. The Pinnacle (formerly Centre North East): Advanced plans include a 17th-floor sky bar, a casino and a boutique basement bowling alley from Lane7 in the town’s tallest building. New homes: The town has embarked on what the council says is its most ambitious ever house- building programme, with more than 7,000 new houses due by 2029.