The Trading Rooms: Piece Hall’s in-house restaurant to close

Some redundancies are likely to result from the closure of The Trading Rooms restaurant, cafe and bar which is housed in the Piece Hall at Halifax and run by the Piece Hall Trust itself.

Last month the Piece Hall Trust warned the venue’s future was under review and that a “small number” of roles were at risk of redundancy.

Now the Trust has issues an update on the situation, announcing The Trading Rooms’ closure, citing economic factors as affecting its viability.

The Trust’s statement says: “After a thorough review and consultation, the Piece Hall Trust has made the difficult decision to close The Trading Rooms restaurant.

“Every possible option was explored to continue operations, but sadly prevailing difficult economic conditions have meant that all the initiatives undertaken did not have the desired effect on profitability.”

The Trust said the commitment, professionalism, and hard work of all The Trading Rooms staff needed to be acknowledged.

“Their contributions have made a meaningful difference, and we are providing support to all affected employees, including alternate roles with the Trust, notice periods, redundancy packages, career guidance, and well-being resources.

“Despite this difficult outcome, we are proud of what The Trading Rooms has achieved in serving the community and those visiting our historic town.

“Many people have enjoyed celebrating special occasions with the dedicated team, enjoying good food and a warm welcome.

“We remain committed to our mission and will continue to focus on initiatives that support Halifax and the wider Calderdale community, while ensuring responsible financial management of The Piece Hall Trust,” said the Trust.

The Piece Hall – originally an 18th century Georgian cloth hall – now houses a range of businesses and hosts major events including a high profile series of summer concerts featuring some of the biggest names in music.

It has developed as a major generator of visitors since re-opening in 2017 after major refurbishment and the Trust runs the building, which is owned by Calderdale Council, through a service level agreement with the authority.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, The Trading Rooms team remained active and cooked over 20,000 free hot meals for the public despite the venue being closed, demonstrating the Trust’s community focus.

Calderdale Council provides annual funding of £225,000 to the Trust under the current service level agreement.