Tileyard North: Two new businesses move into Wakefield's vast new creative space

The Music Factory Entertainment Group and The Yorkshire Food Group have become two of the first firms to call Tileyard North home in the first phase of the multi-million pound regeneration development in the city.

The Yorkshire Food Group, which opened a new restaurant, The Yorkshire Brasserie, on February 27, will work with Tileyard North to programme events in the first-floor purpose designed event space space, The Mill.

Alex and Christian Lawlor, owners of The Yorkshire Food Group, said: "Over the last decade, we have catered for all sorts of events and exclusive corporate launches.

"We have championed local and cooked in fields to event halls. The Yorkshire Brasserie is about bringing that unique experience to a new, more permanent venue, showcasing talent and the incredible Yorkshire produce."

Nick Keynes, co-founder of Tileyard, welcomed the partnership. ”It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know Alex and Christian over the past couple of years and their brand new offering, aptly named The Yorkshire Brasserie, sits right in the heart of our Tileyard North complex.

"This exciting new restaurant will serve our on-site creative resident community, as well as the general public, and Alex and Christian will also provide catering services for all of our private and corporate events too, so we very much look forward to the beginning of a very long and successful partnership.”

In a move representing significant growth plans, the Music Factory Entertainment Group, established in 1986, has joined The Yorkshire Food Group in a move to the Wakefield development.

With tens of millions of record sales, worldwide number one singles and catalogue of 15,000 sound recordings, publishing rights and brands, the music and media company, also behind the 1980s novelty pop act Jive Bunny, will now be based in Tileyard.

Music Factory’s chairman Andy Pickles said: “I first visited Tileyard North a year ago and was not only instantly sold on the incredible facilities and location, but even more so by the ethos of the Tileyard and the team behind it.

"The music industry thrives through collaboration, and I believe there will be no better place for our group of companies and staff to collaborate and grow than Tileyard North. I am incredibly excited to relocate to Wakefield and continue the Music Factory story.”

Mr Keynes added: “By bringing household brands such as the Music Factory Entertainment Group, Andy’s expanding business empire is a huge boost to the launch of our new Northern hub and we couldn’t have hoped to have secured a more credible and exciting anchor client to help us launch our new Wakefield site”.

Tileyard North is set to become home to the UK’s largest creative community outside of London, bringing together people throughout the district working in industries such as music, film, TV and design.

The 135,000 sqft creative industries hub, based at Rutland Mills, aims to put Wakefield on the map as the ‘new creative destination in the North of England’.