Brindleyplace has welcomed its first new produce market to the estate in the week the UK government imposed new restrictions on social interaction and contemplated a local lockdown in Birmingham.

The experimental opening came as meetings take place to determine whether Birmingham will face further coronavirus restrictions. The city’s infection rate is now close to 70 per 100,000.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has warned that further limits on social contact are “very very likely”, Birmingham Live reported.

Birmingham City Council acquired additional powers to impose controls on public places in August 2020.

Landlords and senior brokers are fighting shy of public comment on the threat to their tenants and income streams. Brindleyplace declined Bisnow’s invitation to comment.

Designed to encourage people to visit Birmingham, the produce market was held in Brindleyplace’s Central Square on Friday, with a range of sellers keen to reach out to potential buyers.

The optimistic assumption was that with more and more office workers returning to their workplaces across Brindleyplace and Birmingham city centre in general, it was also a chance for people to experience something new in the heart of the estate.

Stalls included those selling pancakes, artisan chocolates and cupcakes, cannoli, oils, organic beer and wine, fresh meat, olives, coffee, ice cream and honey.

“Today was a perfect opportunity to encourage office users as well as visitors to Brindleyplace to enjoy the produce market and take something home or back to the office for later," Brindleyplace Marketing Executive Stacey Muir said in a press release.

Birmingham remains on Public Health England’s watchlist of locations with rising levels of coronavirus infection. Some wards in the city have an infection rate of 1,200 per 100,000 residents, a value many times above the government’s target of around 20 per 100,000, or the 50 per 100,000 that heralds further restrictions.

The Department of Health said it is keeping the data under review, Politico reported.