CHESTER Market is reinventing itself as a dining hub.

Two new eateries have opened up in the last two months, adding to the choice already there. And there’s another one on its way in the coming weeks.

The recent additions include Crustum, a Polish-run wholesome food diner selling delicious staples like pie and mash with rosemary flavoured gravy.

It also sells homemade artisan bread from the family bakery.

And there’s also Stile Napoletano, a new Italian-run pizzeria which is also drawing in enthusiastic diners.

Both add to the mix of the long-established traditional English cafe and Nice Bites, the relatively new Thai and international cuisine diner.

Coming soon is a novel new venture which is expected to increase the market’s footfall even further.

Mandy Stein is planning to open a new tasting eatery featuring her favourite old-fashioned and wartime recipes - and those of her diners too.

Her idea is to create a ‘tapas-style’ way of food sampling but from different cuisines.

“I want people to bring me their favourite recipes and I will recreate a range of them for other people to enjoy,” she explained.

Other stallholders have already noticed the rise in footfall in the market, which had appeared to be in a terminal decline until the new food outlets began to draw in a new generation of customers. Traders complained to The Standard last year, citing the closure of the bus station at Princess Street and its relocation to Gorse Stacks as the main reason behind trade falling away. Their concerns were acknowledged by Cheshire West and Chester Council, which erected signs leading shoppers to the market later in the year.