Summer season at The Yards, Covent Garden

Longmartin Properties Ltd, a joint venture between Shaftesbury and the Mercers’ Company, has announced a flurry of Spring and Summer activations taking place throughout The Yards, Covent Garden. 

From Baklava ice cream sandwiches and a rotating restaurant food truck, to local artwork trails, The Yards’ offers an exciting and varied experience that will capture the attention of all visitors, both locals and tourists alike:

• Persian-inspired ice cream brand, Darlish, is returning to The Yards for the third time at 7 Slingsby Place for its London one and only location. Creating luxury ice cream inspired by natural botanicals and flavours of the Middle East, The Yards store will be open from early May – October and will offer an exclusive new dish - the Faloodeh – a traditional Iranian cold dessert, consisting of rose water sorbet and thin vermicelli-sized noodles.

• Over the summer months, The Yards will be home to a dedicated Piaggio food truck for exclusive use by existing restaurant tenants within the destination. Each will take a short residency to create a rotating offering of takeaway street food and will benefit from The Yards’ alfresco community to provide a unique experience.

• Enhancing the charm of the area and adding to The Yard’s creative expression, local artist and illustrator, Lizzie King, has created a trail of vibrant artworks to help shoppers discover a series of free activations taking place through the area.

Laura Dawson, founder of Darlish, commented: “We had hugely successful trading periods during our previous summer of residencies within The Yards and are always eager to return each summer. This exclusive space provides a unique oasis from the hustle and bustle of the capital plus all the footfall one would expect from the West End. There is no better place to launch our only London store just in time for summer and we can’t wait to show off our latest and exclusive new product.”

On behalf of Longmartin Properties Ltd, Simon Taylor, Property Director at the Mercers’ Company added: “From returning operators to big- brands, The Yards has made a name for itself as the place to be, both as an F&B hub to explore and a retail destination to peruse. Our diverse offer and international appeal within the community is a big part of what makes The Yards so special, and we are committed to creating memorable experiences for all those who visit.”

The Yards also welcomed two pop-up activation stores in succession over recent months including theMarks & Spencer, Goodmove store. Showcasing the brand’s own activewear range for the month of April, the pop-up hosted exercise classes as part of the immersive experience. Global footwear and activewear giant, adidas, also selected 6 Slingsby Place to launch its concept ‘Energy Room’, providing local running and fitness events for the community throughout March. 

Looking ahead and set to open in Autumn 2023, Covent Garden and The Yards have been selected by Diageo, maker of Guinness, as a home to ‘Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard’, a £73million investment for London and plans include a new microbrewery and culture hub for the capital*. 

CBRE is the asset manager on behalf of Longmartin Properties and Colliers and DCL acted for       The Yards. Darlish represented themselves. 

*Subject to planning consent