There’s a new buzz building in the Covered Market. After nine years on the Cowley Road, Arbequina has just opened its second Oxford restaurant right here in the Market. We caught up with Ben, part of the team behind Arbequina, to talk handmade tiles, tapas, and why the Market feels like the perfect place for their next chapter.
Hello Ben. Please can you introduce yourself, what you do at Arbequina and a few words describing what Arbequina is for those new to your business?
Very nice to meet you all, I’m Ben, part of the team behind Arbequina with Ben W. and Ru. I mainly run the front of house of the businesses, alongside all the nitty gritty bits – you’ll probably find my jumping on cardboard boxes half of the time…
Arbequina is a Spanish inspired tapas restaurant & bar, we focus on small plates. The best way to describe it is a project driven by a passion for the hospitality industry. We have all spent our lives in restaurants, and are obsessed with finding & creating delicious, innovative dishes and drinks and serving them to people in a place that we love.
What made the Covered Market feel like the right home for Arbequina’s next chapter?
We always wanted to have another site in Oxford – it’s important for us to keep ‘hands-on’ with our restaurants. The market has definitely received a new burst of energy over the last few years with lots of amazing new spots opening! That coupled with the planned renovations to the market itself on the horizon – it felt like an exciting time to join all of the great traders!
The market itself is such an amazing space – and we really love how it is championing local, independent businesses! The opening hours of the market are also a great addition to our Cowley Rd. site – so the hope is that the 2 spaces complement each other.
What inspired your design choices for the Covered Market space, and how do they reflect Arbequina’s personality?
We love unique & fun furnishings. Designing a restaurant can be quite mundane, maybe mostly functional, but we all find joy in bringing excitement to our sites. We are ultimately trying to create a fun & vibrant atmosphere that people can enjoy comfortably in a variety of ways – whether that is solo diners popping in for a quick bite, or glass of sherry – or a group settling down for a full blown feast!
Spending so much time on site must mean you’re crossing paths with lots of traders and neighbours. Have you found yourself getting to know the Market community in a new way through this refurb?
Definitely. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming to us, that it really feels like slotting into a family unit! Hopefully all the banging & crashing hasn’t disturbed our lovely neighbours too much… but it is 100% worth it – promise!
From the bar layout to the back bar and service areas, it’s clear you’re building something vibrant and ambitious. What kind of atmosphere or experience are you hoping guests will feel the moment they step through the doors for the first time?
We’ve always tried to create an exciting, buzzy & welcoming atmosphere at Arbequina. Our projects are always driven by our passion, and they are properly labours of love. The dream is a place where people feel relaxed and easily welcomed – focused on a professional service & a super high-quality product!
After such a long and careful build, how did it feel to finally opening the doors on 24 July, and what can visitors expect when they come in for the first time?
A strange mixture of excitement and nerves. This site has been something we have dreamed of for years, and bringing it to fruition took a lot of patience & hard work. I think it’s important to have people in the space, using it and living in it – that is what will add the soul to the place, and the great experiences people have in a building definitely seep into the foundations, and that’s what makes it truly special.
It’s important for us to do right by all of our wonderful customers, and keep focused on the quality of everything. Everyone can expect experience our dream of a welcoming, fun, buzzy & exciting environment!
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about bringing to the Covered Market, and how do you hope Arbequina will add to The Covered Market community?
I suppose I picture Borough market or Spitalfields, or places in Barcelona or Copenhagen – where the people & places are bustling and bursting with life and excitement, smiles on everyone’s faces as they soak up wonderful atmospheres.
The Covered Market has that, and I hope that we’ll add into the pot. Oxford deserves a space that it can feel proud of championing independent and local businesses, and that is THE place to be in the city centre. Just to be a part of that would be more than enough!
We’ll definitely be doing an opening night too, when our evening services are launched properly, which will be a couple of weeks after opening, so we’ll keep everybody posted on that.
And there you have it! Let’s all raise a glass to Arbequina. Hip Hip Hoooooray!
To find out more head to their traders page by clicking the button below.