Features / Bearpit
The slow rebirth of a sunken roundabout
“We’re back! Slowly but surely.” Written in chalk on an A-board, a small sign is a big indication of things beginning to happen in the sunken area within the middle of the St James Barton roundabout.
Close to the A-board in the Bearpit, with the top of a watering can peaking out of her bag, Sara Venn from Incredible Edible Bristol sits having a hot drink on Friday morning. This corner of Bristol is set to be a priority for the group over the summer and with no prospect of rain any time soon, Sara has her work cut out.
Sara is sitting at one of the two converted shipping containers which sells coffee, tea and sweet treats from Pearly Kings Cakes of Chandos Road in Redland.
One half of the container also displays plans for The Circle – a way to reinvigorate the Bearpit and transform it into a “food innovation hub” – and will soon have some aquaponics from Grow Bristol of St Philip’s to show more of the potential of this oft-maligned space.
Information about plans for The Circle are on display
In the neighbouring container, Scoff & Relish have taken over from what was most recently the Bearpit Social cafe, serving the likes of protein pancakes, sourdough toasties and their own ‘scoff boxes’ with options including onglet steak, harissa chicken, halloumi and falafel.
Formerly Mexican restaurant Bearritos, the double decker green bus next door currently lies empty but is due to be turned into the first permanent(ish) outpost of Tasty Ragga, like Scoff & Relish well-known from markets and events across Bristol.
The businesses are back in the Bearpit following the closure of both Bearpit Social and Bearritos in February, and the city council taking back control of the area in March.
Bunting stretches across the wooden awnings of the two shipping containers as pedestrians amble across the Bearpit, one man asleep under a tree and an artist advertises his wares with a stack of speakers playing Kisstory.
“Help us get stoned,” says one handwritten sign held up by one man with his arm in a sling, three orange helium balloons attached to his upturned top hat as two companions lounge on the ground next to him.
“We’ve missed you,” one customer tells Simon Green, geography teacher turned one of the driving forces of Bearpit Bristol CIC, committed to driving social change through food and community building. “Welcome back!”
The Circle hopes to become a ‘food innovation hub’
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
