Humber St Gallery and Cafe tell us how their venue has become a community hub

A dockside warehouse that once stocked tonnes of fruit shipped into England from around the world is now enjoying a new arty lease of life thanks to cake and coffee

When grocers flocked at dawn to Hull’s bustling waterside fruit market to stock up on pineapples and bananas just unloaded from the boats, it was the beating heart of a community.

But two world wars, a modernised port and changing retail habits saw local traders’ numbers dwindle and the area fall into dereliction in the Eighties.

Today, though, its cobbled streets are bustling again with taprooms and restaurants in a melting pot of independent venues that could fit easily into one of London’s hipster hotspots. Nestled in their midst on the site of the old fruit warehouse is Humber Street Gallery, whose cafe bar is flourishing in the glow of the East Yorkshire city’s 2017 City of Culture win.

Run by charity Absolutely Cultured, the three-floor space with rooftop bar has brought thousands of people together from diverse parts of the community.

They visit, not for mangoes, but to enjoy a constantly changing timetable of contemporary arts events… and some of the best coffee, cakes and brews in town.

It’s a versatile space which features an exhibition area, workshops and a unique piece of local art that visitors – many who once lived in Hull – travel to see from as far afield as New Zealand and Canada.

Dead Bod, a graffitied image of a ‘dead bird’ painted by a sailor who tried to rescue its real-life counterpart back to health after a broken wing, has pride of place in the gallery (see far right). It once stood on a rusting corrugated iron shed in the middle of the Humber, and is proof of the power of having a unique selling point, says Venue and Commercial Manager, Lucy Lines (above).

“Art is our point of difference, so Dead Bod is popular at our business networking events, private parties, Q&As and art shows,” she says. “We’re a gallery first, so as people come for free exhibitions and workshops they stay longer for the best cakes and drinks in the city.”

The gallery is a focal point for the region’s creative and maker communities, as well as education and wellbeing groups. “You don’t drive through Hull. You have to come to it, so it’s a tight-knit community of people all eager to help each other out,” she says.

As well as co-operation from other businesses, the venue is backed by Arts Council and Hull City Council grants that ensure the City of Culture legacy lives on. Lucy insists that growing your business to become a crucial part of the community you operate in needn’t be a struggle. Here are her good neighbour tips…

Pick partners wisely

From our cafe bar to accessible artistic areas for reflection, creativity and innovation, we make sure the people we work with share our ethical approach.

They include local roasters The Blending Room who have been buying from quality growers for nearly 20 years, and the city’s Scrummy Crumb Vegan Bakery who supply our vegan and gluten-free pastries and cakes.

Partnering with two of the best in their field means we can tap into those customers who might come here just for coffee, cake or a drink and leave having learned something around art and culture in our gallery.

Celebrate your area

People are proud of their city, town or village’s heritage and history, so go big on it. Even if they’re passing through, they still want to know more about where they are – and there’s no better way than art, pictures or sharing cultural items of interest to add colour and interest to your venue.

That includes food. Hull is well- known for a mixture of paprika, celery and salt called chip spice, as well as ‘pattie slappers’ – women who made and shaped deep-fried mashed potatoes and sage patties into a bread roll. We do T-shirts celebrating both.

“Art is our point of difference, so Dead Bod is popular at our business networking events, private parties, Q&As and art shows (one of which may have been attended by Banksy)”

- Lucy Lines, Venue and Commercial Manager

Take pride in your difference

Dead Bod is the first thing people ask about and some even have their wedding picture or birthday party in front of it.

As well as our T-shirts we have a range of Humber Street Gallery tote bags and postcards, notebooks, sketchpads and pencils by Turner Prize-nominated artist David Shrigley.

They’re free advertising for the gallery, with profits reinvested into the charity to help pay for the range of programmes and activities we run.

Location, location, location

We’re one of only a few places in Hull with a rooftop garden so it’s a big selling point, especially when the sun is shining brightly. The street is full of cool places – cafes, vintage clothing shops and art stores – so it’s very much a destination and in summer it’s the place to be for people-watching.

Spread your tentacles

The three people in our creative team are always walking the streets and driving social media to promote what we do and grow engagement.

Our charity trustees come from the arts, finance and teaching so we spread our net into different sectors to ensure we stay relevant and our space can support local schools, art clubs and wellness groups.

Think differently

Don’t waste your space. Networking events, baby showers, craft gatherings and safe locations for groups all mean footfall. We have a silent book club which is always popular too. We even applied for a civil wedding licence so people can hold their ceremony, reception and full meal in the roof garden or downstairs.

Involve local influencers

Local graffiti artist Joe Johnson’s work can be found on walls all over Hull and he’s a friend of ours at the gallery, regularly popping in for coffee. We promote artists and they promote us, so it’s a two-way relationship.

The timetable of artists – Solmaz Farhang’s specially commissioned In Therapy with North Sea (right) was a four-month exhibition – is worked out two years in advance so they have time to bring customers to us.

Be accessible

We make all diverse groups feel welcome, including people who have tired of working from home and can get a £5-a-day Busy Bod deal in our cafe with unlimited Americano coffee, tea and water. People always buy food as well though.

Get the drinks right

We stock popular beers, some from local breweries, but we’re also seeing a big increase in sales of zero per cent gins.

On the hot drinks side, matcha tea is challenging the traditional brews because it’s healthy and Instagrammable, especially in front of Dead Bod.

Stay relevant

We work hard to ensure our exhibitions appeal to a wide range of people, from art lovers to people who never knew they liked it until they came in for a flat white. That’s the secret to keeping the place fresh – and busy.