By Beverly Rademacher

Copyright expressandstar

The street food pioneers will be opening their own venue at the Waterfront in early 2026.

DDC has taken on a 450-capacity two-room unit overlooking the canal after three successful years of staging one-off events outside the location.

A £500,000 overhaul of the existing space, which has lain empty for more than 15 years, will see the creation of a new destination for a diverse offering of food traders, live music, and events for the community, as well as food and culture fans from across the country.

DDC’s Dockworks Waterfront venture will sit alongside existing hospitality, leisure and night time economy businesses in the Waterfront, near Merry Hill shopping centre.

The announcement also follows a series of high profile 2025 DDC events across Dudley, including at Himley Hall and the Black Country Living Museum, and is a further commitment of the business’ approach to regional regeneration through investment.

Black Country Type – the project for the photographic work of artist Tom Hicks – have been commissioned to curate and create a space showcasing authentic and original artwork by local artists as part of investment in the build.

DDC also plans to team up with local businesses, community organisations and partners to deliver initiatives and events for residents and visitors from across the region.

Bobby Barnes, co-director of Digbeth Dining Club, said: “For Digbeth Dining Club, Dockworks is so much more than just a venue – it’s an opportunity to create something truly special for the Black Country.

“We’re always evolving and pushing the boundary to give people the best possible experience, and Dockworks will enable us to take that energy to a whole new level.

“After sitting empty for over 15 years, this site is ready to be brought back to live and we’re proud to be filling it with the food, music, culture, and community spirit that DDC is all about.

“Dockworks will be a place where people come together, whether that’s over incredible street food, live music, sport, or simply a great night by the waterfront.

“Our vision is for this to be a permanent home that the community can feel proud of.”

Formerly home to The Round Oak Steelworks in Brierley Hill, which employed up to 3,000 people at its peak, the Waterfront complex was completed in 1995 and features a marina, offices, dining, and entertainment venues.

The new DDC space will offer live music, comedy nights, quizzes, sports screenings, independent markets and other events similar to those presented at its Birmingham venues – Hockley Social Club, Jewellery Quarter and Herbert’s Yard, Longbridge.

Dockworks Waterfront will feature up to eight street food traders, with a regularly rotating line-up of businesses drawn from DDC’s pool of culinary talent, the creation of two rooms and two bars, creating 50 jobs in the process and hundreds more via contractors and suppliers.