Exciting new brand unveiled for Aberdeen Market

The new Aberdeen Market building, which is currently under construction on Union Street, has revealed its new identity.

The McGinty’s Group, the chosen operator for the Aberdeen City Council’s venture, has revealed the venue will be called FLINT.

Proudly linking back to the site’s prehistoric past as a location for ancient tool-making craft, the name pays homage to the rich legacy of flintknapping which was carried out at The Green around 8000 years ago.

Construction work is underway at the site with the new market due to open in 2027. The project is a key part of Aberdeen City Council’s City Centre and Beach Master Plan which will see the biggest redevelopment in the city centre since Union Street was built 200 years ago.

Set to revitalise The Green area, FLINT will house international-style food and drink outlets from local vendors and artisan traders with a vibrant food hall inside. The destination venue will also have a large outdoor area for pop-up markets and other events and will boast improved connectivity between the bus and rail station to Union Street.

Martin Widerlechner, who is McGinty’s marketing director for Flint, said: “The name reflects the spirit of ingenuity and resilience that is a hallmark of the Granite City. The new branding connects the past and the future and hopefully will ignite the regeneration of this great city.”

He added: “We took our time with this process as we understand the importance of the project to the city. We received nearly 400 suggestions from the public and it was tough to choose the best, but Flint stood out the most. We will be revealing more about the name, the branding and the market over the coming months.”

Aberdeen City Council’s co-leader, councillor Christian Allard, said: “Flint is an excellent choice of name for the new market building which will play a key role in making Aberdeen’s city centre a world-class destination for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

Co-leader, councillor Ian Yuill, said: “The new market will add much vitality and attract more visitors to the city centre. The council’s investment in this project and in other improvements, such as the upgrades in central Union Street, will help to make the city centre a more vibrant and desirable destination for everyone. The name Flint highlights that this is the historic centre of Aberdeen, and the various initiatives will ensure that this area will remain at the heart of city life.”

The new market name was inspired by the discovery on The Green in 1976 of tiny blades of local honey-coloured Buchan flint, which suggested craftsmen had worked on the site around 8000-years ago.

More details on Flint can be found by following FlintABZ on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and on the website www.flintabz.com .

Alongside the new market building, Aberdeen City Council are also redeveloping the streetscape on Union Street Central to make it more accessible and welcoming along with major works at the beachfront which include a class-leading beach park, an events park and improvements to the Broad Hill.