I drove an hour from Sheffield, and here’s why it’s not worth the trip – yetA visit to Signature Mall in Bradford
Newly launched Signature Mall in Bradford has been dubbed the UK’s biggest Asian shopping mall and honestly, I had to find out for myself.
I drove an hour from Sheffield and I got there just after 11am (it opens at 10.30am) but the car park was already nearly full. People were queuing just to get a space, and the layout made it a nightmare to leave without reversing into someone.
There was someone manning the car park, though, so that helped ease the flow a bit. However, not the greatest first impression for somewhere positioning itself as a big destination.
The location threw me a bit too. It’s tucked into a residential area in Listerhills with a mosque right opposite, which is fine, but on busy prayer days I can only imagine what the parking situation looks like on the surrounding streets.
The gate to the car park is lined with palm trees, convincingly real-looking ones, which is a nice touch. At the main entrance there’s a giant cat holding a heart-shaped balloon that says ‘Signature Mall’ on one side, and on the other a giant red flower with two cherries and what looks like a padlock (or maybe a shopping bag, I genuinely couldn’t tell) also with the mall’s name on it. It’s a bit quirky but fun, and clearly designed with photos in mind.
As I walked inside, I was impressed with the decorative lighting, which gives off somewhat Middle Eastern vibes and the place looks decent enough, especially for somewhere that had only been open just over a week.
Signature Mall in Bradford(Image: Yorkshire Live)
Inside though, it’s very much a South Asian women’s shopping experience. Clothes, dresses, shoes, handbags, perfumes, and jewellery.
I saw a store called Batik and, as a Malaysian, I got excited. Batik is a type of textile art originating from Indonesia and Malaysia, typically featuring geometric and floral designs, so naturally I assumed it would stock traditional Malay attire. It didn’t. Fully South Asian, though, – beautiful colours, stunning occasion wear – but as a Southeast Asian, it’s not really my world unless I’m attending a South Asian event.
One shop was selling traditional attire for around £30 which was genuinely good value, and it was busy – helped no doubt by Eid being just around the corner.
One of the stunning dresses that you could get below £40(Image: Yorkshire Live)
The mall was clean, which I’ll give it. There were little sweet and dessert kiosks to browse as you walk around, which is a nice touch if you’ve got kids in tow. And the bathrooms were actually a pleasant surprise, with facilities for disabled visitors and parents.
They also had ‘lota’ provided – a small, spouted water vessel that Muslims and many Asians use for washing after using the toilet, a bit like a personal bidet. As an Asian and also a Muslim, I genuinely appreciated that. The small things matter.
Signature Mall is located in a dense area of Bradford, just opposite a mosque(Image: Yorkshire Live)
The food court – which, I have to say, looked genuinely impressive, almost like a five-star dining experience – had a decent spread, with vendors selling burgers, paratha, curries, biryani and desserts. The centrepiece is a large artificial cherry blossom tree surrounded by a circular velvet seating area, with burgundy booths and white chairs dotted around – it’s very pretty and absolutely made for Instagram.
Signature Mall’s food hall(Image: Yorkshire Live)
A lot of the vendor units were still empty though, so I headed to one called Pind Express and ordered the medium set – two protein dishes with the choice of rice and a roti or naan. At £8.99, the portion size felt a bit on the small side for the price.
I thought I’d easily spend two hours there but I was done in under an hour. To be fair, it’s only one floor and with so many units still empty there wasn’t much to see. As I was heading back to my car, people were already being turned away because the car park was full.
Meals you can get from one of the food vendors at Signature Mall’s food court(Image: Yorkshire Live)
Now, about that Dubai comparison, I’ve actually been to Dubai. The palm trees, a camel sculpture – somehow tucked oddly against a wall near the toilets, and some decorative lighting, were about as Dubai as it got. This is Dubai Mall if Dubai Mall was on Temu.
If South Asian fashion and occasion wear is what you’re after, it could be worth a visit – especially once more shops have opened up. But sort the car park out first. And is it worth the trip? I’d say, not yet.
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