It is absolutely vital that the Taste of Bradford event which takes place in the city on Thursday is successful in enticing new restaurants to look at opening up here.

As the Westfield site springs up, and as the Alhambra Theatre celebrates its centenary with one of its biggest ever productions, the seven-week run of the Lion King, the importance of having a more quality night time dining and drinking option in the centre is clearer than ever.

The event, organised by Bradford City Council and Bradford Breakthrough, a group set up with the mission of improving the choice available for going out in the city, is a fantastic idea.

And with the suggestion of up to 40 potential sites for eateries in streets around the Westfield development and elsewhere in the city centre, there is certainly a lot of scope for potential investors.

Already, 40 new jobs are on their way with the opening of a new Chinese Buffet in Centenary Square and a sister branch of the award-winning 1875 Indian restaurant in Menston.

Both of these are benefiting from the City Centre Growth Zone business growth cash, which will hopefully act as a significant draw for others.

However, there is obviously a lot of hard work to do. These are just two restaurants, one of which is a replacement for a similar business.

The city needs to attract many more to really develop the thriving night time economy that will transform the landscape of Bradford in the evening.

The market is there, with the fantastic theatres, the atmospheric City Park, the entertainment from the Media Museum and the imminent revitalising of shopping in the city. The investors just have to be persuaded to see it, and hopefully Thursday will be a first step in that selling process.