50 the World Of Hospitality
Yeo Valley Cafe
Phoenix Wharf creates first London presence
for Britain’
s leading organic dairy brand Yeo Valley
Bars
Somerset family farm enterprise, Yeo Valley,
also Britain’s leading organic dairy brand, is
expanding on the success of both its dairy
product range and its Blagdon-based farm,
café and garden in deepest Somerset by
opening its very first London outlet, comprised
of a two-storey café, shop and workspace
on Queensway in west London, designed by
award-winning South West creative agency
Phoenix Wharf. the company’s Blagdon HQ also offers a
lively events calendar throughout the year,
including educational trips, art days, garden
masterclasses and a ‘Farm to Fridge’ day,
with all food produced and cooked on site. As
a brand, Yeo Valley is synonymous with the
quality of its products and its ethical approach
to animal husbandry, with the farm’s famous
herd digitally-monitored, given only the best
organic feed and mattresses to sleep on. A two-storey site was located in Queensway,
an area of London currently undergoing major
regeneration, which offered a great location
between Hyde Park and Notting Hill. The
site is located directly opposite Queensway
Station, making it prime for people coming out
of the station or the park and looking either
for eat-in or takeaway food.
About Yeo Valley The Mead family, who run both the farms and
the Yeo Valley enterprise, speak regularly
about an approach to business and farming
that’s good for animals, people and nature,
drawing on the wisdom and experience of
family head, Mary Mead OBE. ‘Phoenix Wharf had already been involved
with the client prior to this project’, Phoenix
Wharf Associate Director Emma Gullick
explained. ‘We first worked with Yeo Valley
to explore the feasibility of using part of the
Blagdon HQ as a brand experiential space for
group clients, conferences and events.’ The
creative process and ideas that came out of
the project created some bigger questions on
how to showcase what Yeo Valley is all about
and a relationship was created between the
two parties, which led to Phoenix Wharf being
invited to take part in – and go on to win – a
three-way pitch for the design of the new
London space.
The Yeo Valley business has been developed
over two generations. From the acquisition
of its first Blagdon farm in 1961 to becoming
a successful organic dairy producer with
a British Friesian herd, adding beef cattle,
sheep and a second farm along the way,
Yeo Valley went on to work with other co-
operative farmers and fruit-growers and is
now Britain’s leading organic dairy brand,
as well as a thriving local centre of activity.
Offering hospitality in the form of an award-
winning Canteen and access to a beautiful,
Soil Association-certified organic garden,
The move to London
As part of the company’s natural growth and
evolution, an increased London presence
became desirable and the decision was taken
to create a branded shop and canteen offer
in London, as well as creating additional
company meeting and workspace.
Phoenix Wharf gets involved