Cottage Brew – Worcester Park

Shansel is a successful restauranteur and property owner, who wanted to expand her business portfolio and open a softplay cafe in her local area of Worcester Park. She first contacted us to look at a building she had found which showed much promise. We attended site and proposed some design plans and quotes. Unfortunately, the building proved too costly to convert and was therefore discounted on this basis. A couple more potential premises where sought, none of which proved fruitful. However, perseverance and hard work paid off and Shansel eventually found a property that suited her requirements, just off the main high street in Worcester Park. The property had been a restaurant in a previous life and as such a lot of the required services, along with the necessary planning requirements were already in place. Therefore, Shansel could act fast and we were quickly brought in to draw up some softplay designs for the space. Being essentially a converted domestic property, space was at a premium, but we were able to design fun, effective and inclusive play spaces, to serve her target market of the pre-school age range. The junior area was positioned to the rear of the building and in spite of its’ diminutive proportions, we were still able to include a GRP slide, air-powred ball cannon and traverse climbing wall features, along with the usual soft play fare of squeeze rollers, terrain blocks and hanging bash bags and snakes. Applique, which is the method of sewing fabric onto fabric to create textures and patterns, was extensively used to add a vibrant aesthetic, that echoed the Cottage Brew colours and brand identity. To the front of the building was an old storeroom, who’s proportions and position was ideally suited to a separate and dedicated baby area. We therefore created a completely padded room with padded wall and floorboards, to create a safe and inviting space for 0-2’s to explore their physical and cognitive faculties, with a suite of challenge and sensory features included. Shansel has a keen eye for interior design and her efforts in the rest of the building clearly reflected this with a stunning farmhouse inspired aesthetic and colour theme. With the high quality and complimentary nature of our softplay equipment along with the aesthetic and quality implemented in the rest of the build, the cafe was opened to a rapturous public reception by the local kids and parents. Even writing 6 months after opening, this momentum has barely abaited with barely a seat free during much of the cafe’s opening hours.