Cooking up a storm

Home chefs will be familiar with the legumes, spices, nuts, speciality flours and on-the-go snacks produced by TRS, East End Foods and Cofresh. These Vibrant Foods products sit alongside each other in the world food aisles, but for the first time employees have come together under one roof in Croxley Park, Watford.

Once upon a brand

The storytelling starts the moment you arrive. We created a small meet-and-greet space which leads to an alcove further down the corridor. In this alcove we explored the brand’s 50-year history from humble beginnings to market leader with a graphic timeline and product samples in bespoke cabinetry.

The experience of moving through the heritage space is not dissimilar to visiting a gallery, which progresses down the corridor with big, bold graphics of food along the walls. For visitors, the majority of whom are buyers from supermarket chains, the focus on the Vibrant Foods product range continues with fully-stocked retail shelves. A few steps away, we also provided a comfortable sofa, armchairs and a table, perfect for product discussions or client meetings.

Sensory feast

This office is not all about the packaged product. We designed a fully-equipped development kitchen and dining area for marketing and recipe testing. The idea is that celebrity chefs or influencers will be able to showcase Vibrant Foods’s ingredients by cooking up a storm. The dining space can host up to 16 hungry guests and the kitchen itself is wired with lighting, audio and AV to facilitate live streaming.

Choices on a platter

There is no shortage of amenities for employees. We created a second staff kitchen and food preparation area which doubles as a breakout space, complete with comfortable seating, a television and a games area.

We also cherry-picked flexible furniture to provide extra breakouts around the office. These provide secondary spaces so employees can choose their preferred work setting away from the open plan. And, because we understand that the workspace is more than collaboration, we created a very special quiet space to boost employee wellbeing too. Tucked in the corner of the office is a strictly ‘no technology’ library for reflection, relaxation and reading.

Recipe for success

Creating a fresh workspace for Vibrant Foods’s 100 employees presented an opportunity to illustrate the journey of the company’s products, from pod to plate. This exciting experience of food is what we wanted to capture in our design and build for Vibrant Foods - and the proof is in the pudding. The end result is bold, colourful and varied with flexible furniture, high-quality finishes and agile work settings. It’s the exact, delightful mix of ingredients to create a recipe for success.