Furnishing a modern workplace from reception to breakout space…
When Vestey Foods was creating a new working environment at its Cheshire base in Holmes Chapel, Chrisbeon became involved at the initial stage of planning and remained part of the project right through to installation.
From early site visits and product selection to the commissioning, storage and installation of bespoke furniture, the project required careful coordination at every stage.
The client
Vestey Foods is an international food business specialising in the sourcing, processing and distribution of food products.
With a history stretching back more than 120 years, the group operates through six food companies and has established partnerships with customers and suppliers across 120 countries.
The challenge
Vestey Foods was investing in its Holmes Chapel base, ‘The Clocktower’ site, and Chrisbeon was brought into the project during the quotation stage, carrying out several visits to the site to understand the spaces, review the plans and consider how the specified furniture would work within the finished environment.
Chrisbeon Partner Craig Hughes said: “As part of the project they decided they would like to engage an interior designer so we introduced them to Ash Smith, founder and designer at Shropshire Studios who then worked alongside us on the interior design, including the fabric and furniture specification.”
With furniture potentially being commissioned from several different UK manufacturers, there was also a significant logistical challenge for Vestey that required Chrisbeon’s support. Products would be completed and delivered at different times over several weeks, but everything needed to be ready for one carefully coordinated installation.
The solution
The Chrisbeon team worked closely with Vestey Foods and Shropshire Studios throughout the project.
Following the initial site visits, representatives from Vestey Foods visited the Chrisbeon showroom in Telford to view products, compare different options and try furniture in person before the final order was placed.
Chrisbeon then worked with a number of manufacturers to commission the required furniture. Several of the products were made specifically for the project rather than supplied as standard off-the-shelf items and these included bespoke tables and seating produced in carefully selected fabric combinations to bring Ash’s vision interior design planning into the project – all obtained within the original budget.
Chrisbeon coordinated the orders across the different manufacturers and received each delivery at their own warehouse in Stafford Park, Telford. As the products arrived at different stages over several weeks, the furniture was checked and stored securely until the full order was ready.
This meant Vestey Foods did not have to manage multiple individual deliveries or find space on site for furniture arriving before it was needed. It also allowed the installation to be organised around the wider project schedule.
Once the site was ready, Chrisbeon arranged and carried out the complete installation. A team of between four and six installers travelled to Cheshire, bringing all the furniture to site together.
The furniture was assembled and sited in accordance with the agreed plans, ensuring the finished furniture layout remained true to Ash’s vision. The Chrisbeon team then removed all packaging and installation waste from the site, leaving the new spaces ready to use.
The outcome
Vestey Foods now has a coordinated workplace in which the furniture, fabrics and finishes form part of the overall interior rather than feeling like a collection of separate products – and the project was completed within the set budget.
The bespoke elements helped Shropshire Studios’ design carry through into the finished spaces, while the opportunity to visit the Chrisbeon showroom gave the customer confidence in the comfort, quality and appearance of the furniture before placing the order.
Behind the finished result was a considerable amount of planning and coordination. Chrisbeon managed products from numerous suppliers, brought them together at the Telford warehouse and delivered them as one organised installation.
For Vestey Foods, this provided a single point of contact for the furniture element of the project and removed the need to coordinate different manufacturers, delivery dates, storage arrangements and installation teams.
Working with an interior designer
Interior designers bring together the colours, materials, layout and overall feel of a commercial space. A furniture supplier must then be able to interpret that vision and identify products that meet both the aesthetic and practical requirements of the project.
This can involve much more than choosing the nearest standard product. Fabrics may need to be sourced in specific colours, finishes matched across different furniture ranges and bespoke pieces commissioned where an off-the-shelf option would compromise the design.
The Vestey Foods project demonstrates how this relationship can work in practice. Shropshire Studios supplied the creative direction and detailed specification, while Chrisbeon used its furniture knowledge, manufacturer relationships, warehouse facilities and installation team to turn that specification into a finished furniture scheme.
Client feedback
Ben Blayds, Director of Logistics and Technical Services at Vestey, said: “Chrisbeon provided excellent support throughout the furniture element of our Holmes Chapel office project.
“Their team worked closely with us, and our interior designer, to source and deliver a range of bespoke furniture solutions that met both our design aspirations and budget requirements.
“The ability to view products in their showroom, combined with their careful coordination of multiple suppliers, storage and installation, gave us confidence throughout the process. We are delighted with the quality of the finished result and would be happy to recommend Chrisbeon to other businesses undertaking a workplace transformation.”
