Located alongside the foyer of the company’s headquarters in Paddington, the canal side eatery is the latest cafe designed by Kiwi & Pom for the retailer. So far, Kiwi & Pom has designed over 150 cafes for M&S.
The café provided an unusual challenge for the design team as the space which was designed for office use had to be adapted into one that would give the feel of a break from the office for the working people on other floors.
The designers had two key aspirations – how to make the space welcoming and visible to passers-by – and how to bring warmth and character to the interior.
Key to this was the idea to expose the theatre of food preparation, using it to draw people in whilst also reinforcing the retailer’s culinary reputation. Instead of hiding the food preparation deep inside the cafe, the food counter sits alongside the café window, drawing in passersby. It is also illuminated to become a focal point along the canal basin in early evening. At the heart of the servery area sits a marble slab cake table, a centrepiece for the cafe and point of food temptation.
The materials palette was inspired by traditional deli counters. A heavily veined Arabascata Marble was chosen for food preparation and display areas to act as a visual accent and to show off the food. Bespoke tables were designed with butchers’ block tops, continuing the culinary theme and giving warmth to the space.
In the seating area, a series of special planters were designed to bring further warmth, identity and also a sense of privacy to the space. Filled with plants – all of which are available to buy from M&S – the planters are set on wheels to enable the furniture layout to be flexible and changed depending on the time of the day.
The cafe is open from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.
