Elder Way

Bottle & Thyme toasts opening night success at Elder Way

Chesterfield’s award-winning independent bar and restaurant, Bottle & Thyme has made the move to Elder Way. The move has created six new jobs and prompted seven-day opening for the business.

The family-owned and run business has transformed the flagship corner unit of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way into a restaurant, private function room which seats up to 40 people, and bar, with additional outdoor space for dining and drinking.

The new function area, The Glass Room, hosted a wedding on the first night of opening and is already fully booked throughout September.

A 10-year lease on the 3,153 sq ft unit was agreed with Jomast in June. Since then, the frontage and interior of the unit have undergone a complete transformation.

The relocation to Elder Way has tripled the size of the business. The separate bar area has enabled owners Hannah and Gavin Grainger to expand Bottle & Thyme’s wine and cocktail menu. And just a month before opening, the couple welcomed baby Ellis to their family.

Gavin explained: “Because of the size of the unit we have been able to zone it internally which has ensured that it still feels intimate. It looks fantastic. Hannah and I are delighted at how everything has gone. The move has been really well received by our customers. We’ve had lots of bookings for the restaurant and function room. We’ve really hit the ground running.”

The new private function area, known as The Glass Room, caters for functions of up to 30 guests, Hannah explained: “Being located a short walk from the town hall, there is high demand for micro weddings, and this is already showing in the number of booking we have taken for The Glass Room. It’s a lovely space and something which Chesterfield didn’t have.”

Mark Hill, Jomast’s Commercial Property Director said: “We are delighted to welcome Bottle & Thyme to Elder Way. Hannah and Gavin have transformed the flagship corner unit of this iconic building, helping further bring our joint vision to life. Together with neighboring tenants, Premier Inn and Hotpod Yoga, Bottle & Thyme are creating a new leisure and hospitality quarter in the heart of Chesterfield. It is a very exciting time for this iconic site, and we are talking to a number of future potential tenants keen to take advantage of all that the town and the building can offer their businesses.”

Gavin and Hannah now plan to add further to Chesterfield’s food and drink offering. They have retained Bottle & Thyme’s former location on Knifesmithgate. The premises are now undergoing a. transformation into a charcuterie, cheese and wine bar, called Elder, which will open later this year.

The relocation of Bottle & Thyme to Elder Way follows the opening of Hotpod Yoga in Unit 7 in April earlier this year.

Chris Wilkinson, owner of Hotpod Yoga Chesterfield, said: “Everything is going really well with the unit and business. The location is brilliant. We get lots of walk-ins and enquiries from people who are passing. It’s brilliant to welcome another business to the Elder Way. There’s a really supportive business community developing here. We are already working with Bottle & Thyme on events for later in the year.”

Five units now remain available at Elder Way with joint agents WSB Property and FHP, reporting strong interest from a number of operators.

For enquiries or further information about the units, visit www.elderway.co.uk.

To find out more about commercial property opportunities in Chesterfield, visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

man sat at table wearing smart casual clothing outside cafe

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Relocation to Elder Way a recipe for success for Bottle &Thyme

Chesterfield’s award-winning bar and restaurant, Bottle & Thyme, is expanding to bigger premises in the town centre later this year.

The family-owned and run business will relocate from its current premises on Knifesmithgate, where it has been based since 2017, to the flagship corner unit in the former Co-op department store on Elder Way.

The owner of Elder Way, Jomast, has agreed a 10-year lease on the 3,153 sq ft unit which also boasts an outdoor courtyard. The lease signing follows hot on the heels of the opening of Hotpod Yoga in Unit 7 of the prominent Elder Way regeneration scheme last month (April).

Bottle & Thyme is expected to relocate to the new site in August which will be triple the size of its current premises directly opposite Elder Way. Additional jobs will also be created at the business following the move.

In addition to the Elder Way unit, Bottle & Thyme owners Gavin and Hannah Grainger will also be retaining the Knifesmithgate premises following the move and have plans to develop it later in the year.

Excited to make the move, Gavin and Hannah said: “The new unit hugely increases the amount of space we currently have and gives us the opportunity to have separate areas for the bar, restaurant, and private functions, as well as outdoor space for dining and drinking.

“Chesterfield town centre does not have the type of venue that we will be creating at Elder Way. It’s a very exciting time. Having been based opposite Elder Way for seven years, we already know the location works well so to be able to move across the road into larger premises is excellent for us. I see what we are creating at Elder Way as a first step in our vision of a new leisure quarter for the town.”

Mark Hill, Jomast’s Commercial Property Director said: “I am delighted that Bottle & Thyme will become part of Elder Way. Hannah and Gavin share our vision to create a premier leisure and hospitality quarter in the heart of Chesterfield. Alongside Hotpod Yoga and Premier Inn our vision is coming to life and we are talking to a number of future potential tenants for this prestigious site.”

Work is now underway to transform both the frontage and interior of the unit as well as festoon light the outdoor courtyard area. Gavin added: “Although much larger, it’s important to us that we keep the feel of a smaller venue at Elder Way. We have many longstanding customers and we’re delighted the additional space means we will now be able to offer them everything we want to, as well as be dog friendly.”

The new private function area, known as The Glass Room, will cater for functions of up to 30 guests, Hannah explained: “Being located a short walk from the town hall, there is high demand for micro weddings. Word has already spread that we will be able to offer event space in the new unit at Elder Way and we have had a number of bookings.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see this family-run business go from strength to strength – building up a great following in the heart of Chesterfield, and now expanding into new, bigger premises on Elder Way, and expanding the size of their team. We wish Gavin and Hannah all the best in their new base – and also with their future plans for their existing building on Knifesmithgate.

“This is the second business to relocate to the redeveloped former Co-op building in recent months, and it’s great to see the momentum now building in this part of town. We look forward to welcoming more businesses to Elder Way in the future.

“It’s a fantastic and attractive town centre location, with the council’s recent investment elevating the space to create as key gateway into the heart of our historic town. This will link through to wider improvements across the town centre which are due to start in the summer, as part of our multi-million pound Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield scheme which will create more welcoming and better connected to spaces in which to shop, socialise and enjoy local events.”

In addition to the transformation of the former Co-op department store into seven street-level units and a Premier Inn by Jomast, the area has been further boosted by Chesterfield Borough Council’s £1 million public realm improvement scheme.

In addition to the public realm improvements, Bottle & Thyme’s location on Knifesmithgate has enabled the business to benefit from the Premier Inn hotel located at Elder Way. Hannah added: “Some guests enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner with us, with many returning to Bottle & Thyme every time they stay at the hotel. We’ve got to know many guests well over the years. The opening of Premier Inn on Elder Way in 2019 has and continues to make a positive impact on our business.”

Five units now remain available at Elder Way, with joint agents WSB Property and FHP reporting strong interest from a number of operators.

For enquiries or further information about the units, visit www.elderway.co.uk

For information and menus, visit  www.bottleandthyme.co.uk 

Planning to visit Chesterfield? Make the most of your trip by heading over to our visiting and events pages. 

For more information on locating your business in Chesterfield Town Centre, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

Gavin and Hannah Grainger outside Elder Way

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Junction Arts unveils new art installation in Chesterfield town centre

A new art installation has been unveiled at Elder Way in Chesterfield town centre this week, created by artist Lucie Maycock to shine a light on community arts in Chesterfield and raise awareness of local charity, Junction Arts.

Jomast, the company which has developed the former Co-op department store building on Elder Way, commissioned the piece to bring colour and light to the building this winter, creating a point of interest while telling the story of Junction Arts and the work they do in the community.

The artwork can be seen in the window of one of the new units in the Elder Way building.

Entitled ‘We are all artists and creators’, the artwork includes original illustrations, which frame a stunning collection of lanterns that have been made by the local community over the last three decades, for the annual Bolsover Lantern Parade. People can see the display in the window located opposite the Co-op Bank, which is best viewed in the evening when the lanterns are lit up – over 7000 lights have been used to bring the artwork to life.

The window was designed by Chesterfield artist and Junction Arts board member Lucie Maycock, who has a personal connection to the building. Lucie’s Mother, Karen Maycock was the Display Supervisor for the Co-op, dressing the windows at the old department store for over 30 years before it closed. Karen has been on hand to help Lucie with the design, revisiting her old place of work to ensure that the window display is perfect.

Lucie said: “When Junction Arts asked me to create the window display on Elder Way in the old Co-op building, I was excited by the idea. Not just about the project itself but the link to my Mum and her career as a window dresser in the same building. I grew up seeing my Mum in the windows of this beautiful department store, I remember walking home from school via town to see if I could see her and knock on the window to say hi and show all my friends that this is what she did as a job.

“I asked my Mum if she wanted to help create the arrangements for the window display. She was really excited about going back there and helping me to make the fabulous creation come to life. I am so lucky to have her skills and expertise to help execute this project, it’s a real privilege.

“Drawing onto the window was a wonderful experience. I kept imagining that this was how my Mum would have felt for all those years she spent at the Co-op. As people walked by, they were so friendly, saying hi, asking what I was doing and generally being wonderful. I felt emotionally connected to the artwork, space and purpose of this project.

“Doing this window for Junction Arts was a pleasure and I feel privileged to be promoting my passion for community arts whilst working with my Mum, and being able to put myself in the same place she did so many times.”

Junction Arts is an award-winning participatory arts charity, that was established in 1976 to develop and deliver engaging arts experiences within disadvantaged areas, to improve wellbeing, build confidence and skills, address inequality and inspire change. The local charity runs several projects throughout the year as well as organising events including The Chesterfield Children’s Festival, Tapton Lock Festival and Bolsover Lantern Parade.

Junction Arts Managing Director, Emily Bowman said: “Thank you to Jomast for giving us this opportunity to showcase community art in the town centre, it’s great to see the lanterns as the centrepiece to the design, as we are celebrating 30 years of the Bolsover Lantern Parade this year. We hope that Lucie and Karen’s amazing work will bring light and hope to people, inspiring them to get creative in their communities. The window perfectly reflects the work we do in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire and I hope it encourages more people to engage with us in the future.”

Jomast’s Commercial Property Director Mark Hill said: “We’re all really excited by the artwork that Lucie is creating. Her link to the building’s former use as a Co-op department store is remarkable and we couldn’t think of anyone better placed to bring one of the new units to life with this stunning artwork. The lanterns really will shine a light on this beautiful building and its redevelopment.”

The artwork will be on display until spring 2024. For more information visit www.junctionarts.org or follow Junction Arts on social media @JunctionArtsUK.

Junction Arts and Elder Way Development support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

junction arts elder way window

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Research shows how town centre hotel boosts visitor spending

Research has found that guests staying at Premier Inn Chesterfield Town Centre, which is located in the former Co-op department store on Elder Way, are each spending, on average, £79 a night in the local area.

Whitbread PLC, the UK’s largest hospitality business and owner of Premier Inn, carried out the research. It found that Premier Inn guests typically spend £137 externally on items such as entertainment, with £79/night (56% of the total spending) being spent in the local area within which their chosen Premier Inn is located.

The comprehensive study by Whitbread involved surveying more than 12,600 Premier Inn guests staying in 357 Premier Inn hotels across the UK within 24-hours of check-out.

Alex Flach, UK Development Director in the UK & Ireland for Whitbread, said: “From shopping to sight-seeing, local dining to local drinks, this analysis shows the positive economic impact of Premier Inn hotels on local economies across nations and regions of the UK.

“As a business, we are committed to using our scale and national footprint to make a positive difference to people’s lives and to create long-term value. We are delighted that, for the first time, we can demonstrate clear evidence of the economic impact our hotels have on the communities they serve.”

The Premier Inn Chesterfield Town Centre, which is located on the upper two floors of the former Co-op department store on Elder Way, has proved popular since opening, with nearly 90% of guests rating it as either excellent or very good on TripAdvisor.

The 92-bedroom hotel was opened in 2019 following the transformation of the upper floors of the iconic building by regeneration specialist Jomast. The hotel also benefits from the proximity of a secure car park, Saltergate Multi-Storey, which opened the same year.

Jomast subsequently went on to transform the ground floor of the building into eight large street-level units with contemporary glazed frontages.

There are currently a number of leasing opportunities available at the 21,761 sq ft scheme, from smaller E Class and Sui Generis Bar units of 1,420 sq ft upwards to larger units of up to 4,704 sq ft.

Joint agents for Elder Way, WSB Property Consultants and FHP are now marketing the units at food, drink, entertainment, retail and clinical operators.

Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director of Jomast said: “We have worked with Premier Inn to bring the hotel chain to a number of Jomast’s developments throughout the country. We recognise that having Premier Inn as an anchor tenant is very attractive to tenants of our schemes, and Whitbread’s research into guest spend in the local area supports this.”

Food and drink and entertainment were the top categories of spending for Premier Inn guests followed by non-food shopping and travel.

Whitbread calculates that spending by its guests on food, drinks, entertainment, shopping, and local transportation could be contributing £1.6 billion annually to those catchments that have a Premier Inn. This is equivalent to an average annual benefit of £3.3 million in visitor expenditure for local businesses in each Premier Inn hotel location.

Chesterfield’s businesses are set to benefit from further hotel investment in the town after the Holywell Hotel by Voebeg received the green light from planning officers recently.

Located next to the town’s well-known Holywell Cross or ‘Donut’ roundabout in the heart of Chesterfield, developer of Holywell Hotel, Voeberg, is set to undertake a £1 million refurbishment of the Grade II listed building.

The building will be converted into one two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom apartments for use as short-stay accommodation.

Emily Smith, Property Investor and Mentor at Voeberg commented on the ‘imminent’ Holywell Hotel saying: “It’ll complement other hospitality and retail businesses’ offerings in the town and we’re looking forward to partnering with many local businesses through the development and then the running of the hotel.”

Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “We are aiming to attract more tourists and visitors over the next four years and there are a number of new hotel developments planned to support this growth. It is useful to understand how guests at hotels support our wider town centre economy and provide a boost for local businesses.”

If you’re a business looking to benefit from the opportunities on offer at Elder Way, contact Alan Pearson at FHP on 07587 133540 or Adam Mobley at WSB Property Consultant on 0113 234 1444, or visit www.elderway.co.uk.

Find out more about the wide range of benefits associated with locating your business in Chesterfield.

Chesterfield Elder Way, Holywell Hotel by Voeberg and Chesterfield Borough Council support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Chesterfield Elder Way

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Joint agents appointed for Chesterfield’s pivotal Elder Way scheme

Jomast has appointed FHP as official joint agents of Elder Way – a pivotal site in Chesterfield town centre which has been redeveloped by the leading regeneration specialist into leisure and retail units.

FHP is the dominant retail and leisure agent within the Midlands, with offices in Nottingham, Birmingham and Derby, and has won the EGi East Midlands Most Active Retail Agent award for the last 13 years.

FHP will now work alongside WSB Property to jointly market the Elder Way scheme nationally to potential occupiers.

There are currently a number of leasing opportunities available at the 21,761 sq ft scheme, from smaller E Class and Sui Generis Bar units of 1,420 sq. ft. upwards to larger units of up to 4,704 sq. ft.

Alan Pearson, Director and Head of the Retail and Leisure at FHP commented: “We are pleased to partner with WSB Property to introduce Elder Way to a wider audience across the East Midlands. The units are suitable for a variety of uses following the change of the use class order which opens this up to office and clinical use, alongside the traditional retail and leisure use.”

Jomast has transformed the former Co-op department store into a landmark mixed-use leisure scheme comprising seven street-level units and a 16,285 sq. ft. basement. The site is being marketed to food and drink, and gym operators as well as retailers.

Constructed in the 1930s, the site boasts a mock-Tudor frontage and is as renowned as the town’s crooked Spire church.

A Premier Inn hotel already occupies the upper two floors of the building where it has been successfully operating since 2019. Recently Premier Inn owner Whitbread reported that its first-quarter sales came in ahead of last year’s figures, supported by strong demand for travel and leisure and robust performance of its UK hotels.

Elder Way is one of the key developments within Chesterfield Borough Council’s £60 million Northern Gateway Scheme which includes and new multi-storey car park, completed in 2021 and an Enterprise Centre opened in 2022. The Enterprise Centre, which has 32 office suites is recording near 100% occupancy just 12 months after opening. Both the Enterprise Centre and Saltergate multi-storey are located within a two-minute walk of Elder Way.

Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director of Jomast added: “We’re committed to creating developments and regenerating properties that have a transformative effect on towns and cities and Elder Way embodies this. It is a pivotal site both in the town centre and the Northern Gateway scheme in Chesterfield.”

Find out more about the Chesterfield Elder Way development here. 

Chesterfield Elder Way Development supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Chesterfield Elder Way

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Work to begin on Elder Way improvements

A multimillion-pound project to revitalise the heart of Chesterfield and improve the public space is set to begin.

The works, which will cost £3.25 million, will begin this week (w/c 4 January 2021) and will include a series of improvements to the footpaths and the public space around Elder Way – creating a more inviting pedestrian route from the Northern Gateway development to the retail centre of the town.

During the week commencing 4 January a works yard will be established in the lower Devonshire Road car park which will reduce disruption in the town centre. All works should be complete by Summer 2021.

It is a key part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Northern Gateway project which over the past 18 months has seen the opening of the new town centre Premier Inn and the new Saltergate multi-storey car park, as well as the start of building works on the new Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre located on part of the Holywell Cross (Donut) car park.

The project aims to create a more attractive environment for users and businesses looking for opportunities to invest in the town centre.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “This ambitious project will breathe new life into the town centre and improve the quality of the area by making it a more attractive place to visit. These changes will also lead to increased space for businesses to have outdoor seating which should further guarantee this area’s role in the town’s visitor economy.

“This work will cause some inevitable disruption in the short term, but we’re working with the contractors to limit this as far as possible. We have attempted to contact those businesses affected and will continue to provide updates as the works progress on the council’s website.

“Improving the town centre in this way should help set a vision for the future of Chesterfield and further demonstrates how important our high street is to the future economic success of the borough.”

Danaher & Walsh Civil Engineering has been appointed by Chesterfield Borough Council to undertake the public space improvement works.

A spokesperson from Danaher & Walsh, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and look forward to working with Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver this exciting programme of improvements to Chesterfield’s town centre.

“Our site team is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of the works whilst mitigating any potential disruption. We are confident that the delivered scheme will be a source of pride for the people and businesses of Chesterfield.”

Improvements in this phase of the project will focus around Elder Way and should be complete by Summer 2021. The works planned include:

• The reconstruction of existing footways and paved areas with a mix of high-quality paving
• Pavement widening
• Taxi rank improvements on Knifesmithgate
• A range of formal and informal pedestrian crossing improvements.
• The de-cluttering of the street scene by removing obstacles to pedestrian movement
• The introduction of trees into the street
• Introduction / improved design of loading bays
• New bus shelters and re-positioned bus stops on Elder Way
• New street furniture
• Carriageway resurfacing

Funding for the project has been provided by the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Due to the nature of these works and the location there is the possibility of some inconvenience for businesses and visitors. Regular updates will be provided directly to affected businesses, and further updates on progress and impacts on the area will be published on the Council’s website (https://www.chesterfield.gov.uk/elder_way_public_realm_improvements).

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