In the heart of Brighton, The Church Street Butcher has been re-designed to create an entirely organic retail experience, embracing the business’s commitment to sourcing quality, sustainable, organic produce for the local community.
The traditional aesthetic of the clinical tiles, cluttered displays, and harsh lighting has been discarded in favour of a more harmonious space that aligns the Church Street Butcher’s interior with its expanded retail offering and expert team.
The green hues of the interior were part of the concept inception; the intent was for the hues to form a focal point within the space, whilst providing a contrasting canvas for the organic meat on display.
The overarching intent of the design aims to reinstate a sense of community to the main retail streetscape, all the while encompassing and visually communicating the Church Street Butcher’s strong organic ethos.
Prior to the refurbishment, the Butcher’s offering had grown beyond its original set up as a local butcher to include deli products and fresh vegetables. In its new format the interiors and aesthetic match the offering in a space where product is seamlessly displayed in a browsing-friendly design and layout.
Italian Terrazzo, flecked with accents of deep green natural stone, forms the base of the main meat and poultry display. The inspiration for Terrazzo comes from the Classic European Delis that once dotted many suburban shopping strips as well as the quality offerings and friendly services that they represent.
The natural palette of Hardwood timber Floorboards and custom cabinets with American oak veneer in sage-green reinforce the business’ focus on offering products from environmentally sustainable farming practice.
For a retail setting that is exceedingly traditional in the display and presentation of product, the design challenges the preconceived notions of ‘A Butcher’; re-envisaging society’s expectation of their local butcher store through a modern design and encouraging a more engaging presentation format.
The opportunity to integrate advanced innovative technology and materials was limited within the project scope. The implication of this being, selected materials and finishes needed re-interpreting in regard to their application. Typical perforated metal panels were re-envisaged as a curved feature ceiling detail, to visually connect the joinery units located on either side of the store entrance. In addition, a bespoke finish was applied to the custom designed joinery display units, comprising of a timber veneer substrate and paint finish to provide a prominent layer of texture and materiality.