Inspiring Business by Sharing Success

Derby Restaurant Oliver’s shortlisted for national Café Design of the Year award

Derby Restaurant Oliver’s shortlisted for national Café Design of the Year award

Oliver’s café on Friar Gate in Derby has been shortlisted for the prestigious national Café Design of the Year award.

The awards are run by The Café Life and celebrate the best aspects of café culture in the UK each year. Oliver’s is one of just five cafes across the UK in the design award category.

This category looks to encourage good design practices in the sector and this particular award recognises those people responsible for developing new concepts in the high street. Oliver’s was originally included by the judges in a wider shortlist and they then visited Derby to mystery-shop and see the design of Oliver’s, whilst experiencing the food, ambience and customer experience on offer.

The judges look for design which is innovative, but commercially viable – a design which provides an attractive and comfortable experience for all customers.

Oliver’s is owned by local entrepreneur Lisa Bridge. Lisa was responsible for the design of the entire café, from concept through to completion. Lisa was always passionate about ensuring that Oliver’s should be a place that people can visit to relax and chat awhile with friends whilst enjoying sumptuous food in a calm atmosphere. Central to that concept was a clear focus on the design. Whilst the smaller takeaway area had previously been used as a small café, the larger side which now houses the seating area was a blank canvas.

Lisa talks us through the process of transforming the nondescript area into an award-worthy café. “I always had a vision of using natural materials, warm colours and soft, comfortable furnishings to make Oliver’s as welcoming as possible. Each item of furniture and all of the fixtures and fittings were selected with the customer experience in mind. I’m thrilled that the judges feel that this works well”. This careful selection included chair legs which are padded, so that they don’t squeak - as well as a Nespresso pod coffee machine that was chosen partly for how quiet it is. Lisa points out “I never like it when I go to a coffee shop and the hissing, banging and crashing of the coffee machine drowns out your conversation or quiet contemplation. Similarly, we never have the music on too loud – it’s a top of the range Sonos system and so it’s tempting to turn up the volume! But I always ensure that the music is there as a nice background accompaniment rather than dominating the room”.

Central to the décor in Oliver’s are the cosy booths. Like all of the renovation work, this was carried out by Martin Bradley and his team. Martin is Lisa’s uncle and also the head of maintenance for the Birchover business that Lisa jointly owns with husband Carl. Lisa states “It is really important to me that Martin gets huge recognition for the work he’s done here. Martin bought into my vision and thoughts straight away and the quality of craftmanship, allied to his guidance in choosing the best materials, have made Oliver’s what it is today”.

Martin has 40 years’ worth of joinery experience and that is evident in the quality of the work. In addition to the booths, the hand-crafted wooden signage, horseshoe newspaper racks and the stunning renovation of the takeaway area are all down to Martin’s handiwork.

Another distinctive feature throughout both the seating area and takeaway is the lighting. This was provided by Upcycled Creative, who are based at Cromford Mills. Lee Richards worked closely with Lisa to supply the beautiful, bespoke hand-made lighting at Oliver’s.

As you enter the café, it is immediately evident where a lot of the inspiration has been drawn from. The entrance door into the café depicts a real Friar Gate telephone box, whilst on the other side of the door is a life-size image of the front door to one of the fabulous Georgian properties further up the street. On the far wall of the café is an impressive photograph of Friar Gate Bridge, whilst signage and other local features hang as Polaroids from the ceiling. All of the photographs were taken by Mark Averill Photography and is yet another local company that Lisa has included in the design process to great effect.

Personality is a key concept for Lisa when it comes to Oliver’s. The café itself is named after Lisa and Carl’s first son, who died at birth in 2003. Lisa had always wanted to pay tribute to him and the café is a labour of love for her. If you reserve a table, then you’ll be greeted by photos of their sons Oscar and Will holding signs stating “You could’ve been sat here if you had booked”. Fun photos of the boys balancing numerous toilet tissues on their heads greet you in the customer toilet too.

Perhaps most amusingly, in what one customer review proclaimed as “the best toilet ever!”, there is a Visitor Book. People are invited to doodle, share their thoughts on the visitor experience and even note the reason for their visit! Many customers write that it’s “too funny” and “hilarious”. It all adds to the convivial, fun and unique nature that a visit to Oliver’s entails.

When looking at the reviews on Trip Advisor and Facebook, it is easy to see that the judges are not alone in their praise for Oliver’s. 87% of all Trip Advisor reviews have scored Oliver's as ‘excellent’, whilst over 99 per cent of Facebook reviews have given the same rating.

Another aspect that Lisa was careful in creating as part of the design process, was to ensure that it is a versatile space. “As well as our normal café business, we host a diverse range of parties and gatherings including birthdays, civilised hen parties, baby showers, community groups and private commercial functions for local businesses. We also do a lot of outside catering, including the Darley Park Concert and the Weeping Window VIP event at The Silk Mill, which celebrated the return of the Tower of London ceramic poppies to Derby. I carefully designed the space here at Oliver's to be used for all these functions too”.

The awards take place in London on 21st September at The Grange City Hotel in London. Oliver’s is shortlisted alongside four other cafes. These are The Gentlemen Baristas of London, Mimi’s Bakehouse of Edinburgh, The Sea Shanty in Anglesey and The Elephant Coffee Lounge in Parkgate, Cheshire.

Gethin Evans of the Café Life Awards said: “It’s fantastic to be able to acknowledge Oliver’s and how their brand of coffee shop is changing the café landscape. Oliver’s is a cafe that soothes the soul, whether that be sipping a coffee and watching the world go by or tucking into something from the mouthwatering menu. Oliver’s is pioneering the fusion between coffee shop and restaurant - promoting a welcoming place that serves delicious coffees alongside a tasty menu. The judges loved the ambience, encouraging customers to stay. Cafe culture in the UK is one of the fastest growing lifestyle choices and Oliver’s is a cafe that delivers, offering a space where customers can enjoy spending time in a modern but cosy environment.”

Lisa feels very proud to be representing Derby and the region in these national awards. “As a Derbyshire girl born and bred, I’m really proud of what we’ve created here. It would be great to bring the award back to the city but, whatever happens, I’m so ecstatic that we, as a team, have been recognised for the design element of Oliver’s”.


< Back