Food: ‘Cool’ new site for Notts ice-cream maker in London

 

Nottingham property agent FHP and city-based Leonard Design Architects have worked together to support a Notts-born artisan ice-cream maker open a second site in the heart of London.
Ruby Violet is the ice-cream parlour founded by Julie Fisher of Flintham, near Newark, who set up her first site in fashionable Tufnell Park

 
When Julie looked to open a second site, she called upon David Hargreaves – the former business partner of her father Brian Fisher who helped found FHP, and John Morgan of Leonard Design Architects.

 
Julie had her eye on a grade II listed brick unit off Granary Square – a stunning new £1 billion 67-acre regeneration project at King’s Cross which is being brought to life after 150 years of industrial use.

 
With the help of the Nottingham team, Julie’s dream to open her second ice cream parlour became a reality – and she opened the 410 sq ft parlour in May

 
She said: “I think King’s Cross is absolutely perfect for us. We are still rooted in the Camden area, but are looking forward to being in the centre of a buzzing scene – 13,000 people walk along the towpath at King’s Cross in a single day. There’s a massive amount of office workers and of course children love the fountains, it’s a destination and there is an energy to it that feels right.”

 
Ruby Violet, which Julie named after her grandmother is based in Wharf Road, London –right next to the new 29,000 sq ft flagship store of Waitrose at King’s Cross.

 
The Ruby Violet brand is well known for its handmade ice-creams and sorbets using organic milk, free range eggs and natural ingredients. Flavours include elderflower and Prosecco, Seville orange marmalade ripple, and horseradish. Julie and her team make all the dairy ice-cream in small batches, using fruit from within a few miles – and blackberries and damsons from Julie’s home village of Flintham.

 
The King’s Cross store is a new glamorous urban ice-cream parlour with an outdoor seating area next door to the Waitrose wine bar garden.

 
David Hargreaves, who managed the deal with agents Lunson Mitchenal, said: “Julie came back to her home county to find the help she needed to open the second site. Julie has worked really hard to help make Ruby Violet the hottest place to go for ice-cream in London.
“Julie has sourced quirky designs for the parlour with a large piece of wood for a table which was found at the bottom of the Panama Canal.”

John Morgan said: “It was an absolute pleasure for Leonard Design, based in Nottingham, to work with Julie and the Ruby Violet Team. We usually work with bigger brands and companies such as Ralph Lauren, Avenuel in Korea, Fenwicks, Next, M&S and Intu.

 
“Because of our experience working with large developers we were able to help Julie in her talks with the developer Argent, the property developers behind the Granary Square development. We have worked closely with her to help create a new and exciting retail concept for Ruby Violet which took elements from the existing parlour and inspiration from the beautiful Grade listed building.
“This is the ideal place for Julie to set up her second site and we were pleased and proud to help her achieve this amazing milestone in London.”

Julie added: “Our outdoor area is stunning, and will delights families as they enjoy their ice-cream within the spectacular Granary Square development.”

 
As well as selling ice-creams, she makes ice-cream cakes and bombes and hosts parties and ice-cream making classes. Julie also has a vintage style Ruby Violet ice-cream van called Billy which is used for events such as weddings.

 
The Granary Square development is being transformed to create 500,000 sq ft of shops, bars and restaurants, 2000 new homes as well as a business hub. Ruby Violet has a number of impressive neighbours including the UK HQ of Google, and Central St Martins. Built where barges once unloaded their goods, the square is animated with over 1,000 choreographed fountains –each individually controlled and lit.