Five years developing hospitality concepts around the world.

Copper Beech is a hospitality operations consultancy, working with restaurants, hotels, private members’ clubs and hospitality businesses around the world.

I joined the business at an early stage and grew with the consultancy to become Creative Director. During that time, I worked across a broad portfolio of projects in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and internationally, for developers, investors, operators and private clients.

The projects varied enormously in scale and stage. Some began with little more than a site and an ambition, requiring us to establish what the hospitality concept should be, who it was for and how it could work. Others were established businesses looking for a clearer proposition, a new direction or support taking an idea towards opening.

My role sat predominantly across concept, interiors and brand. I worked on positioning, concept development, naming, narrative, guest experience and creative direction, helping to connect the operational and commercial thinking behind a project with the way it would ultimately look, feel and be experienced.

Working within an operations consultancy meant the creative thinking was always grounded in how a hospitality business would actually work. I collaborated closely with operators, chefs, architects, interior designers, branding studios and development teams to help bring those different disciplines together around a clear idea.

Alongside client work, I led Copper Beech’s own brand and communications, including its positioning, website, editorial output, social presence, PR and partnerships as the consultancy grew.

It was where I developed much of the approach I bring to Umarell today: looking at hospitality as a whole, and understanding that the strongest concepts come from aligning the idea, the business, the brand and the experience.