Mother and son duo expand family business with second location at the heart of Northants town
A mother and son duo have expanded their family business with a second location at the heart of a Northamptonshire town.
There are three components to the wellbeing business run by Llewelyn Griffiths and Caren Benstead in Brackley – The Well Retreat, The Well Courtyard and The Well School.
It all began when Caren launched The Well Retreat in 2011 and she offered massage treatments from their converted garage.
Just under a decade later, the family business expanded to its first building in Brackley and this continues to operate as a studio space and wellness centre for holistic treatments of all kinds under one roof.
This includes massage, pilates, yoga, acupuncture, counselling, hypnotherapy, physiotherapy and tai chi.
The building used to be the former vicar’s house next to the Chapel, which Llewelyn believes is the oldest in the UK. Now, the family are adding to that with a second building at the heart of Brackley town.
The new building, next to Brackley Town Hall, will house studio space for pilates, a physiotherapy and PT room, and will host a variety of one-off events like DJ yoga, sound baths, meditation and relaxation evenings.
This new component of the business is called The Well Courtyard, and will also feature an aromatherapy shop of organic products homemade by Llewelyn.
“We are really lucky that we keep our classes small and people can have a relationship with the teacher,” Llewelyn told the Chronicle & Echo.
“But that way, people never end up leaving and we have full classes so we’ve had to open more. It’s a good problem to have. Some groups have been together for five years and they’re all friends. People want to join but they end up on a waiting list.”
Llewelyn has spent many late evenings preparing for the opening of The Well Courtyard, as the family got the keys in early September ahead of the official opening this weekend.
When asked what he believes makes the family venture unique and special, Llewelyn said: “It’s our relationship with all of our customers. Many of them are repeat customers and come to different things we hold, as we focus a lot on the women of Brackley.
“I used to work in the bank before I started here and had to deal with people who didn’t want to be there. Everyone who walks into our building wants to be there and leaves with a smile on their face.”
Llewelyn has now taken a step up to run The Well Retreat and Courtyard, while Caren’s focus is on The Well School. She teaches aromatherapy and massage, and this recently opened in London and Turkey.
When asked how it feels to have been given this level of responsibility in the family business at 23, Llewelyn said: “There’s a nervousness that comes with it and the thought of it not performing.
“Our customers are so supportive and that gentles my nerves. I’m excited to show people what we’ve created. I know it’s lovely and we’ve given people what they’ve asked for. I have confidence in that.”
Llewelyn shared that people admire the relationship that he and his mother Caren have, and that they have created something as special as their wellbeing business.