SNEAK PEEK: New soft play centre and cafe opening this week hopes to become family favourite in Northants

Beanz Barn is opening on a farm on Flore’s High Street this Thursday, October 23 and is the venture of husband and wife duo Brian and Naomi Chaplin.

After more than two years of dreaming, planning and building, the pair have transformed a once-rusty grain store on their family farm into a modern and welcoming space for families.

Inspired by their own experiences as parents to three young children, they hope to have created somewhere that is not only fun and safe for little ones but relaxing and convenient for grown ups too.

With engaging play for children, coupled with comfortable and thoughtfully designed spaces for parents and carers to enjoy, Beanz Barn is located in a beautiful rural setting with easy access and ample free onsite parking.

It is designed for children up to the age of 10, with a dedicated toddler area for under-threes to explore, crawl, climb and slide. The main frame goes up four storeys in some places, with more challenging components to keep the older children busy.

The soft play centre and cafe will be open seven days a week and there will be three two-hour sessions each day – from 10am until midday, 12.30pm until 2.30pm, and 3.30pm until 5.30pm.

When asked why now was the right time to launch Beanz Barn at the heart of Flore, Naomi told the Chronicle & Echo: “We’ve been looking at farm diversification for a few years now and this was our pipe dream.

“There was a gap in the market locally for a good quality soft play, and we thought if we don’t do it now when will we. I’m not sure if now was the right time as we have three young children and we started when our youngest was six months.”

Both Naomi and Brian have no experience in children’s soft play and hospitality, but Naomi was a midwife before having children and worked closely with families. Brian is a facilities manager and has been instrumental in getting the business ready to launch.

Their experience comes from visiting soft play centres with children of their own, and they felt there were lots of ways other places fell short and there was room for improvement.

Talking about what families can expect from Beanz Barn, Naomi said: “It’s a high quality, well-thought-out and very family-friendly environment from the moment they arrive.

“There are security gates so only people who have been allowed access can get in and children are safe inside. The play frame is for children from birth to 10 years old and it is more complex as they go, with different obstacles and activities.”

Naomi and Brain were keen to add details that they believe other venues have missed, such as the toilet facilities being in the same area as the soft play. Parents can feel confident in leaving children to play if another needs to be changed or taken to the toilet.

There are also both adult and child toilets in each cubicle, and fixed tabletop changing tables rather than foldable ones. “It makes life a lot more pleasant,” said Naomi.

The co-founder continued: “We’re set on a family farm and our beautiful rural location sets us apart. We have free onsite parking and a huge glazed window at the front to let the outside in.

“We’ve continued that theme with a forest treehouse climbing frame, and made everything as high quality as possible. We’ve thought of the adult experience as well as the child’s.”

The cafe will serve fresh barista coffee and a range of other hot and cold drinks, with breakfast, lunch and snack options you would expect from a typical cafe.

The price of each session varies depending on the age of the child and if it is a peak or off-peak time, and more information can be found on Beanz Barn’s website.

Take a look at this sneak peek ahead of the opening of Beanz Barn at the heart of Flore later this week…