‘Northampton has so much potential,’ says one of the town’s newly established ‘unique’ businesses

One of the town’s newly established and “unique” businesses has praised Northampton for having “so much potential”.

Grandbies, which opened in St Giles’ Street with the aim of introducing a “Scandinavian-inspired haven”, is home to a coffee house, clothing boutique and a space for local creatives all under one roof.

There has been an “incredible” response to the family-run business, which first opened at the heart of the town centre in August last year.

The team has been successful in adding a luxury coffee shop to Northampton, while also offering a family-friendly environment and a commitment to the community.

Grandbies was founded by Marion Brown, but is truly a family affair – with two of her children playing important roles as business development managers.

One of Marion’s children is Vanessa Brown, 40, who has a long-standing career as a musician under the name of V V Brown.

Vanessa is one of the business development managers, alongside her brother Benjamin, and spoke to this newspaper about the positive steps both Grandbies and Northampton’s business scene has taken.

“Business has been amazing,” said Vanessa. “It’s a really great feeling to see regular customers and connect with the community. We’ve found our feet now with our signature coffee. People are loving it and coming back for it.”

To broaden their horizons, the team has introduced sandwiches, wraps and soup to the menu so they are not just a place for coffee and cake.

Vanessa added: “We’re growing and continuing to establish ourselves as a quality place for the community.”

When asked what she believes keeps customers coming back for more, the business development manager raved of the “deli level quality” of their food – all made from “fresh ingredients”.

She described Grandbies as “unique and quirky” and, with “Scandinavian-chic decor”, Vanessa believes they have created a “zen space away from life”. Their attention to detail even extends to the smell of the shop and the relaxing music.

Following the success of the past five months, Grandbies has also opened a new store two doors down on St Giles’ Street.

House of Grandbies, dedicated to their homeware offering, is a place customers typically like to visit after indulging in the coffee shop.

Vanessa “absolutely” believes Grandbies has made a positive contribution to the town and the variety on offer – particularly by “increasing modern-driven spaces” and being more progressive in their concepts.

“It’s important as we are injecting a sense of vitality and life into the town,” she said. “We’re helping to push the town forward and putting it on the map as a cool place to visit, eat and shop.”

‘It’s great to hear Northampton is growing and I’ve noticed it myself’

Interestingly, recently published figures show more new businesses were established in Northamptonshire in 2023 than the previous year – making the county one of the most successful in the UK, according to Inform Direct.

8,191 new formations were registered in the county in 2023, with an increase of 4.6 percent on 2022. This brought the number of registered companies in Northamptonshire to an all-time high of 53,911.

Across the county, Northampton was the town with the highest number of new businesses at the end of 2023 – sitting at 3,380 – and this contributed to a total of more than 18,000 companies.

These statistics – taken from Inform Direct’s review of company formations using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics – were shared with Vanessa.

When told of the increase in the number of businesses established in the town in 2023, she said: “Since coming out of Covid, the economy is balancing out slightly and people are taking more risks in business again.”

Vanessa has noticed a trend that people who left Northampton for big cities for their education are now beginning to move back with their families, into more affordable properties.

The 40-year-old said: “They’re taking their experience in the cities and injecting it into the town by setting up long-term businesses.

“It’s great to hear Northampton is growing and I’ve noticed it myself. It’s lovely to see. Northampton has so much potential, to be the quaint and quirky town I remember when I was younger. I have so many memories.”

Having ended the year with more than 18,000 unique companies, Vanessa was asked her view on the growing variety on offer across Northampton.

She praised a number of businesses – namely pizza restaurant Pala, sandwich shop Spread, and healthy meal preparation company Nourished.

“When you start a new business, you meet other business people and realise what is out there,” said Vanessa. “It’s encouraging.”

John Korchak, managing director at the data suppliers Inform Direct, said: “It is excellent news that Northamptonshire can celebrate a successful year for new company formations during 2023.

“The year undoubtedly presented a range of challenges for business, including tepid predictions of economic growth, volatility in energy prices and uncertainty from world events.

“However, the formation figures demonstrate very clearly that Northamptonshire entrepreneurs remained undeterred and pursued their ambitions to establish new ventures.”

Looking to 2024, Vanessa shared Grandbies’ mission to establish more partnerships with local businesses and to increase their visibility in the community.

She would like to see the venue become known for their afternoon teas each Sunday, and secure their alcohol licence to introduce more evening events.

“We’re looking to set up another business as Grandbies is doing so well,” Vanessa added. “We’re still so new but we’re constantly learning about what our customers want and need – and who our customers are.

“It’s mainly females. Grandbies feels like a space for women to find a sense of peace and relaxation.”

To build on this, the team hopes to host a number of female empowerment and women in business events to continue “giving back to Northampton”.

For more information and to keep up to date with Grandbies, visit the business’ Facebook page here.