Birch Weekender

We were due to stay at Birch Community during its soft launch early last year. However, the pandemic had other ideas and as numerous lockdowns pushed the opening date later and later, it was only at the end of summer that we finally managed to visit. How tough it must have been to open such a space under strict government guidelines…

Spanning a whopping 55 acres, Birch Community is located in Cheshunt - around 30 minutes north of London, accessible via train from Liverpool Street station. Led by Chris Penn, the concept hotel is hailed as a space where you can “release and rest for a day or night, work or weekend”. We opted for the latter.

The high points of our stay begin with the interior of the communal areas. Designed by Red Deer and celebrated as their largest project to date, the vision was clear: “to challenge wastefulness and uniformity”. Here, the team reportedly took inspiration from “resourcefulness of the past” and especially “old estates [which] used to manage their resources and land holistically” in order to ensure the new space works with its environment - whether that’s the estate-made produce or the nature-led restaurant. With the likes of ceramicist Emma Louise Payne and carpenter Jan Hendzel on board, unique pieces have been designed that really speak to the ethos of the project.

Speaking of the nature-led restaurant, our next high point was the food.

The Zebra Riding Club, which serves up a tasting menu designed by Robin Gill, uses the farm, wood and produce surrounding Birch in a way that perfectly reflects the ethos just discussed. During our stay, we also dined at Valeries, the all-day restaurant, as well as rustling up a DIY feast at one of the BBQ pits on the Back Lawn for more of a chilled out vibe. All of the above were simply delicious!

Our final high point was the range of activities on offer. From morning baking to sound bath yoga, pottery classes to film screening, plus ample work space, a gym, a lido and a music room, Birch Community certainly lives up to its name, offering something for just about everyone. Whether you’re tempted to become a member or just host an event, you certainly won’t be short of things to do during your stay.

Whilst the aforementioned high points were great, our stay had its fair share of low points too and its only right to mention them in order to give an honest and rounded review.

Previously a hotel and conference centre, it is a huge space and there are areas that haven’t been given the TLC they deserve - most notably, the toilets in the communal areas, which feel more like those of a leisure centre. The service was very hit and miss throughout our stay and I feel staff could have benefitted from more thorough training (although I’m sure the pandemic was partly to blame here). Finally, there were a few things that really stood out as being amiss - the bar closing somewhat early on a Saturday evening and the lack of any sort of snack or room service once the restaurants have shut being just a couple.

All in all, Birch Community has the potential to be amazing - it is socially conscious, has incredible pockets of design, heaps of open space, delicious food and activities a plenty. However, it has a little way to go before it can challenge the likes of the Hoxton Hotels and Soho Houses of the world, in my eyes at least.