One Maidstone town centre magazine, Spring 2021

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Contents

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

INSIDE THIS SPRING ISSUE onemaidstone.com / magazine

O N E M A I D ST O N E The One Maidstone Business Improvement District is a not for profit organisation representing Maidstone town centre. We provide services such as Ambassador patrols, Christmas lights, CCTV monitoring and security radio network. For more information on our work , visit www.onemaidstone.com

FRONT COVER Esquires Coffee

12_

BACK COVER One Maidstone

There’s an inflated sense of optimism in the air!

Images by One Maidstone

28_ One Maidstone gets the party started!

06_ 22_

We put our back into making a town centre garden.

Cheers to the re-opening of bars and pubs!

@onemaidstone


Spring - a season of hope. And as Maidstone town centre throws open its doors to nonessential retail, outdoor dining and pub gardens, we can finally begin to look forward in anticipation of a better summer ahead. At One Maidstone, we’re getting back to nature as winter recedes, with the creation of a town centre wildlife garden in Pads Hill (the former home of Shaun the Sheep!) You’ll find out how we plan to welcome birds and insects into this bus station and supermarket surrounded space, as well as ways to get involved, later in this issue. There’s lots to enjoy in this edition of your town centre magazine - originally due out in May, we’ve brought publication forward to show support for our Business Improvement District traders as they come out of lockdown. This re-opening special aims to remind you of just some of the fantastic businesses that await your return, and give you a glimpse into how we plan to shout about them further in the months ahead with the One Maidstone Small Business Summer project. Whether it’s an overdue haircut or you’re pining for a pint, the end of home workouts or a catch up coffee with a friend, we’ve all got different reasons to feel glad as the shutters come up and the tills start ringing once more. We’ve waited a long time but finally we can say - welcome back to Maidstone town centre.

Ilsa Butler ILSA BUTLER

One Maidstone BID Manager

BID Manager Ilsa Butler ilsa.butler@ onemaidstone.com Marketing and Communications Manager / Editor Sarah-Jane Adams sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com One Maidstone Mall Management Suite, Pads Hill, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6AT 01622678777

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

LETTER FROM THE BID MANAGER

CO N TA C T

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Welcome

PHOTOGRAPHY, UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED, BY SARAH-JANE ADAMS AT ONE MAIDSTONE

NOTE ON SOCIAL DISTANCING Please be aware that some images used within this issue were taken before the implementation of social distancing or mandatory mask use by business staff .

THIS MAGAZINE HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE ONE MAIDSTONE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT TO SUPPORT TOWN CENTRE BUSINESSES.

To enquire about advertising sales for future issues, or free feature opportunities for town centre traders, contact sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com © Copyright 2021, produced by the One Maidstone Business Improvement District.

onemaidstone.com


NEWS

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

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THE ONE MAIDSTONE BID HAS ITS FINGER ON THE TOWN CENTRE PULSE!

BID POSTER BOYS! We’re extending our thanks to the Mayoral team at Maidstone Town Hall for displaying a poster promoting the work of the Business Improvement District - featuring our Ambassadors!

Advertising is now open for our Summer and Christmas editions, which will both see a bumper page count, and DOUBLE distribution, at 30k copies. Contact sarah-jane. adams@onemaidstone.com for full or half page enquiries.

Keep up with our latest news!

NEW ONE MAIDSTONE WEBSITE A CLICK AWAY One Maidstone has updated and upgraded its website, so that it is now packed full of information on our projects, business and town centre photography, and latest news stories. www.onemaidstone.com

FOLLOW THE BID ON SOCIAL MEDIA Keep up with the work of the One Maidstone Business Improvement District, as well as updates about your town centre at: Instagram: @onemaidstone Twitter : @onemaidstone facebook .com/onemaidstonebid youtube.com/c/onemaidstone

VOLUNTEERING LEADS TO LOVE! It seems that good deeds bring great karma, as newly engaged town centre volunteers Steph and Ian found each other through their selfless acts. As helpers and trustees at the Urban Blue Bus, which provides first aid assistance to night time revellers, and the Maidstone Street Pastors, a Christian patrol team who offer practical help and prayers, the couple met through this charitable work before love blossomed. Congratulations both!

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NEWS

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News to share? If you’re a town centre business with something going on, let us know! Email: sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

HAVE YOU HERD ABOUT ELMER? As Official Event Partner of Elmer’s Big Heart of Kent Parade, One Maidstone has sponsored two of the elephant statues coming to the art trail over the summer. Running from June 19th for nine weeks, it is Maidstone’s first sculpture event of this kind. www.elmermaidstone.co.uk WHICH FLAVOUR WILL YOU CHEW-SE?

Looking for something different to quench your thirst as you return to the town centre as sunnier days arrive? Mooboo is bringing bubble tea to town, with its central stand in the Mall. Offering a huge array of flavours and toppings, you’ll be able to pick up a beverage with added bite! The new tenants said “ Thank you for the warm welcome - we are finally here after months of preparation, and we love the neighbourhood, the Mall and the community in Maidstone! We can’t wait to bring the authentic taste of bubble tea to Maidstone, we hope people will love this new element to the Mall. The locals are very supportive, and the management and colleagues in the shopping centre are really friendly and helpful.”

MAIDSTONE OUTDOOR FITNESS Raring to go on a run? Feeling like you need some fresh air? Maidstone Outdoor Fitness is once again operating its town centre training, meeting in Whatman Park on Thursday evenings at 7pm, and Sunday mornings at 9am. Get fit, make friends, and enjoy our urban green spaces! www.maidstoneoutdoorfitness.com

onemaidstone.com


TOWN CENTRE

BID BACKS BUSINESS B I D PR OJ E C T S

Green fingers

One Maidstone is digging in to bring a wildlife

garden to the town centre,

T he One Maidstone

Business Improvement District is good to grow with its plan to convert its off ice outlook into a welcoming space for birds and insects. We’re getting our hands dirty with a plan to convert the garden connected to our town centre office into a wildlife friendly haven. The area to the rear of the bus station, in Romney Place, is currently the site of two large Oast House sculptures, shrubbery and lawn. The One Maidstone team will be planting up a mixture of hand raised and purchased plants to add colour and attract insects into this urban island. BID Manager Ilsa Butler explains “ We hope that the changes will not only brighten up an area which sees a lot of passing traffic, public transport users and pedestrians, but will provide a space that town centre businesses can make use of for outdoor events, demonstrations, classes, or just some gardening therapy.”

An idea of how the currently basic plot may look during the summer months.

The Pads Hill space belongs to Capital & Regional, owners of the Mall Maidstone shopping centre, who have given their kind permission for the works to go ahead.

makeover with plants aimed at helping wildlife, the garden will include items such as insect hotels, bird feeders, new signage and art, and aims to be completed by August.

General Manager of the Mall, Gavin Cockayne, says of the scheme, “ This is a real opportunity to give something back to the community and the town centre we care so much about, whilst working in harmony with the bus station improvement work.”

It is hoped that town centre businesses will enjoy getting involved with the project, either by getting stuck into some digging, or using the space for outdoor activities once it is completed. There will also be numerous opportunities for members of the public to get their wellies on, with volunteer planting days, and

As well as a horticultural

@onemaidstone


plant ‘amnesties’, where donations can be dropped off for inclusion in the space.

7 One Maidstone / Spring 2021

The budget for the garden has been raised via advertising sales in One Maidstone’s town centre magazine, sponsorship and donations, and will not be funded using BID levy contributions, ensuring it is a cost-neutral project.

TOWN CENTRE

RECYCLED SCULPTURE CAUSING A BUZZ

Spring 2021

Winter 2021

The One Maidstone town centre wildlife garden will be instantly recognisable, due to a distinct donation of a bespoke bee sculpture by Kent artist Richard Jeferies, who uses recycled cans to create beautiful recreations of nature from man-made materials. (Prototype pictured.) Richard was keen to get involved when he heard about the plan: “As an artist working in a wide variety of media, I am always looking for new ways to recycle old materials. Recently I have been using aluminium cans recovered from local beauty spots to create wildlife creatures. When I saw the proposed project by One Maidstone I immediately thought this would be an ideal environment for such a presentation. My bee will hopefully prompt people to think about how their rubbish is disposed, what we can do about it, and also highlight the need for and incredible part bees and insects play in our lives, and the life of our planet.” Marketing and Communications Manager Sarah-Jane says of the piece, “ We’re thrilled that the project is already off to a flying start with the kind creation of this exclusive, thought-provoking and beautiful piece of art. We can’t wait to document its build and installation.”

Summer 2020

onemaidstone.com


TOWN CENTRE

B I D P R OJ E C T S

T he following

businesses and individuals are helping our garden grow! Our thanks go to: MATESTONE, Middle Row Giving us grounds for our ground! Sandra and George of popular hangout Matestone, let us know that coffee grounds make an ideal fertiliser, and are regularly donating theirs to help areas of our patch thrive. GULLANDS SOLICITORS, Mill Street With an Oast House featuring in their own logo, town centre solicitors Gullands made a much appreciated financial contribution, used for bird feeding stations to encourage our feathered friends. LOCALISE APP Ashleigh Cornelius, founder of Localise, an app that connects members of the public with independent businesses, provided a generous donation of items from our Amazon wishlist, including ladybird hotels, bug house, and suet log feeder. ENHANCE CLINIC, Starnes Court The team at Enhance Clinic have kindly waved their beauty wand and gifted us a large number of summer bulbs and seed balls, ready to bring colour and interest to our green area.

Maidstone Distillery with their seed donation.

MAIDSTONE DISTILLERY, Market Buildings Another town centre supporter to help the project grow is the Maidstone Distillery, Market Buildings, who have generously donated enough wildflower seed to create a meadow bank. Founder Darren Graves says, “Our Ranscombe Wild gin uses a selection of hand foraged botanicals, sourced from Ranscombe Farm reserve in the North Downs area of outstanding natural beauty. Made in partnership with wildflower conservation charity Plantlife, of whom Ranscombe Farm is their flagship reserve, we make a donation from the sale of each bottle sold to help with their important conservation work. The wildflower seed packs we are donating to the One Maidstone garden project include some of the same distinctive local flora that we use in the gin recipe.”

ABSOLUTE CREATIVE PRINT, Starnes Court The print specialist responsible for the production of this magazine, Absolute Creative Print have generously stepped in to provide new signage for our garden at no charge. This will help members of the public identify the area at a glance as the new town centre wildlife garden, raising interest and awareness. NIGEL DOWNES, One Maidstone Our very own Administrator, Nigel Downes, has shown off his woodworking talent by building two beautiful bee hotels in his spare time. If your businesses can help sew the seed of a great garden by donating wildlife items, funding or plants, we’d love to hear from you at: sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com

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Matestone are saving their coffee grounds to enrich our earth!

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

‘BEE’ PA RT O F IT!

Blooming good ways to get involved: John Roberts of Gullands Solicitors dropped by to hear about the plans.

Ashleigh Cornelius of Localise App purchased gifts for our garden!

We’re taking plant donations from now until August, whether you’d like to grow something specifically, buy a plant to gift us, or have some surplus. We can collect from town centre business locations at any time, or will be holding plant ‘amnesty’ days in the summer for members of the public to drop off. Donate time, materials or money! If you’d like to be involved in volunteer planting sessions mid-summer, or can provide sponsorship or materials, let us know! If your town centre business or charity would like to use the space free of charge when finished, please contact us.

onemaidstone.com


SERVICES

REOPENING 2021 TA K E G O O D CA R E

Cosmopolitan Medical The town centre medical practitioner injects new blood into King Street.

F or this King Street

health clinic, surviving the pandemic meant moving to new premises - but it ’s not too bitter a pill to swallow.

with old and new characteristics. We are CQC registered and are expected to provide high health and safety standards, which under normal circumstances takes months. However, we have achieved a clean, safe and friendly

“Cosmopolitan Medical has existed for 7 years in Maidstone, originally situated in Church Street. It was a location with a variety of different health and beauty companies under one roof. Sadly, Covid restrictions meant some of the businesses closed for long periods of time, which in turn saw the location closed with the original tenants and some N EW companies lost during a PR E M I S E S very difficult time. In and environment from which to out of lockdown, finding run our professional business, specialists to carry out work and look forward to brighter skies at our new location, and finding with new and regular clients finance during a time when during 2021. we were 80% down in our income was the hardest challenge we’ve faced so far. However, we are a small and great team and it’s amazing what can be achieved with the support of colleagues , family and friends. We turned an old, tired and unloved building into a safe, suitable health clinic

As a private medical company, you may think we had an advantage being a healthcare facility, however our main services pre-Covid included private travel health and vaccinations and face to face non-essential consultations. So the pandemic

turned our business model upside down as well! As experienced healthcare providers we immediately implemented Covid-safe protocols and all relevant staff wear PPE. We manage our appointments so that social distancing is in place, protecting staff and clients. We are so proud of how we have adapted. Within our team we have three members of staff that have continued to work part time within the NHS as keyworkers and I myself have volunteered with the Royal Voluntary Service, all focused on supporting the NHS and local communities through these difficult times. Cosmopolitan Medical is offering a complimentary private service to the NHS within Maidstone, so if you would like your blood results a little quicker, require travel vaccinations that are always private such as Yellow Fever or Rabies, or maybe your company wishes to offer the Annual Flu vaccination to their workforce that are not entitled to it for free, we can assist.” www.cosmopolitanmedical clinic.co.uk

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SERVICES

BID BACKS BUSINESS B E AUT Y I S B AC K !

De Luxe Beauty Clinic Pampering and preening are long overdue as self care salons re-open.

UNION

With the go ahead to

STREET

get gorgeous, beauty bookings are keeping Union Street ’s newest salon busy! “ The last lockdown was a real shock because as a new business, which only opened its doors two weeks before it happened, we were trying very hard to establish a new customer base. We’re feeling very positive about re-opening, we can’t wait to open the doors to clients again as we missed them while we have been closed!

Accepting the new reality of beauty treatments, we are carefully putting plans in place to return to work. We ensure our clients have enough space to maintain social distancing, provide PPE and have a system of cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces in the salon. Most of my existing clients have been so happy to hear from us and can’t wait to start having their treatments once more - we’re already fully booked until June!

popular beauty treatment, the newest way to get the glow! A gentler version of microdermabrasion, it uses a thin-nibbed device to deeply cleanse before rehydrating the skin with nourishing, active ingredients, It’s suitable for all skin types, and is said to deliver consistent results in just 30 minutes with no downtime. Texture, tone and irritation or acne are said to improve after just a few treatments.” Instagram: @de luxe beautyclinic

The Hydrafacial is our most onemaidstone.com


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BUSINESS

REOPENING 2021 B AC K I N B U S I N E S S

We are open! (Again!) We declare Maidstone town centre officially... open!

C oming back to town?

Here’s a selection of just some of the non-essential retailers and services that deserve a shout out (and a visit!) SNAP FITNESS, 40-46 High Street, www.snapfitness.com Open from April 12th, no booking system, numbers monitored. Showers open day and night without restrictions. MAIDSTONE ELECTROLYSIS &LASER CLINIC, 6 Romney Place, www.maidstone-laser. co.uk Re-opening April 13th.

BLOW GARDEN, 10 Middle Row www.blowgarden.com Open from April 12th. THE SHAMRAT, 36 Lower Stone Street, www.shamrat.co.uk Taking bookings from May 17th. Open for takeaway and collection from 5pm. LILLY’ S NAILS, 64 High Street www.lillysnailsmaidstone. mytreatwell.co.uk Re-open from April 12th. Online bookings are required to complete a Covid-19 form. AIMEE HOBBS MAKEUP STUDIO, 41 Royal Star Arcade, www.aimeehobbsmakeup.co.uk Open from April 12th.

BLUSH BEAUT Y, 234 Dukes Walk , the Mall, www.the THE HAIR EXPERTS, 36 blushbeauty.co.uk Gabriel’s Hill, www. L E T ’ S G O Re-opening April 23rd. S H O PPI N G ! thehairexperts.co.uk Open from April 12th, THE FAIRY’ S TALE, 10 Corn appointments available from 26th Exchange, www.thefairys April. tale.co.uk Open from April 12th. VIP TATTOO STUDIO, 2 Rose Yard, www.vipstudio.co.uk BOTANICAL BEAUT Y, 25 Open from April 12th. Consultation Gabriel’s Hill appointment bookings available Open from April 12th, via the website. bookings via www.botanical beauty.versum.com

Absolute Creative Print, of Starnes Court, have created this supporting local logo to draw attention to Maidstone-based traders. Chris Langley says of the initiative: “ We looked for a logo that we could stand behind as a business so we can communicate this with our customers, and others in the town centre too. Surprisingly, we couldn’t find anything similar, so we created our own, with the view that it can be used by any local business so they can inform their customers too and spread the word. It’s now more important than ever to support local businesses and we hope it helps others get back to business!” www.absolutecp.co.uk

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LIFESTYLE

S mall Business Summer is coming! 13

Throughout June, July and August we’ll be shouting for the family-run, the independents and the locals - it’s time to think small!

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

Maidstone has a big town centre, with lots of small businesses - which is why we’ll be celebrating them in a campaign of events, video content, special edition magazine and giveaways this summer.

Of course, our project will encompass all that the town centre has to offer, little and large, but will have an emphasis on the unique indies that form a high percentage of Maidstone town centre’s traders.

Go directly to Maidstone’s famous jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect two hundred pounds!

To follow along with Small Business Summer, visit us regularly at www.onemaidstone.com, www.instagram.com/onemaidstone, www. twitter.com/onemaidstone and facebook .com/ onemaidstonebid

Maidstone has been announced as the latest location to be immortalised with a custom Monopoly board game – after seeing off 24 other places across Europe to land the accolade and beating runner-up Chartres in France.

MAIDSTONE WINS MONOPOLY HONOUR WITH OWN BOARD

Bosses at games company Winning Moves, who are producing the game under licensing from Hasbro, say a variety of factors were used in picking the winning place, including civic pride, famous landmarks, natural beauty and sense of community. The game chiefs noted that the jail in Maidstone, made famous by BBC1’s hit comedy series, “Porridge,” was one of the deciding factors. This new version of the world’s most famous and popular board game will see the typical addresses and playing cards from the original MONOPOLY game, replaced by leading landmarks from Maidstone. Sites such as Leeds Castle, Archbishop’s Palace, the Town Hall, Mote Park, Maidstone Hospital and Maidstone Museum are early front-runners to be featured on their very own piece of Monopoly game real estate. The new Monopoly: Maidstone Edition will hit the shops in October 2021.

onemaidstone.com


SERVICES

BID BACKS BUSINESS PI C TU R E PE R F E C T

N EW TOWN CENTRE BUSINESS

Quattro Print

London lads set up shop in Maidstone town centre for a colourful expansion.

A fter 15 years of trading

in London, Quattro Print is bringing its services to Maidstone town centre. OM: You’ve recently opened in Maidstone after 15 years in London – what made you decide upon the County Town for a new outlet, and how are you finding it? QP: Maidstone clearly has a vibrant, local economy - it’s on the up and we want to be part of that. It is also really business friendly here.

should we!

OM: Are you feeling optimistic about starting a new branch of your business during this easing of lockdown, what made you open during lockdown rather than wait?

OM: Has there still been a demand for print services – have you since this increase or decrease due to Covid and what do you anticipate as businesses re-open?

QP: Lots of our clients have traded strongly during lockdown and those that haven’t are already planning their re-opening, so we needed to be up and running - and every day we get new enquiries. If our clients and customers aren’t waiting, why

QP: If anything, print is making something of a comeback and we are seeing demand in lots of new areas. Lots of people now want large prints of photos they’ve shot on their phones, major restauarant chains are refreshing their offers and bigger retailers need the right

in-store messaging as things get back to normal. Wherever we look there’s demand. At Quattro we offer window graphics, posters, signage etc, along with a fitting service. OM: As a newcomer, have you been welcomed by the Maidstone business community? QP: Maidstone is very business friendly if you’re providing a good service at a good price, it’s very welcoming here. OM: What is your message to clients / potential clients as the

@onemaidstone


TOWN CENTRE town centre re-opens?

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QP: We are here and ready to speak to any potential clients with all their printing needs. Don’t wait to come along or email us at Quattro. www.quattrodp.com

WELCOME BACK PACK! In preparation of the re-opening of Maidstone town centre, One Maidstone created a Welcome Back Pack, with updated Government guidance, and local information from Kent Police, Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County Council. The pack is a continuation of the work the BID does chairing a partnership forum with these local authorities to plan for the end of lockdown. A digital flip-through version of the pack is available to read for free on desktops and devices on our website: www.onemaidstone .com/covid

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BID BACKS BUSINESS

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

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RETAIL

Home Media

S o u n d s l i ke g o o d n e w s a s U n i o n S t re e t a u d i o s p e c i a l i s t p l u g s b a c k i n .

Having spent so much

time at home, the way we consume media is more important than ever. As its store re-opens, Home Media has its ear to the ground on the best audio equipment. “People are spending a lot less time travelling and are at home a lot more. This has led to records coming out of the loft and being enjoyed again on systems that maybe need a repair, or entirely new systems purchased, which is where we come in. We’ve noticed a lot more people signing up to music streaming services, like Spotify and Tidal, as well as many binge-watching TV boxsets, and wanting a new entertainment system to boost their experience. To allow customers to really

experience the quality products we sell, we allow them to demo them from the comfort of their own home. They can enjoy them for two weeks at a time and our customers have really appreciated the efforts we’ve gone to. The feedback has been great in how it has allowed many to escape the monotony from working at home or really broken up the boredom. For some we’ve visited, it has just been nice seeing a friendly face at their door as they’ve been going stir crazy on their own. I think lockdown has clearly impacted people’s mindsets on how they engage with retail. We’ve managed to maintain our resilience by remaining creative in finding a way to deliver our services to our customers. We ramped up our home demo service and also kept up our scheduled

Home Media has been a Maidstone town centre retailer since 1996!

collections via the showroom, when possible. The lockdowns have seen us up our digital engagement too, so we can provide our usual high standard of customer service which has been extremely pleasing in what is a tough time for everyone. We’ll certainly embrace the re-opening, but in a cautious manner that befits the situation. This means we shall continue with an appointment only system at the showroom, which is better for the protection of staff and visitors alike. Appointment-based opening has been a real boost and eye opening for our business, as it allows us the freedom to know what our day in the store entails, so we can be doing more installs, and home appointments, knowing that one of us does not have to stay on site on the off-chance

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that customers may pop in.

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We feel the Home Media team has become a real part of the community, with many passers-by greeting us on the way to and back from town. Maidstone is a well populated town and offers a lot to all visitors, a lot more than just retail. It is also very central with great transport links to the coast and to the borders with Essex and Surrey. I was proud to be part of the town centre initiative several years ago that looked to local businesses to work together in growing the town and attracting more people in to experience everything it has to offer.”

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

www.homemedialimited.co.uk STREET PASTOR VOLUNTEERS RETURN

“ The Street Pastor team will be out in Maidstone town centre once more from Saturday 4th July, with two teams of three people patrolling the town ready to engage with anyone who may wish to talk or have issues - not knowing what people may have been through in lockdown, we are prepared for a busy night. We are starting our patrols at 9.00pm until midnight.” Interested in joining the volunteer team? Contact maidstone@streetpastors.org.uk

[Members of the Maidstone Street Pastors and Fremlin Walk staff observe a minute’s silence for the Marie Curie UK National Day of Reflection.]

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LIFESTYLE

BID BACKS BUSINESS LO CA L B U S I N E S S

The show can go on! It’s time to get the party re-started for the Corporate

Entertainment Professionals.

With the green light

to plan summer entertainment, and a move to town centre off ices in the Wonderhub, Samantha Fellows is lifting the curtain on a dark year for events. “Since the roadmap announcement, we have been inundated with enquiries from our regular customers and new clients - however, many of these are just planning and not booking until the last minute as I think people are apprehensive about there being date changes within the stages. We have found that the events confirming are those at the latter stage of the year, such as Christmas events, winter weddings, shopping centres, festivals etc. We’re absolutely raring to go. The business is fully streamlined behind the scenes and ready to take on mass amounts of events as we did pre-Covid. We are very excited to be moving to our new offices in the next month or so and having some social life at work

rather than working from home. I am personally very happy about being able to do what I do best and use my creative brain to help people bring their events to life. I think the events sector is like a coiled spring, and once it pops it’s going to be busier than ever. I believe everyone will be apprehensive at the start, hence the last minute bookings, but once there is some return to normality and people can get back to events, I really think that clients will want to compete for their customers and to make sure

they all have a great time - what better way to do that than bringing the event to life through the forms of entertainment we can offer. Promo acts and entertainment add a lot of value to events, and booking supports companies like ours. Creating experiences for guests in 2019 was huge and has grown year on year. Now everyone has had a year out people will have big expectations and I suspect all events will aim big to make sure they are doing just that for their customers.” www.the-cep.com

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J u b i l e e S q u a re

Floral fancies

H a ve yo u n o t i c e d t h a t M a i d s to n e tow n c e n t re i s l o o k i n g a l o t g re e n e r t h a n u s u a l f o r t h i s t i m e o f yea r ? Yo u r O n e M a i d s to n e B I D h a s c o n t r i b u te d f u n d i n g f o r t h e p rov i s i o n o f w i n te r p l a n te r s , rea d y f o r t h e re - o p e n i n g o f o u r H i g h S t re e t !

F O L LOW U S @ONE M A I D S TO N E

H i g h S t re e t

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LEISURE

BID BACKS BUSINESS MUSCLING IN

N EW TOWN CENTRE BUSINESS

Pure Gym

As the town centre gets fighting fit once more, there’s

a new gym on the block.

Did you keep up your

workout routine during lockdown? Whether you were burpee brilliant or just sofa surfing, the opening of PureGym in King Street will motivate you to kick it up a gear. “ We are extremely excited about opening such a fantastic new facility in the town centre that the people of Maidstone will no doubt enjoy and be able to benefit from. It’s such a well-equipped gym that’s open 24/7, and that will also provide an array of live classes (when government restrictions allow) as well as fitness support from our in-club Personal Trainers. Maidstone is a great town and to see it thriving again will be amazing, we simply cannot wait to be a part of it. It’s been a really strange, hard time during the pandemic for many of the local businesses and we can’t wait to see them back trading. We have even built some links with the local businesses and will be offering our members exclusive

benefits with these town centre partners as part of an added extra to our membership.

can to stay healthy and reach their personal goals. The nation’s health is a huge priority.

It’s been a tough time for people during the pandemic and it’s no doubt negatively affected many people in various ways - we want to get back to doing what we do best, and that’s helping people improve their quality of life through fitness. Physical and mental health is absolutely paramount and we offer a safe, secure, and supportive facility and service for our members to ensure they are doing all they

As a company we make such an effort to make our clubs a safe place to work and a safe place to workout, to ensure our gyms are Covid secure. We have a strong set of Train Safe protocols in place, which includes face covering policies, regular deep cleaning of the facilities, PPE available for staff during scheduled cleans, hand sanitiser available for staff and members, cleaning facilities

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available for members to use before and after using kit, as well as capacity control and clear social distancing through signage and kit layout.

Our limited time offer of £10.99pm for the first 12 months and a £15 joining fee, is an incredible price to take advantage of while you can!” www.puregym.com

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

We simply cannot wait to welcome our new members to enjoy our new facility from April 12th. We have a large cardio suite and free weights area, a fully equipped functional area, and a great variety of fixed pin and plate loaded resistance machines. Members can also enjoy our large studio space and a dedicated spin studio with a full timetable to come, when restrictions allow. Along with our enthusiastic and passionate team of fitness experts, we want everybody to feel welcome and we are looking forward to seeing our PureGym member community grow! CHRISTMAS IS COMING ( YES, REALLY!)

The One Maidstone Business Improvement District took over funding and supplying the town centre Christmas lights in 2019, bringing a switch on event back to Maidstone. Whilst last year saw the event go virtual, with 7k video views, we’ve now started planning for the return of a physical gathering in November 2021, circumstances allowing. We are provisionally looking for : * Maidstone musical and dance acts to be considered for on-stage, or warm-up performances * Items to gift members of the public in our goodie bags, from town centre businesses * Food or product sampling to be given away free on the evening, from town centre businesses Want to be there? Email sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com

Images: Pure Gym

PLEASE NOTE: We will not be supplying hut, stall or pitch space for food and drink vendors to make sales to the public, or for other types of traders to sell goods.

onemaidstone.com


NIGHTLIFE

REOPENING 2021 G O I N G O UT O UT !

Boogie nights!

Dust off your dancing shoes, and hit the town for socially distanced celebrations!

T own centre clubbers

MOONLIGHT BAR, MADISONS, 28-32 Gabriel’s Hill www.madisonsmaidstone.co.uk

have spent too long living it up in their living rooms... our pubs, bars and favourite nightspots are on their way back , and we’re ready for the beer garden!

Re-opening Friday 21st May. HERBALIST, Pudding Lane Outdoors from April 16th, indoor reservations from May 17th.

THE BRENCHLEY, 91 High Street, www.thebrenchley. co.uk

SOURCE BAR, 4-6 Rose Yard www.thesourcebar.co.uk

Open outdoors from April 12th, with extra tables added - rule of six applies.

Saturday 17th April, street opening, two sessions from 2pm to 6pm and 6pm to 12am, £10 per person.

Three areas open including Bar Moretti and Moretti pizza oven. No booking restrictions, first come first admitted.

Saturday 24th April, Back to Classics in the courtyard, 2pm until late, £10 per person.

CHEERS!

NELLIE GERKINS, Week Street Irish pub Nellie Gherkins, part of the Mu Mu complex, re-opens on Monday May 17th, when the bar will be celebrating a belated St Patrick’s Day!

@onemaidstone


DRAKES CORK AND CASK , 9 Fairmeadow

NIGHTLIFE

23

Newly covered courtyard with 28 tables and a new stage area built to move the venue outside. Live music outdoors on:

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

Monday 12th April - Showtime Friday 16th - The Real Deal Band Saturday 17th - Act to be confirmed Sunday 18th - Original Music with Make Some Noise

SOCIAL CHILL BAR, 95 Week Street Outside beer garden open from April 12th, 7 days a week from 4pm. Specialising in cocktails with over 30 different options. Shisha now available in a variety of aromas.

BANKS BAR, 76 Bank Street www.banksmaidstone.co.uk

MU MU AND FIFI’ S BRASSERIE, 108-110 Week Street

Open from April 12th, 5pm to midnight Monday to Friday, and 5pm until late on Saturday, with DJ Timz. Outdoor events taking place in the garden, with fully heated marquee and table service. Re-opening in full nightclub function from June 21st, circumstances permitting.

Fifi’s brasserie and Mu Mu will be open for business on Monday 17th May. The nightclubs will re-open on Friday 25th June after over a year of being closed. Visit www.mumuexperience.com to view events and book online

NOT READY TO VENTURE OUT FOR DRINKS? Peggy Sue’s Kent have launched their cocktail and mocktail delivery service. Their menu is lockdown themed, such as their ‘ You’re on mute-ojito’ Mojito cocktail or their ‘Quarantini’ Martini drink! Cocktail kits are available for delivery each weekend and each kit includes: 2 cocktail servings, garnishes, mixers, instructions, straws, stirrers & serviettes. Facebook : @peggysueskent, Instagram: @peggysues kent onemaidstone.com


DINING

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

24

BID BACKS BUSINESS

Egg Free Cake Box

Allergy aware treats? There’s nothing batter!

E g g F re e C a ke B ox i s w h i p p i n g u p a re c i p e f o r re - o p e n i n g !

Having served their

sweet taste of Maidstone to customers throughout lockdown, the easing measures will be a piece of cake for this Mall eatery. “ We are all excited for the High Street to re-open. As we are located inside the shopping centre, we are used to seeing people walk through to the High Street - the Mall has been so quiet this last year we have almost forgotten what it was like to have a busy shopping centre. We hope customers will return, and return responsibly - we are all anticipating life getting back to normal, but we should ease into the High Streets so we can best protect each other. As we remained opened during lockdown, we made sure that

staff were well protected with PPE and hand sanitiser. We also take daily temperature checks for all our staff or anyone visiting our kitchen area. For our customers, we put clear signage up and installed markers for social distancing. Screens have also been installed near the till area for extra protection and there is sanitiser available for the public to use. We have still been making celebration cakes during lockdown, but the trend has been for smaller cakes because large household gatherings are not possible. I believe sales will increase as people become more optimistic on life as we ease off the restrictions. With Father’s Day coming up we expect to be particularly busy.

and parcel of being British. The lockdown simply increased this love we have of baking; with more time on our hands than ever we have been able to bake our own breads, cakes etc. The first lockdown was a clear example of this as certain ingredients were hard to get hold of. For those not baking their own, our Mixed Berries Red Velvet Cake is very popular at the moment, it can be found on our website as RV5.” www.eggfreecake.co.uk

We as a nation are interested in baking, it has become part

@onemaidstone


TOWN CENTRE

25 One Maidstone / Spring 2021

G E T YO U R BUSINESS SEEN HERE!

BE FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE Free to read, free to feature! One Maidstone’s town centre magazine exists to promote the town centre businesses we represent, at no charge. Whatever industry you’re in, if you’d like free promotion to thousands of local residents and other town centre businesses, contact sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com Occasionally we can offer limited space to Maidstone-based businesses outside of the town centre please be aware that priority for free features is given to those with town centre premises. Advertising space is available to puchase in the form of full or half pages.

onemaidstone.com


TOWN CENTRE

B I D P R OJ E C T S SAFETY AND SECURITY

We’re all here for you You’re not alone - town centre security has got your back.

HERE TO HELP

With safety at the front of everyone’s minds, One Maidstone has teamed up with the town centre’s security network to remind you how you can access help, first aid, a friendly face or a Police response. Why not share this with children and loved ones so that they know how to find the right people? ONE MAIDSTONE BID AMBASSADORS - TOWN CENTRE PATROLS Look for the red vest! Our BID Ambassadors patrol the town centre seven days a week, and are trained security professionals with direct radio contact with Kent Police and bodycams. Approach them any time to report an incident such as anti-social behaviour or a lost child, seek medical assistance or to see you safely out of a situation in which you feel uncomfortable. They carry accredited ID which they are happy to show.

ROYAL STAR ARCADE “ The Royal Star Arcade security team have been working throughout lockdown to serve the community and offer support to the public to keep them safe, and will continue to do so. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help when visiting the arcade.” LOCKMEADOW “Our aim is for residents and visitors to enjoy their time in our town and we join together with our town centre partners

such as One Maidstone and The Mall Maidstone to offer help if anyone feels unsafe. Our security team are trained to manage difficult situations and can radio through for help if someone needs it. Please be assured that you can come to Lockmeadow if you feel uneasy, unsafe and need assistance. Our team are there 24 hours a day and you can find them in the management suite, where the market is held.”

@onemaidstone


FREMLIN WALK “Fremlin Walk’s award winning security team are onsite 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You’ll recognise the friendly and approachable staff with red ties, red arm bands and black branded Fremlin Walk jackets. Staff are available and patrolling the centre 9am5:30pm every day and hourly patrols take place out of hours. All staff are first aid trained and qualified to use the onsite defibrilator. The staff wear bodycams for safeguarding and CCTV is in operation throughout the whole centre to give peace of mind to all visitors and staff.” KENT POLICE TOWN TEAM A team of Officers dedicated to the town centre, the Kent Police Town Team are on patrol to keep members of the public safe. URBAN BLUE BUS AND STREET PASTORS If you visit Maidstone town centre on a Saturday night, there are still helpers on shift - for medical or safety assistance, the Urban Blue Bus can be found on Jubilee Square until the early hours, with trained first aiders. Maidstone’s Street Pastor team also patrol the town centre, offering practical and spiritual guidance, and carry supplies such as free water and flip flops.

onemaidstone.com


28

BUSINESS

PHOTOGRAPHY IS FREE FOR OUR

One Maidstone / Spring 2021

B I D L E VY

M a te s to n e

MEMBERS!

B B ’s M u f f i n s

Pro S h o e R e p a i r s

We’ve missed you! T h e O n e M a i d s to n e B u s i n e s s I m p rove m e n t D i s t r i c t i s s e n d i n g a h u g e WE LCO M E B A C K to t h e tow n c e n t re s h o p s , p u b s , ea te r i e s , s a l o n s , g y m s a n d s e r v i c e s t h a t i t re p re s e n t s . I t ’s b e e n a l o n g l o c kd ow n w i t h o u t yo u !

VIEW MORE OF OUR BUSINESS P H O T O G R A P H Y AT ONEMAIDSTONE

C l a i re ’s A c c e s s o r i e s

.CO M

@onemaidstone


RETAIL

29 One Maidstone / Spring 2021

B l ow G a rd e n

REVIEW: Spring wreath making kit, Vinetta’s Flower Gallery, Pudding Lane, £40 One Maidstone’s Marketing and Communications Manager Sarah-Jane recently purchased a do-ityourself wreath making kit from Vinetta Flower Gallery, having enjoyed a similar process with a Christmas activity from the same florist. The set was delivered to a home address free of charge, and contained a varied and unusual assortment of foliage and accessories, as well as must-have materials such as wreath base and pins.

B r i t a n n i c Fi s h B a r

Vinetta offers digital classes to follow along with her instruction to make the item like a pro however, we went it alone, and found the process easy, good value for money and enjoyable! Does your town centre business have a product or experience we might be tempted to try? Email: sarah-jane. adams@onemaidstone. com (Please note, we will purchase items if we’d like to review, we do not require gifting.)

onemaidstone.com


TOWN CENTRE

BALLOONS G E N E R O U S LY D O N AT E D B Y HARLEQUIN

Harlequ

in Fanc y D re s s

FA N C Y D R E S S !

B eave r b ro o ks

FIND MORE

INSTAGRAM @onemaidsone TWIT TER @onemaidstone FACEBOOK /onemaidstonebid

Wo o d

Heado

nism

s Des igne

Contact the Editor: sarah-jane.adams@ onemaidstone.com

r Clot h

ing




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