SODA Studio has designed a new flagship store for Humble Crumble, a dessert company with a huge following online. Using colours and materials that reflect the ethos of the brand, the new home of crumble has been created to serve the rapidly growing fan base and provide an improved experience for the company’s social-media savvy clientele.
Humble Crumble started operating in Spitalfields but moved around the market into increasingly larger plots as their popularity grew, which developed as more and more people shared photos and videos of their food on social media. The company has taken the homely crumble and using ethically sourced ingredients and fresh branding, reinvented it for the modern marketplace. Through careful planning and a considered material palette, SODA’s design translates the company’s values and identity into the new premises, ensuring the space continues to be recognisable with the brand as it expands into this larger unit.
The design for the new space references both the listed market interior, as well as the signature flourishes of the occupiers. Timber joinery and clay plaster surfaces sit alongside heritage brickwork to create a warm and inviting space with tactile and natural finishes. The palette has been developed to compliment the textures and the colours of the fruit crumble and toppings, ensuring that the food takes centre stage at every step of the process. Care has been taken to ensure that the lighting is suitable for Instagram photography – essential for the client and company feed – and the surfaces have been selected to compliment the brand colours and create a beautiful backdrop for the products.
A generous, curved counter leads customers around the main serving area, revealing the crumble- assembly process sequentially. A seating area is located under a recessed timber arch that picks up on the features of the existing building, with Humble Crumble pink tables that offer a nod towards the brand’s identity. Another, smaller arch contains cutlery and a mirror with vanity-style lighting that is perfect for crumble selfies.
An open door offers a view into the kitchen so that visitors can witness the cooking process that is often hidden away. A central pink island forms the heart of this space where the crumble is made, featuring a speckled Durat worktop, which will also be used for training and photoshoots. Ovens and appliances wrap around the walls in a robust stainless steel, selected to increase efficiencies in every stage of the kitchen operations.
Project architect Parvathy Vipulendran said: “It has been such a joy to work with Humble Crumble as they expand their flourishing business. We wanted to balance the playfulness of the product with the professionalism of running a kitchen. The long queues outside their previous outlet prove that they are in high demand, so we have crafted a space that will support quick access to food while also celebrating the crumble and the company itself. We can’t wait to see how it is captured by people across social media.”
Humble Crumble founding director Kim Innes said: “I am thrilled with the design outcome for our new Spitalfields site. SODA – our design partner – immersed themselves in understanding the Humble Crumble brand to help us build a refined but fun bakery site that represents us in the best way. SODA’s eye for the finer details makes all the difference and I’m proud to call this our new flagship store.”
