As places to work go, few are more scenic than Ridgeview Wine Estate. Nestled at the foot of England’s South Downs, Ridgeview’s vineyards have been producing world-class sparkling wines for over 25 years.

Ridgeview takes its responsibilities as a business very seriously, and the company is dedicated to three pillars of sustainable practice – people, the environment and economics. Recently, Ridgeview looked to re-think its office provision with a focus on employee wellbeing and better use of space, and the business turned to Nook to achieve its aims.

Thirty-five staff work on site, and the company’s office space also plays host to regular client and supplier visitors. Ridgeview’s two meeting rooms can each comfortably host up to eight occupants, but more often than not these rooms were being booked for just one or two people, and available meeting slots were becoming more difficult for staff to find.

Simon Larder, Director of Facilities at Ridgeview, comments: “We’d made the decision to adapt our office space before the pandemic but Covid accelerated the thinking and confirmed that we were making the right call.

“Office life has changed with more requirements for webinars, team calls and contact with remote colleagues – all of which are activities that benefit from quiet, private space. Now there is the added pressure of distancing and ensuring that people have a comfortable and safe space to work in. Pods seemed the perfect answer, and Nook’s business ethos seemed to mirror our own.”

Ridgeview has invested in two 4-seater huddle pods and two one-person solo booths, providing the business with a flexible range of options.

The huddle pods are currently positioned in what was previously ‘dead space’ beneath the existing offices and the solo booths take pride of place in Ridgeview’s reception area – again making productive use of space that is often under-utilised. Built on robust castors, Nooks have the flexibility to be positioned anywhere as Ridgeview’s needs develop.

Mardi Roberts, Director of Communications at Ridgeview, comments: “The Nooks are brilliant. Our team loves them, and being able to design the interiors in our own brand colours has created a real welcoming statement showpiece.

“In a busy energetic office, thought-space can be hard to find. Sometimes it can be tricky to focus on creativity with lots of conversations happening around you. Nook enables quiet productivity without isolating people from office interaction.

“We are a nurturing family business that prides itself in looking after the wellbeing of our team, and Nook’s credentials here really stood out. We wanted to create a really comfortable and inclusive space for the transition of a phased return to the office after months of working at home. Nooks just look and feel very inviting.

“Whether used for quiet productivity or simply as a space to relax and take the pressure out of the day, Nooks are perfect.”