Oxford News
John Lewis scraps instore cafe brand for major upgrade
Platter John Lewis will replace the long-standing The Place To Eat brand across 32 cafés, including the one at Westgate Oxford.
The first refurbished spaces will reopen from this month.
The investment forms part of John Lewis’ £800m multi-year investment in its brand, stores and customer experience, as the retailer focuses on giving customers even more reasons to visit, meet and spend time in its stores.
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Refurbishment work has started in three John Lewis stores, with Chichester, Reading and Oxford Street, London, the first branches to undergo investment.
The scale of change will vary from store to store, with Oxford Street receiving the most extensive revamp
The Oxford Street restaurant will reopen in early August as the flagship Platter John Lewis, following a 13-week transformation.
All 32 cafés will be refurbished and rebranded by the end of 2027.
There are 62 cafés and restaurants across the store estate, with hospitality accounting for more than 20 per cent of John Lewis in-store transactions.
Katie Papakonstantinou, director of services and hospitality for John Lewis, said: “Customers are spending more time in our shops, and food and drink is an increasingly important part of that experience.
“Platter John Lewis will give customers a more modern, welcoming place to pause, meet and enjoy something delicious while they shop.
“This is an exciting investment in our hospitality offer and an important part of how we’re making John Lewis shops even better places to visit.
“We’re pleased to get the first refurbishments underway and look forward to opening our flagship at Oxford Street this summer.”
John Lewis has linked up with hospitality specialist Benugo to transform and operate the new restaurants.
The partnership builds on an existing 10-year relationship with Benugo, which already runs cafés under its own name in 10 John Lewis stores.
Platter John Lewis will sit alongside the retailer’s wider hospitality offer, which includes Benugo, Ori cafés, Huffkins tea rooms, Jamie Oliver Cafe and Kamakura at Oxford Street.
While offering a refreshed menu, Platter will keep John Lewis customer favourites, as well as popular My John Lewis membership offers such as free hot drinks and cake.
John Lewis opened as the anchor store at Westgate Oxford when it relaunched in 2017 following a £440m revamp, which included 100 new shops and restaurants, including some at the centre’s rooftop terrace.
It is now the city’s only remaining department store, following the closure of family-run Boswells in 2020, and the closure of Debenhams in early 2021.
The space occupied by Boswells on the corner of Cornmarket and Broad Street is now occupied by The Store hotel, while the former Debenhams in Magdalen Street is to become a £125m lab space overseen by The Crown Estate.
John Lewis Partnership owns the Waitrose supermarket chain.
The crash was on the B4015 Clifton Hampden Road, which was closed between the A4074 and Chiselhampton Village.
Thames Valley Police has confirmed the road will be closed for several hours and motorists are being told to avoid the area.
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Police said: “The B4015 Clifton Hampden Road, Oxfordshire is currently closed following a serious collision. The B4015 is closed between the A4074 and Chiselhampton Village whilst officers investigate a serious collision.
“This closure is anticipated to be in place for a number of hours – please avoid the area and find an alternative route.
“If you were on the B4015 around 07:50 this morning, Sunday 9th August, and witnessed the collision, or a Harley Davidson Motorcycle in the moments leading up to the collision, please contact Thames Valley Police quoting reference 43260411339.”
The road re-opened at around 11.25am.
A record crowd of 27,500 people descended on Hill Farm, Steventon, near Didcot, for four days of live music and dancing from an impressive bill of big name stars and up-and-coming acts.
Organisers have now finished tidying up the site, which for rest of the year is a peaceful mixed arable and dairy farm.
While always a sell-out event, this year’s festival attracted a record crowd – with families of young children making up much of the increased numbers. They joined a friendly crowd made up of everyone from enthusiastically partying teenagers to veteran artists and festival-goers and volunteers serving up treats to revellers to raise money for local charities and good causes.
They enjoyed an array of rock, pop, country and dance acts including indie-rock bands The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats, The Vaccines and The Cribs.
Also playing the hallowed Truck Stage were Bobby Gillespie’s dance-rock band Primal Scream, fans’ favourite Kaiser Chiefs and The K’s. Among the best-known bands were iconic rabble-rousing rockers The Libertines who delighted the Sunday night crowd with a punchy, poetic set of familiar tunes – bandmates Carl Barât and Peter Doherty bonding over their songs having healed their much-publicised supposed rift.
The best-loved section of the festival for lovers of the Oxford music scene was the so-called Veterans and Virgins stage, which featured bands and artists who had played previous Truck Festivals along with new talent making their debut.
The stage is curated by brothers Robin and Joe Bennett of the band The Dreaming Spires, who set up the festival in 1998 as a birthday celebration for Robin – now a Green councillor on South Oxfordshire District Council.
While the brothers no longer run the whole festival, they continue to attract international and local artists to their popular stage as well as performing.
Robin, who launched his own solo act at the festival on the Sunday, said: “It has been a really good one this year. The sun has helped and everyone seems happy. We have had some great music.”
Robin was joined by charismatic Guatemalan/ Los Angeles rocker ‘Y’ on drums, guitar and vocals. He said: “It was the best one yet. It’s a great festival. You find new friends and always meet old friends – it’s like that first sip of wine. It’s Truck-tacular!”
Festival organisers said: “It’s hard to think of a Truck Festival weekend that has left us so delighted and full of joy than this one. From the moment gates opened on the Thursday, that atmosphere which makes Truck so special has shone bright and has made this year one that’s going to sit as the biggest and best Truck in festival history.
“Looking out across the festival site under stunning summer skies, we couldn’t help but feel emotional and grateful for the love and support that Truckers have showed us this year.”
A highlight was a surprise appearance by Supergrass star Gaz Coombes, from Wheatley, who joined the Oxford Symphony Orchestra as a special guest.
Fellow artist Nick Fowler, who lives near Wantage, also joined the orchestra – as well as making a number of other appearances on guitar throughout the weekend.
He said: “I have been going to Truck since 2003 and this was the best one yet. Having Gaz Coombes join the Oxford Symphony Orchestra was unbelievable – and the audience reaction was amazing. What a moment!”
Hill Farm’s Richard Binning was among those helping to feed punters at the Feel Good Food Hall, in which volunteers from charities and local good causes served everything from corn on the cob and steak sandwiches to Thai curry and macaroni cheese – with proceeds going to their respective organisations.
Richard follows in the footsteps of his farmer father, Alan, who, for many years, manned the grill with Didcot Rotary Club members, serving bacon butties, burgers and chips.
Richard joined volunteers dishing up steak sandwiches. He said: “This has been a great year. The weather makes a difference and the atmosphere has been fantastic.
“Having volunteers raising funds for good causes is what makes Truck Festival so unique. There is nothing else like it.”
David Wilson Homes’ The Pavilions, located on Bowlers Close, is now over 95 per cent sold, with just seven homes remaining.
The development offers three and four-bedroom properties designed to suit first-time buyers and growing families.
Helen Lewis, managing director at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “We are delighted to announce that we are over 95 per cent sold at The Pavilions and it’s the final opportunity to secure a new home in the community.”
Launched in September 2021, The Pavilions will provide a total of 148 new homes.
The project also includes more than 23 acres of green space, 49 bird and bat boxes, 325 new trees, a wetland meadow, and community allotments.
Ms Lewis added: “We’ve enjoyed great success at the development and it’s been fantastic to see the community take shape.
“We encourage anyone interested in securing a place at The Pavilions to visit our marketing suite to learn more about the properties available.”
More than £750,000 was pledged to support the local area through S106 agreements, including £300,000 for schools and early year education, £186,869 for onsite outdoor sports facilities, and a £34,230 bus infrastructure contribution.
The developer has supported the wider Banbury community through event sponsorships and donations to organisations such as Banbury Men’s Shed and The Let’s Play Project.
All remaining homes are ready to move into, with prices starting from £390,000.
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