London-based flexible workspace provider The Brew recently announced the appointment of a new board member: Jamie Hopkins, former chief executive of Workspace Group plc., has joined The Brew as the company targets new locations in London.
Established in 2012, The Brew curates destination workspaces that prioritize sustainability in design, operations and member culture. Its workspaces aim to offer value with simple, flexible memberships and reliable operations.
Advising on scale-up strategy; optimizing business operations; and acquiring new assets and financial performance, Hopkins brings more than 30 years of real estate experience to The Brew after taking the Workspace Group plc through two equity funding rounds and significant growth. Hopkins is also non-executive chair of Restore plc and a non-executive director of property consultancy Allsop.
To gain a deeper insight into the recent developments at The Brew, CoworkingCafe interviewed CEO, Andrew Clough, as well as Hopkins. Their perspectives shed light on the company’s vision, strategy and future direction with Hopkins’ guidance.
What factors do you see shaping the future of the flexible workspace sector?
Jamie Hopkins: “The future of work will be shaped by companies of all sizes desiring versatile office set-ups that accommodate agile working and meet their operational and cultural needs in a way that we didn’t see before the pandemic. In practice, this means that catering to Generation Z will become more important. They’ll make up 27% of the world’s workforce by 2025 and are already transforming the way work is done.
Secondly, companies will look to have a more positive impact on the environment, and this will be reflected in the workspaces they choose.”
How can The Brew capitalize on these changes, and how does your strategy align with these trends?
Andrew Clough: “We aspire to be the climate action workspace partner of choice for companies seeking to implement their workplace strategies in a sustainable way. We aim to expand by maintaining our high-quality offering and engaging boutique hotel-style hospitality in the friendly and helpful nature that we’re known for. We are also focused on becoming the ‘go-to’ flex office operator for landlords via management agreements and standard lease arrangements.”
Hopkins: “We can capitalize on this by continuing to be consistent and leveraging the deep experience accumulated since 2012. The Brew has honed its operational efficiencies, low-cost base, established systems and culture, which will enable it to meet the changing demand. Having overcome the challenges that the sector has faced over the last decade, we are well-placed to create the destination workspaces that employees will want to leave home for.”
What is next on the roadmap for The Brew?
Clough: “We are focused on expanding The Brew’s footprint across London to locations within a five-minute walk of major transport hubs, maintaining our high-quality offering and member service and reinforcing our brand’s friendly and helpful manner.
Specific areas of interest include locations along the Elizabeth Line, such as Tottenham Court Road; Farringdon and Liverpool streets; and the triangle of Waterloo, London Bridge and Blackfriars [that] has always been popular with companies.”
What are The Brew’s competitive advantages in this dynamic environment?
Clough: “Our strong brand identity, coupled with our deep sector experience and track record, is the foundation for our member experience and operations as we open more spaces.
Hopkins: “One of the reasons I was attracted to work with The Brew is that it’s a sustainable business with an impressive 12-year track record. Also, it feels like a continuation of what I was pushing at Workspace. We’re very aligned in that way. It’s not about being ‘cool’ for the sake of it, which usually leads to over-expenditure. It’s all about service and it’s not clinical like some of the serviced office businesses out there.”
