A little slice of heaven
A brand new mothers’ members’ club has launched in Wandsworth. New mum Emily Hope had a taste of Cupcake, whilst meeting the club’s founder, Karen Hastings
Above: Take a break at Cupcake, Wandsowrth's brand-new club for mums
Mother’s Day may be a distant memory, but if you’re a mum or mum-to-be who still feels the need for a bit of pampering, then Cupcake could be right up your street. And, handily for SW mums, it is.
The first of a series of new private members clubs for expectant mums and women with babies has just launched in Wandsworth’s Radial development (22 April). But it’s not just about physical pampering, this is a new ‘lifestyle’ concept that is hoping to revolutionise the lives of mums on maternity leave and beyond.
Founder Karen Hastings, formerly a marketing executive for Amex, decided to launch in London’s baby-boom hotspot after spotting a gap in the market when friends who had babies suddenly ended up with a drastically reduced social sphere.
Walking down Northcote Road, Karen says she was struck by all the mums with prams trying to start up conversations and realised there was a clear need for a social meeting point to enable local mums to get to know each other.
“These women,” says Karen, “went from being professionals who went out regularly to lovely restaurants and bars, to suddenly wandering through the parks and sitting around on dirty town hall floors desperately looking for some adult conversation.”
She explains: “I thought there had to be a way to make the transition to motherhood easier and nicer. We want Cupcake to be that place where mothers can meet and have like minded experiences, share the good bits and commiserate with each other over the hard bits and help each other out.”
A lifestyle brand, Cupcake offers a three-pronged approach: all the traditional elements of a spa, combined with group courses and seminars and a large lounge area with an organic café. This will offer everything from kids’ and babies’ meals to healthy soups and indulgent afternoon teas – complete with cupcakes of course – for mums and expectant mums to enjoy while meeting in pleasant, relaxed surroundings.
At the spa, they offer more traditional treatments such as the You’re a Mum! massage – an all over body massage tailored to help restore tired and achy muscles and improve sluggish circulation or the Breath of Fresh Air facial – using oxygen to help oxygenate skin and relax stressed mums.
Kerry Hewitt-Snyders, Cupcake’s Spa and Training Manager, says: “We want mums to come in and for this to feel like home, a place to come and relax in an indulgent environment with no judging.”
The treatment menu is currently quite basic, she admits, but everything has been researched and tested to be suitable for pregnant women and mums.
Treatments are also being added as demand dictates, Kerry says: “We’ve already added waxing to our menu, as mums were saying they would find that helpful and we’re just looking into full manicures and pedicures because of demand.”
Meanwhile, at the Wellness Centre, pre- and post-natal classes include fitness sessions, yoga, pilates and a marathon club, as well as personal instructors and special baby classes such as massage and baby-robics.
Other features include a ‘Mumcierge’ to help answer all the questions and worries mums may have about everything from baby sleep patterns to weaning.
Other non-mummy related classes will also be on offer, such as wine tastings and a writing salon to help those dreaming of getting that bestseller out. Also, to help keep your relationship healthy, Cupcake plan to hold regular date nights for you and your hubby to recapture the fun and frivolous side of your relationship that can so easily become buried under the piles of washing and dirty nappies.
There’s even a special Saturday morning schedule for dads and children. “Men often get left out of the bonding process,” says Karen, “ We want to help dads feel equipped and empowered to be fully involved.”
Of course none of this would be of use without comprehensive childcare facilities and the Mini Cupcake Club caters for this, providing childcare experts trained in “stimulative and educational play” for babies as young as four weeks.
One local mum who has already signed up for the £1,490 annual membership says: “It’s the first place I’ve been to around here that looked calm, where I could do something for myself in more civilised surroundings.”
One thing’s for sure, it looks like SW mums will now be able to have their cupcake and eat it too.
• Membership is £149 a month or £1,490 annually and includes a personal coaching session, complimentary spa treatment, access to Mumcierge and the baby list service.
• Membership covers mum, dad and children for unlimited access to wellbeing sessions, mum-baby classes, seminars and the Cupcake Café.
• Members have priority use of the spa, crèche and personal trainers and access to special offers from the Mumcierge.
• Costs for spa treatments start at £30. Vouchers for treatments are available for non-members.
• Mini-Cupcake club and crèche cost
£4 per hour.
• Membership can be frozen and reopened at a later date.
For more information visit www.cupcakemum.com or
Unit 1, Point Pleasant Drive
Wandsworth Park SW18 1GG