Mother and daughter turn passion point into multi-million-pound Fulham business

This year marks seven years of Fulham’s hidden gem, Neverland London, the capital’s first urban beach tucked away in West London with views of the Thames.

With its ‘Fulham meets Miami’ vibes, Neverland London opened its doors in the summer of 2017 and today welcomes over 50,000 guests a year, generating an annual turnover of £3m a year.

The 16,000 sq ft venue space is “hugely popular” with locals, tourists and businesses hosting sell-out themed events and social parties. After its first year, Neverland capitalised on the demand for winter seasonal festivities and launched Winterland, turning the beach huts into Bavarian chic to drive footfall all year round.

Set up by mother and daughter, Rachel and Grace Hutson, the idea for Neverland London stemmed from running an exploratory waffle and pancake stall in South-West London back in 2015. Whilst working, the duo searched tirelessly for a ‘pop-up’ venue serving street food and came across the perfect spot, a car auction house in West London.

Rachel Hutson commented: “We always had a shared dream of creating a venue that would take our guests on a journey, away from the hectic streets of London to a secret bit of paradise, a sunny beach somewhere where people want to escape to.

“We saw huge potential in what was ultimately a car park spot and turned it into London’s original urban beach spot. It was a complex process, obtaining planning permission, designing something beautiful, shifting 80 tonnes of sand, all on a super-tight budget, with money borrowed from friends and family.”

Discussing the challenges associated with setting up a business, Grace Hutson added: “We applied for a premises licence, and after going back and forth with the council, we were refused. We were too far along to quit, so we made the bold decision to go ahead and create a BYOB experience.

“The beach pop-up soon turned into a legacy; Fulham Beach Club quickly became a firm favourite West London hotspot, evolving with the times and what people want, but the essence of our business has remained the same as day one.”

Neverland London is now a fully-fledged family business after hiring George, son and brother, back in 2020 to help drive the next “exciting” stage of growth.

George Hutson concluded:“Neverland’s growth has been phenomenal. From a simple beach pop up to fast becoming a sell out tourist hotspot all year round. We are looking at ways we can replicate Fulham Beach club’s success and transform an untapped space along the coastal region into an equally stunning tourist destination.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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