Bentheim stays natural with Jus

A new chain of takeaway outlets has launched with the opening of the first Jus Café in London’s Soho. Bentheim Design has created the interiors and frontage, while G3 has designed graphics.

The cafés aim to reflect a raw natural feel through the design. A second outlet is due to open in Covent Garden next month, and a third site is being sought on the King’s Road in Chelsea.

Bentheim design director Justin Southgate says: “The produce that is being sold is the key to the design. The interiors should reflect the natural produce and match the ethos of the company.”

Interiors feature slab wood benches, with trays of wheat grass growing in the windows. There are also wooden door handles and staircases made of rough-hewn oak.

The menu has been developed by two-star Michelin chef and director Philip Howard and executive chef Adam Byatt. It includes a range of juices and smoothies, as well as sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups and desserts.

Jus Café managing director Julian Dyer believes the new outlets, which cater for up to 100 people at a time, will fill a gap in the takeaway market. “Our aim is to offer far more than simply great tasting, healthy food and drink, but also to create refuge from urban life,” he says.

Andrew Crean, general manager of holding company Jus Limited, plans to expand the chain across London: “We plan to have three cafés open by the end of this year and to open another 15 in 2000. In total we are hoping to have about 40 sites within three years.”