Post Office in Design Conspiracy

The Post Office is overhauling the interiors of its staff canteens, introducing a concept created by The Design Conspiracy.

The first three outlets are due for completion later this month in Birmingham, Reading and Bristol. They will will be run by Quadrant Catering, a joint venture between catering company Compass Group and Royal Mail. The Design Conspiracy was appointed in February 2003, without a pitch, on the strength of its previous work for Compass.

Consultancy partner Ben Terrett says the existing canteens have no consistent look and employees were not using them regularly. ‘All the canteens are different, with no identity and no look.

The consultancy presented ‘challenging, attention-grabbing’ concepts, says Quadrant managing director Steve Buesden.

Terrett says a priority for the designs was to not alienate or patronise the customers – by choosing an overly sophisticated name, for example. Where a name is used, it is simply called Canteen.

‘We wanted it to look like a posh greasy spoon,’ Terrett adds.