Finnish sauna trending across the UK - Finnmark Sauna
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Finnish sauna trending across the UK

Jun 14, 2021

It’s great to see a number of businesses, social enterprises, crowdfunded projects and limited for-profit companies taking shape across the UK which all have authentic sauna bathing and sauna health benefits at the heart of their plans. To help spread the word, we’ve listed some of our favourites. Some are operating already whilst others promise to be tremendous venues to look out for. Watch this space…

Rokritual has strategic investors backing the project from the health and fitness industry and a great 7,000 square foot site in Islington, London. Second-time Founder Daniel Scott (33) discovered hot/cold bathing when living in Munich 10 years ago. "We want to do for sauna what Soul Cycle has done for spinning: focus on one activity, raise the level, and build a community." The Company is on a mission to turn exceptional hot-cold bathing experiences into everyday rituals. The team believes that delivering on this mission means fitting in with people's lives; opening bathhouses in convenient locations and creating a modern British interpretation of the best of bathing culture. The current challenges in the real estate market mean that now is a great time to secure premises. Having already closed £150,000 in pre-seed funding in 2020 from experienced investors, Rok is now raising £1.5m to build and launch its first bathhouse in Islington, Central North London. Investors are invited to participate in the 100% EIS-qualifying round alongside Adam Bellamy, former CFO of PureGym and current Chair of Ten Entertainment Group and Rupert Lowe, Chair of Digme Fitness. The minimum investment is £25,000 and commitments are required by the end of June with legals in July. For investor materials please write to daniel.scott@rokritual.com. Follow their journey via Rok's newsletter, Building Bathhouse with Soul.

Blue Mind Spa is a sauna, hot & cold bathing wellness concept proposed for London’s docklands on a 62-meter Dutch barge. Founder Nico Thoemmes is collaborating with a Stirling Prize-winning architecture practice to develop what they wish to be London’s most iconic wellness destination, aiming to capture the burgeoning wild swimming hot/cold bathing trends and reposition the ‘the spa’ as a lifestyle tool for improving mental well being. The proposal is being submitted for planning in July for a site adjacent to Canary Wharf and the team are looking for the right operational and investment partners to move it forwards and scale the concept across several cities. Contact nicothoemmes@gmail.com for more information.


Hackney Wick Sauna Baths, led by the British Sauna Society, are seeking help to build modern public sauna baths in Hackney. Their aim is to bring quality and truly authentic Nordic sauna and cold plunge facilities to Hackney Wick canalside and its local communities. The facility will host events and include a large communal sauna, a private family/treatment sauna, showers and changing rooms, a cold water plunge pool and a lounging area. Check them out here- https://www.spacehive.com/hackneywicksaunabaths

 

NETIL360 sits elevated high above the street on the edge of a rooftop in East London. The panoramic bar, sauna, garden, café and workspace currently has two hand-crafted, traditionally designed private Finnish saunas. Each has its own hot rainfall shower, cold waterfall and fire pit seating area. We consulted on the sauna layout and provided sauna heaters and control units for the project. Check them out here - https://netil360.com/

Working within the framework of a portable trailer we built an authentic Finnish sauna using highly durable and stain-resistant thermo aspen for the guys at HOTBOX and their business venture at Benone Beach, Northern Ireland. They had their soft launch on 1st May and opened to the public on the 14th of May. Owner Anna Copeland chatted with us recently. She enthused, “We have been so excited by people’s response to HotBox - and even more delighted to see how many people have been encouraged to jump into the wild Atlantic Ocean after sweating it out in our beachside sauna. I think most of our guests have been genuinely shocked by the quality of the sauna, especially as it comes on wheels! Carl and I are so proud to introduce it to people and show off the craftsmanship involved in the entire process of bringing HotBox to life.” Check them out here - https://www.hotboxseasauna.com/

Our friends at Beach Box Sauna Spa in Brighton have spent the lockdown updating their facility with brand new Finnmark sauna stoves and are finally ready to welcome guests back. Assistant Manager, Mirah Sommer told us, “Bringing international sauna cultures to the UK is our mission so we are spoiling visitors with thermal leaf whisk massages, Moroccan clay, German steam rituals and much more. Sustainability is also an important subject for beach box therefore all of the saunas and the site are built from upcycled materials. At the moment, we are operating on a private booking system only and all of our saunas are offered as one fixed ticket. It means you can come along with up to ten people depending on the sauna size. Do make sure to pre-book as many Brightonians have been waiting for this reopening for a long time!” Check them out here - https://www.beachboxspa.co.uk/