A Gamble that Paid Off
For seaside dwellers, seaweed isn’t always viewed in the most positive light. In the busy summer months a moment at the beach barely goes by without the squawk of a bather whose limbs have unwittingly come into contact with the slippery green plant. During the height of the initial lockdown those out on a stroll anywhere near Westgate beach did well to not hurl at the stench created by the festering piles washed up and marooned upon the shoreline. But back in 2012, local volunteer beach warden and coastal enthusiast Dom Bridges saw past the negative connotations and started an experimental journey of alchemy fuelled by entrepreneurial spirit, in which seaweed is to Dom what chocolate is to Mr Wonka.
Instead of confectionary, Dom’s focus was skin care products; although at the time he was a director of film, TV and plenty of commercials. It all began with walks along our coastline, a saucepan on his kitchen stove and a nagging doubt that the existing established brands could be doing things a little differently – and far more sustainably – in the way they made their products. Having been collecting and experimenting with seaweed and other coastal botanicals behind closed doors, Dom founded and opened his first store, Haeckels, on Cliff Terrace in 2013, selling his first organic wares including scent cones and candles, as well as a range of skin care products. Visitors were be greeted by a vintage interior with impressive Victorian display cabinets as well as the enveloping mix of stunning aromas including Bog Myrtle and Juniper and Dom; patiently stirring a pan whilst manning the till.
He enthused (and still enthuses) in sharing his story, explaining where the products have come from, how they’ve been made and why Haeckels carries the ethos that it does - namely that the brand should represent high quality products made from natural substances that are intrinsic to the town and it’s long history of healthy coastal living. For whilst the popularity and usage of seaweed has ebbed and flowed during human history, the properties it offers, as well as it’s abundance around coastal dwellings, are uniquely positive. Seaweed is rich in vital vitamins, minerals and amino acids that help to hydrate and re-build the skin and it even has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The decision to utilise local seaweed and botanicals was an astute one, with Haeckels coming into being at the beginning of a trend for “wellness” that has continued to grow to this day. And it didn't take long for this approach to gain traction, with plenty of travelling customers coming to visit the store along with the likes of the Guardian who shared page space with the larger publically funded Margate initiatives like the Turner Contemporary and Dreamland in “Shoreditch-on-sea” style articles.
Ironically, as the brand gained in popularity and recognition, Dom chose to take things in the opposite direction; opening a space on Broadway Market in East London as the next experiential destination for the brand in 20..
It was a canny move, with more and more department stores coming a-knocking with offers to stock Haeckels Margate-made products in cities around the globe. But even with international concessions, Dom has never lost sight of the brands deep roots within the town. He is responsible for the rebooted version of a Victorian sea bathing unit that can be found by the steps at Walpole Bay Tidal Pool (a true labour of love) and even during the pandemic has entirely redesigned the Margate store not once, but twice!
And yet, the latest chapter in the Haeckels journey is the most exciting yet. It involves a factory, food and a team of enthusiastic and intuitively trained staff right here in the heart of the town. Although this factory happens to be a former casino and the Haeckels staff are most definitely not Umpa Lumpas.
Those who ever visited the enormous red brick building on Fort Crescent may have at least a hazy memory of a swanky interior space with a vast circular opening in the centre, wood panelling, a pretty busy carpet and a vast quantity of pleather. Not to mention the flashing lights of fruit machines and the green felt of Blackjack tables and the like. Spread across 2 floors, the building is vast, with it’s own kitchen and a surprising number of windowless rooms out the back. Now under Dom’s stewardship, the space has taken on a radical transformation. The interior retains the best bits of its former grandeur but the gambling paraphernalia is long gone and in its place are stainless steel industrial kitchen workstations, vast rows of shelving stocked with brown glass jars and vials and hydroponic growing units. Not to mention plants, including a Fiscus tree. And where punters would have witnessed attendants cutting cards they now find Dom’s team busily testing, mixing and making product formulas in the central atrium space. It’s a fascinating watch (and visitors are invited to do just that) and one that merges the feel of a factory, laboratory and kitchen all in one.
The latter is extended further by the daily offering of food served up by local culinary expert Annie Nichols, who will be heading up the Haeckels Canteen. And this is no ordinary food. Continuing with the ethos of using natural and locally source ingredients, the dishes Annie and her team serve will be made from produce grown on site. The hydroponic growing stations provide the vegetables and greens whilst the dark corners of the building have been turned into mushroom growing facilities – a material the team also uses in manufacturing of biodegradable packaging for the skin care products. The sights and smells floating around the building are synonymous with the brands ever-experimental and inquisitive approach, indeed, even a trademark of sorts. It’s a testament to Dom’s dedication and un-erring faith in his vision for the brand that this new and innovative space has come about; something that he hopes will inspire a change in the outlook of other manufacturers out there:
“We are a self-financed tiny giant and the new space represents a big step – we want people to see and enjoy everything we do. Gone are the days where brands can hide how they manufacture. We believe in the ‘everything to see here’ approach.”
It started with Dom and a pan and now it’s a team of 40, predominantly local folks, who share in his vision – to create high quality and sustainable products and experiences that put Margate firmly on the map.
This article was first published by Margate Mercury.