Bicester Village is welcoming back guests from all over England and further afield with the promise of a memorable day out in the heart of the English countryside. As an open-air destination with a new Shopping Protocols to ensure a safe and enjoyable shopping experience, Bicester Village is the perfect day out for family and friends with a host of new boutiques now opening. Within our beautifully landscaped, open-air destination, guests can find a curated mix of local British designers alongside celebrated international luxury fashion and lifestyle brands. With something for everyone, activity surrounding the reopened Village includes a display of portraits by a local artist, a summer pop-up, more coveted brands, and gourmet ice cream to tickle the taste-buds.
New perspectives
To show our appreciation and thanks to our key workers and local community during the global pandemic, The Bicester Village Visitor Centre is hosting a display of striking portraits by local artist Barry Miller. The inspirational images depict the courage and dedication of NHS workers, highlighting the collective gratitude of the British public to these heroic key workers. The message of thanks is beautifully mimicked in a floral tribute by Bicester Village Head Gardener, Simon Milner, in the centre of the Village.
The summer pop-up
A fabulous summer pop-up called ‘Barefoot Chic’ opens on Friday 10 July, for a limited time only until 2 September. Our one-stop shop offers some of the most desirable brands for unforgettable summer style, whether you’re staycation-ing in Cornwall or jetting off to Capri. Refresh your wardrobe with a premium selection of baskets, kaftans, floral dresses, shoppers and straw hats – everything you need is in one place. Discover an eclectic edit of British luxury brands such as Cubitts cool eyewear, Serena Bute’s silky side-stripe palazzos, Mira Mikati’s naïve prints, Catherine Prevost’s perennially stylish dresses, Alvaro’s chic leather sandals and Borgo de Nor eveningwear, to name a few.
New brands and boutiques
Since reopening, early shopping trends show a preference for the world’s best luxury brands across homewares, beauty and accessories. Footwear, particularly sneakers, designer flats and party shoes are proving very popular. Not surprisingly, the iconic red-soled stilettos of legendary Christian Louboutin are selling a storm, while luxe Italian boho brand, Etro, entices both men and women with its collection of signature paisley designs and iconic prints. Love Brand is a snappy menswear label offering cool linen shirts and ‘trunks for trunks’ – swimming shorts with a philanthropic stance helping to raise awareness for the elephant species. Also, the ever-chic Roland Mouret returns with the French designer’s trademark glamorous eveningwear. Meanwhile, Beauté Prestige International is a beauty lovers’ nirvana as it plays host to brands such as Shiseido, Nars, Laura Mercier, Bare Minerals and Narciso Rodriguez.
A new, safe and considered way to shop
In line with the government guidelines, Bicester Village has implemented a robust set of Shopping Protocols to help guests have a safe and enjoyable experience whilst visiting, including thermal scanning to temperature check all guests entering the Village.
Digital queueing is available at many of the boutiques and social distancing, hand sanitisers and deep cleaning are in place throughout the Village. Guests are also encouraged to use contactless payment, e-menus and digital navigation. The newly released app helps guests familiarise themselves with the Shopping Protocols and easily navigate the Village.
Restaurants are newly reopened offering fresh menu choices for foodies who will be spoilt for choice when it comes to culinary options from their favourite Village restaurants. Café Wolseley, for example, is offering a delicious quinoa salad and Indian spiced sea bream for the healthy minded and goujons of sole with French fries and lemon mayonnaise as well as artisan hamburgers for those wishing to indulge. Maître Choux reopens with their picture-perfect eclairs and Darlish ice cream, homemade in Hertfordshire, is a must for those who enjoy exotic ice cream flavours including pistachio, Turkish delight and sweet cream.
A new buzz
For the first time, Bicester Village welcomes the arrival of its very own hive of a bees. Known for its calm demeanour and delicious honey, the Buckfast bee is much loved by local farmers for its environmental benefits. Susie Barnes, Beekeeper at Bicester Village, says, “Bees also provide important mental-health advantages and there’s an educational side to it, too, as our teams learn about the benefits of sustaining the bee population, which is currently in peril.”
As the bees settle into their new home, we eagerly await that first pot of special Village honey.
www.bicestervillage.com
