A local chocolatier, a Surrey-born frozen meals brand and a wellness coach who rebuilt his life after a stroke are among the first businesses confirmed for Botanical Place, the £90 million retirement community taking shape in West Byfleet.

Oluchi Chocolates, founded by long-time resident Valerie Oluchi, will open a combined chocolatier and tea shop at the development. Ms Oluchi, who has lived in the village since 2004, said she was excited to play a part in reshaping the town centre.

“The expansion and regeneration that Botanical Place brings to West Byfleet is wonderful. I feel privileged to be part of what is taking place here and look forward to creating a place where families and different generations meet to celebrate life around tea and coffee with chocolate at its centre.”

She will be joined by COOK, the award-winning frozen meals company founded in Farnham in 1997 that has since grown into a national brand .

Christina Young, head of estates at COOK, said: “With our roots in Surrey, we are pleased to be launching the next chapter of the COOK story at Botanical Place in West Byfleet, a location which we firmly believe has all the ingredients for success. Whether residents of the development itself or busy professionals and families in the area, everyone will soon be able to benefit from fresh, healthy hand-prepared meals that support better lifestyles across the community.”

Completing the first trio of businesses is Calm + Chaos, a new personal training and wellness studio launched by local coach Ali Turpie. After suffering a stroke in 2020, Mr Turpie rebuilt his health and career and now wants to create a space where others can train, recover and thrive.

“This is a big milestone in my journey,” he said. “Our vision is to bring small group training and Pilates together under one roof, creating a space that supports every part of the health and fitness journey. Botanical Place combines a central location with great design and amenities that will benefit the whole of West Byfleet. We can’t wait to open our doors.”

Developers Retirement Villages Group (RVG) say the focus on local and values-driven operators reflects their ambition to create a vibrant town centre hub that benefits the wider community as much as residents. Due to open in November, Botanical Place will provide 197 later living apartments alongside a restaurant, cinema, wellness suite, library and landscaped gardens, many of which will be open to the public.

Woking MP Will Forster, who visited the site last week to see progress on the show apartment, roof terraces and community facilities, welcomed the news.

“Botanical Place is a transformational improvement for West Byfleet that has regenerated the area and will deliver lasting benefits,” he said. “It was fantastic to get a behind-the-scenes look at the vibrant new spaces that businesses, residents and visitors will soon be able to enjoy.”

RVG has also committed to making Botanical Place the UK’s first residential development to achieve whole-of-life net zero carbon, with emissions minimised and offset across the lifespan of the scheme.