Sisters Victoria Sheppard (31), a marketing hospitality executive and Grace Sheppard (29) a luxury interior designer, are delighted to announce the opening of their debut hospitality venture “Queens” located at 17 Queen Street, Mayfair, London, on Monday 7th September 2020, after their August soft launch.
Grace & Victoria Sheppard
Victoria has a background at a senior level in PR & Marketing strategy in luxury hospitality. Most recently as PR & Marketing Director of Marc Group, which owns UMU & The Greenhouse. Previously Victoria has worked as Hospitality Marketing Manager for Fortnum & Mason, 45 Jermyn St, and multiple luxury campaigns. In January 2019 Victoria made the “30 under 30” list for Hospitality Marketing sponsored by Schweppes and JustEat, and previously awarded “30 under 30” in Media by The Mail on Sunday and MediaWeek.
Meanwhile, Grace, 20 years vegetarian has studied nutrition and launched Hammer Holdings venue The Wedding Gallery ( “the World’s First Wedding Department Store”), overseeing the placement of pestegust global brands and events. Grace curates and manages international interior design projects for HNW clients at luxury property company Chartwell, based in Mayfair & Monaco. Grace developed and oversaw the design and project management of Queens. Making sure the vision of a homely deli, comfortable coffee shop and relaxing wine bar setting was achieved, going from day to night effortlessly.
Queens Of Mayfair
Housed within a traditional Georgian building, Queens will be open from breakfast through to dinner, moving effortlessly from casual coffee spot to buzzing evening cocktail and wine bar, serving light bites such as cheese and charcuterie boards.
For those on the go, Queens will provide a takeaway “grab and go” area at breakfast and lunchtime, with a selection of freshly made pastries and artisan sundry items. And with 30 covers for dine-in customers, signature items on the carefully curated menu include: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with optional Truffle, Queen’s Truffle Cheese Toastie, Nectarine and Fennel salad with smoked chicken and the Prince Harry cocktail. Queens soft launch has already seen huge popularity on the weekend Laurent Perrier champagne brunch.
For the discerning coffee drinkers, Queens is also excited to announce an exclusive partnership with Difference Coffee. Difference is currently served in over 60 Michelin star restaurants around the world and Queens will be the supplier’s only collaboration outside of the fine dining sphere.
As well as Difference Coffee, the sisters are looking forward to working with some of the top specialist suppliers including Hedone Bakery, renowned for its famous white and brown sourdough breads, and world chocolate specialists Charbonnel & Walker.
Queens is committed to using local, seasonal and British ingredients, with suppliers including Wiltshire Truffles, Brown and Forest Smokery in Somerset, plus spirits from their cocktail menu delving to Grace and Victoria’s Dorset roots with Black Cow Vodka and Conker Gin.
Victoria Sheppard commented: “At Queens we see an opportunity to bring local Mayfair commuters something different from the chain cafes they would be used to frequenting. We have partnered with some of the top suppliers to bring customers premium homemade food at a competitive price point for the prestigious area.
“We want to be the middle ground between the pubs and five star hotels in Mayfair for local workers to catch up on lost socialising.” Victoria added.
Grace commented: “Our vision was to bring to life both a homely and comfortable coffee bar and deli, but also a relaxing luxury wine bar setting for diners to drop in to drink or dine at any time of the day. Having worked in the area for over eight years, I realised that there was a gap in the market for classic British food served in a modern and relaxed way.
I wanted to create a space that you could pop in to pick up a pastry and coffee on your way to the office, enjoy a juice after a PT session or have after-work drinks with colleagues or a date night. Queens will also be dog friendly, which is important given I am a dog owner and often want to socialise when I have my Cockapoo, Sir Stanley, with me. ”
Due to launch in March 2020, though unfortunately delayed due to Covid-19, Queens has now formally opened its doors. Whilst the governments Eat Out to Help scheme has finished Queens are offering 50% off cocktails and sharing boards throughout September.
The venue is also available for private hire and functions within government guidelines. Newly appointed General manager Melissa Thomas joins Queens from Adam Handlings “The Frog” and says “It’s exciting to be part of this exciting venture that bridges the gap between takeaway chains and private members clubs in Mayfair.”
Monday to Friday 7.30am to 10pm. Saturday 10.30am to 7.30pm. Sunday 10.30am to 4.30pm.
17 Queen Street, Mayfair, W1J 5PH @queensofmayfair www.queensofmayfair.com reservations@queensofmayfair.com
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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