The Set @ The Squareabout

Since it opened in 2018, The Set has been a go-to location for a good cup of coffee at Stockley Park but it does not just offer drinks and tasty treats, there is more to the building than meets the eye.

The building started life as a 20ft shipping container and was transformed into only the second café in the UK to be produced from such a container. With the onset of Covid, service has had to change slightly with management, Venci, having to offer takeaway and delivery service. As with all establishments, social distancing markers were introduced, a Perspex shield was added and we could no longer use our reusable hot drink cups.

Starting from the Top

In many ways, the building continued to prosper throughout 2020 with many environmental initiatives led by Stockley Park Estates Company Ltd (SPECL). Starting from the very top, The Set’s sedum green roof provides many benefits for the environment for not only acting as a carbon sink but also by encouraging the wildlife and biodiversity. The roof provides important microclimates for insects, birds, and other rare species, as well as improving air quality due to the filtering mechanism of the plant and substrate. The Set’s green roof filters pollutants in the atmosphere especially carbon dioxide, lowering the carbon footprint and helping to lower disease rates such as asthma. So, while we’re enjoying our morning cup of coffee, we can do so in the knowledge that the building is helping the environment.

Herb Gardens
In 2021, SPECL planted two herb planters for the occupiers to enjoy and benefit from. Sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano are available to collect. Please ask The Set management for assistance with cutting the herbs you would like for that evening’s cook pot. This is a free offering and SPECL hopes occupiers will find use for the herbs. Both herb planters are partnered with fig trees. These decorative trees will offer fruit to occupiers once they have ripened during the British summer.

Helping your Garden Grow
Coffee grounds are perfect for any budding gardener. Sprinkle the used coffee with egg shells into your containers and pots to act as a deterrent to slugs and snails, and it can be easily mixed with a flower beds top soil to help high acidity plants, such as azaleas, roses and evergreens, to grow. For a free bag of used coffee grounds, contact Venci who will happily save you some for same-day collection.

Feeding Back into the Landscape
All green waste on Stockley Park is 100% compostable and fed back into the landscape after undergoing a period in the compost piles. Located behind The Set is a wormery which is fed coffee grounds, tea bags and other food waste by Venci. The compost generated by the worms is added to the Stockley Park compost and fed back into the landscape.

All to be Enjoyed from the Comfort of your 100% Recycled Seat!
SPECL has added new seating to the area for customers to enjoy their refreshments from. Not only is the seating aesthetically pleasing, it is also environmentally pleasing as they are all made from 100% Recycled High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), which is typically used to manufacture everyday products such as water bottles, plastic bags and bottle lids. When recycled it is an extremely hardwearing, versatile material making it a lot more durable than having timber benches.