Several months ago, the West London rumour mill started churning. Word on the street was that Oliver Peyton, the Irish-born renowned restaurateur and judge on the BBC’s Great British Menu, had submitted a planning application for a commercial property in Chiswick. Local foodies rejoiced.
All, however, was not quite as it seemed. For Oliver’s new business, which opened its doors in October, is no swanky brasserie or gastronomic grill: it is a revolutionary, modern-day funeral parlour.
“Funnily enough, the funeral business is actually a hospitality business,” reflects Oliver. “It’s about taking care of people – and that’s something I’ve always done. It’s in my blood.”
Agnese Sanvito
His stylish new venture, Exit Here, aims to transform completely the way people approach celebrating the end of life. Working alongside third-generation funeral director Barry Pritchard, Oliver is intent on breathing new life into a sector that has remained largely frozen since the Victorian era.
“When my dad died, we were all in grief and we didn’t know what to do,” he explains. “We ended up having a wake at the house and it was a really miserable experience. Dad wouldn’t have wanted that, as he was a joyous guy. So I had quite a lot of regret – I still do.”
At the heart of Exit Here’s ethos is the belief that the death of a loved one should be marked with a celebration unique to the individual. By combining Oliver’s hospitality experience with Barry’s extensive knowledge of the funeral industry, Exit Here offers a complete service – from assistance with choosing the funeral setting through to the design of the casket or urn, producing the order of service and selecting the style of music, food and drinks.
“I often say: ‘People plan their wedding and their birthdays, so why not their funerals?’ I think it’s because funeral directors can look so foreboding and because British people fail to perceive death as essentially the culmination of life.
“We have to change the way we think about it. Yes, it’s sad, but many people live a long life and a funeral is simply the conclusion of that. Why not leave those left behind with a nice, positive memory?”
Agnese Sanvito
Whatever the format – cremation or natural burial; large, catered celebration or tea and cake at home – Oliver believes that the key to helping clients create funerals with flair lies not in pushing them out of their comfort zone, but in simply providing more choice and the sense of individuality that goes with it.
“We looked at every single aspect of the industry and asked ourselves: ‘Is there a need to do this differently?’ Wherever we found that there was, we set out to change it and create more options.
“For example, we were offered very poor cemetery times for both my parents and because we didn’t know any better, we just accepted them. I want to give people more choice than that – so, if you want to have lunch afterwards, let’s say, you can. Evening cremations are available, but we were never offered that. We want to help people to think more broadly.”
Exit Here offers a modern range of extraordinary caskets and urns, alongside more traditional options. Working with designer Ben Masterton-Smith, it has created ‘The Bitter Pill’ (below): a futuristic, capsule-shaped urn that wouldn’t look out of place in a modern art museum.
As for caskets, they include products made from wool, willow and eco-friendly, biodegradable materials imported from Sweden. Piece de résistance, however, must be the bespoke, hand-painted design inspired by the Day of the Dead – a Mexican holiday in which people gather to honour friends and family who have died.
And then there’s the hearse. Want a motorcycle sidecar or a vintage VW campervan? That too can be arranged.
“It’s interesting, but when you do something that other people haven’t tried before, there’s nearly always a reason why they haven’t done it! But I think I was put on this earth to do things that other people haven’t,” muses Oliver.
“Trying to modernise the funeral business, without being disrespectful, is a really hard thing to do – striking a balance between modernity and trust is tough. We don’t want to be seen as just trendy.
“At the end of the day, we are first and foremost a funeral director and we take care of people’s loved ones, which is absolutely the most important thing. People must be able to trust you. That is the key.”
Flowers are arranged by luxury florist Nikki Tibbles, while Savile Row tailor Richard James can provide suits. Expensive? Not really. An Exit Here funeral or cremation, with one of its caskets, will set you back between £4,000 and £5,000. The average cost of a funeral in the UK is £4,271*.
“We’ve tried to be creative while keeping prices reasonable,” says Oliver. “I want to be as accessible as possible – that’s important to me. We’re a middle-class funeral director, in a middle-class neighbourhood – I see us as the John Lewis of the funeral industry! We’re not the cheapest, but we’re not ridiculous either.”
Oliver, who has published two cookery books and co-founded Peyton and Byrne – a quality catering firm with restaurants and cafés across London – alongside his sister 15 years ago, was appointed an honorary OBE for services to catering in 2012. Yet his involvement in Exit Here goes far beyond food.
“In restaurants, people come, they eat, they get drunk, they leave. This has far more depth to it. Barry is directing the funerals, but I am learning it all.
“A deceased person should be treated really well. It’s a big responsibility, so I want to control every aspect of the process – that’s my nature. I don’t like businesses that aren’t real. If you’re going to do something, do it properly and be really good at it.”
Oliver’s first funeral home, which overlooks Turnham Green, is the antithesis of its traditional counterparts. It’s bright, inviting and oh-so-stylish, and alongside the funeral business, it will also host group discussions and talks on such topics as bereavement, funeral planning and death.
“I spent two years looking for a site. It had to be light and in a neighbourhood that I know – I’ve lived in West London most of my adult life and I live in Acton now, so this was just right. I wanted that sense of community. This is a feel-good business and people should be able to drop in and feel comfortable.
“We’re also near Mortlake Crematorium, which I love. It’s a very beautiful place.”
As for his own funeral, Oliver has, of course, got it all figured out – down to the wine he’d like served and his very own ‘funeral playlist’.
“There will definitely be dancing – I already know who’s going to DJ!” he grins.
“I want people to start at lunchtime and keep going. My friends would expect nothing less. People should have a smile on their face. I want them to leave thinking: ‘That’s how I remember Oliver! That was a life well lived.’”
Visit: exithere.com
