Claridge’s, Mayfair | 18th – 31st May 2026
In the heart of Mayfair, the iconic lobby of Claridge’s has been reimagined as an unexpected pastoral escape through a striking new collaboration with The Newt in Somerset. Titled A Farm in Mayfair, the two-week installation brings the textures, rhythms and sensory richness of the Somerset countryside into one of London’s most celebrated Art Deco interiors.
Unveiled today, the installation transforms Claridge’s historic lobby into an immersive landscape of sound, scent and sculpture. At its centre stands a six-metre sculptural tower, meticulously woven from striped buff willow, evoking the forms of rural architecture while reinterpreting them through a contemporary artistic lens. Designed and crafted by a collective of British artisans, the piece took ten specialists 148 days to complete, using 60,000 rods of locally sourced Somerset willow.
What’s Happening in Claridge’s?
Rising through the installation are life-sized sculptural figures inspired by the pastoral life of The Newt estate, including water buffalo, British White cattle, a stag, ram, ewes and chickens. Interwoven among them are references to the estate’s orchards and cyder-making heritage, with apple trees threading through the composition. At its summit rests a single egg, a quiet symbol of renewal and the cyclical nature of farming and cultivation.
Extending beyond the lobby, willow sculptures spill across Claridge’s façade and frame the entrance to The Foyer at Claridge’s, while a corridor installation of 800 apples invites guests into a tactile moment of generosity, with each apple available to take away. The intervention subtly reorients the hotel experience, blurring the boundaries between hospitality, art installation and rural storytelling.
Within the hotel, The Newt’s landscape influence continues through naturalistic meadow plantings inspired by its spring gardens. British-grown grasses and native perennials have been used to evoke the movement and softness of Somerset’s fields, bringing a seasonal, living quality into the heart of London’s urban luxury.
Culinary expression forms a key part of the collaboration. Across The Foyer at Claridge’s and the The Reading Room at Claridge’s, menus spotlight produce from The Newt estate, including heritage tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella from its creamery and glasshouses, and estate-reared British White beef and lamb. Seasonal desserts highlight rhubarb, strawberry and apple, reinforcing the cyclical themes of harvest and provenance.
At Claridge’s Bar, guests will also be able to experience The Newt’s cyder, extending the estate’s identity into a more relaxed, social setting. A limited-edition Claridge’s x The Newt tote bag will be available at both properties and online, offering a collectible extension of the collaboration.
Speaking on the unveiling, Thomas Kochs, Managing Director of Claridge’s, said: “We are honoured to invite our friends at The Newt to Claridge’s for the start of the summer season, when London is buzzing and in full bloom. Once again, in true Claridge’s tradition, our famous lobby will be the centrepiece, coming alive with creative flair, visual splendour and a few surprises for guests and visitors.”
With A Farm in Mayfair, Claridge’s continues its tradition of turning its lobby into a stage for cultural spectacle, while The Newt in Somerset brings its landscape-led philosophy into an entirely urban context. The result is a dialogue between city and countryside, heritage and craft, permanence and seasonal change, all unfolding within one of London’s most storied addresses.
