Retail experts often argue that the future of the high street lies in offering experiences you can’t simply buy online. Shaftesbury has already seen that shift with businesses built around talks, creativity and hands-on activities. Now another experience-led venture is preparing to open on Valentine’s Day in the unit that housed Serendipity for forty-five years. Roberta Herridge is launching Aura Alchemy, a hybrid café and wellbeing space designed to offer something distinct from a conventional

West End landlord Shaftesbury shrugs off the cost of living crisis