Pippa Middleton and her hedge fund billionaire husband James Matthews opened the Bucklebury Farm Park lodge in Berkshire for parties, events and Pilates.
While the Middleton family cut ties with mail order business Party Pieces, which went into administration last year, Pippa and James have not been completely deterred from the party business.
In 2020, Pippa and James acquired 72 acres of land in leafy Berkshire for just £1.5 million, in a village where a detached house with a garden already costs close to that price.
Four years later, the couple opened the lodge at Bucklebury Farm for social events, including parties or Pilates classes.
Daily Mail editor Richard Eden revealed in Eden Confidential: ‘Carole’s son-in-law James Matthews bought Bucklebury Farm in Berkshire for £1.5 million in 2020. Now, I hear, he is also opening his lodge for parties. like events and even Pilates.’
The couple (seen together in 2017) purchased Bucklebury Farm in 2021 for a reasonable £1.5 million.
Pippa Middleton and her billionaire husband James Matthews opened the lodge at Bucklebury Farm for parties, events and Pilates.
Richard added: “Carole Middleton was deeply disturbed by the collapse of her mail-order business, Party Pieces, which went bankrupt last year. Fortunately, her family hasn’t given up on the holidays.
Bucklebury Farm confirmed details of the plans on Instagram and shared photos of the lodge.
The caption read: “We’re so excited to announce that you can now book The Lodge (9am-5pm only) for birthday parties, corporate events, yoga sessions, Pilates and more.”
The 72-acre rolling fields, which had a “wedding tractor” to celebrate the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2010, are currently home to a 44-acre deer park, a cafe, glamping and a children’s play area .
Michael and Carole Middleton are well established in the area and lived in the small village of Bucklebury for many years before moving to the local manor house in 2012.
James Middleton also purchased a 16th-century farmhouse worth £1.45 million near Bucklebury with his wife, Alizee Thevenet, in 2021.
Next to move from west London to West Berkshire were Pippa and her investment banker husband, James Matthews, along with their three children. They have made a home in a £15 million mansion a 20-minute drive from their parents.
James Matthews and his business friends later bought the 72-acre Bucklebury Park farm, a stone’s throw from Pippa’s parents.
The lodge (pictured) is now open for bookings, according to Bucklebury Farm’s Instagram page.
The space is equipped to host yoga and Pilates sessions, with snacks and drinks offered afterward
It comes after the Mail on Sunday’s Charlotte Griffiths revealed in 2021 that Pippa had returned to school to bring a new set of skills to the project, dubbed ‘Pippa’s Playground’.
The company is listed as engaged in “human health activities,” a vast field that includes homeopathy, massage, hydrotherapy and acupuncture.
Her spokesperson said at the time: “Pippa continues to focus on her studies.”
In 2023, Pippa followed in her mother’s footsteps and launched Bucklebury Gift and Farm Shop.
With its biodegradable jute bags, die-cast toy Land Rovers and wooden train whistles, it might seem like the best online store for a certain breed of middle-class parents.
He hasn’t had to look far for inspiration: his mother, Carole, created the multimillion-dollar business Party Pieces from her kitchen table 35 years ago.
However, Pippa’s online store seems to be aimed at a much more affluent and ecologically conscious clientele.
While the space is open for parties and yoga sessions, it is also suitable for corporate events.
In addition to the lodge, the farm also has a deer park (pictured), a petting zoo, a gift shop and a cafe.
The biodegradable jute bag, sustainably produced in Bangladesh, costs more than £70, while other products include waterproof ponchos and ‘Truth Brush’ bamboo toothbrushes.
The soft toys, made from recycled plastic, cost from £14.99 for a fawn to £37.49 for a large rooster or hen, there are children’s tutus for £25 and toy Aston Martins for £8, along with Land Rovers £10 Miniature Defender.
The latter are described on the website not simply as toys but as “diecast, collectible and generational.”
For those seeking life inspiration, a book that advises How to Be More Paddington offers an “uplifting collection of quotes” from Michael Bond’s stories about the bear of darkest Peru.
Drawing on her mother’s business talent, Pippa also offers a selection of flower seeds (£5) in time for spring. You can buy poppy ‘seed balls’ and even seeds that encourage bees to visit your garden.
The venture is just the latest business move by hedge fund manager James and Pippa at the sprawling Bucklebury Farm site, half a mile from the village where their parents, Carole and Michael, have a £5million home.
Carole Middleton (left) started her own successful business and has now apparently inspired Pippa.
The couple, who married in 2017, have three children together – Arthur, five, Grace, three, and Rose, one – and recently bought their own £15million mansion nearby.
The agricultural project, called Pippa’s Playground, already has a petting zoo, a cafe and cabins for 30 guests, as well as organizing birthday parties with tractor rides.
Some say Carole’s influence is clear and it is claimed that it was Carole, 69, who encouraged the couple to launch the online store.
She has previously been open about how involved the future queen and her siblings were in the early days of Party Pieces.
“My children inspired my business and have been involved from the beginning, and the success we have had has helped us build the life we have today,” he said.
“Catherine created the first Birthday brand, Pippa created a blog as we didn’t have one, James came up with the idea of personalized cakes and launched them for us.”
However, Pippa’s success is not guaranteed, despite Middleton’s astute insight. Younger brother James’ marshmallow company Boomf went into administration in 2021.
