UK nursery franchise, Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries has opened its newest setting in Epsom, Surrey.

Hot on the heels of this exciting new launch, the brand has been announced as finalists in the BFA HSBC British Franchising Awards and have been ranked in the top 100 for the UK’s Best Workplaces for Women by Great Place to Work®.

Monkey Puzzle Epsom offered nursery manager Nichola Griffiths a welcome opportunity to return to her roots. “I’m from Epsom and my family still live locally, so it’s nice to give back to a community that I know so well.”

Situated in an old cottage which has recently been renovated for the nursery’s opening, Nichola said, “The location is really impressive! And it manages to retain some of the amazing features from the original building too. There is a large outdoor space for the children, so you can tell there’s been a real thought process behind every step of the renovation.”

“Monkey Puzzle’s emphasis on creating a family feel is really important – the nursery already feels like a home away from home, especially for the children.”

“Opening our Epsom nursery is a proud moment,” added Monkey Puzzle’s new executive chairman, David Hancock. “I’m excited to see what the rest of the year has in store. We’ve worked incredibly hard and, with Epsom, are beginning to see the fruits of our labour.

“We’re also delighted to be finalists in the BFA HSBC British Franchising Awards in the leadership and culture category alongside being ranked in the top 100 for the UK’s Best Workplaces for Women – it is testament to the atmosphere we’ve created here – long may it continue.”

Another reason for Monkey Puzzle to celebrate with Grace Cole, the brand’s franchise director, who has been part of the head office’s team for ten years. “It’s such an honour to have worked for Monkey Puzzle for the last decade. When I joined, we only had approximately 13 nurseries and now we have over 70 settings, so to have played a role in the setup of those nurseries and support the franchisees on their journey has been an amazing experience – to think how many children’s lives I’ve been a part of means a lot to me and is one of the reasons I joined.”

Grace’s role as franchise director encompasses working with new and existing franchisees, guiding them through the onboarding process and supporting them throughout their journey with the brand. “At the start, we were still a small business, so I’ve been heavily invested in the development of our vision, mission and values and how its evolved over the years. I’ve loved working with so many people who have such a passion for early years education whether that’s within the nurseries or at head office itself, I’m very proud to be part of this network.

“Recently, I’ve been working a lot with David, which has been really enjoyable, getting stuck into looking at the wider business, we are continually looking at ways to enhance the services and support we offer to the franchise network and internal nursery group.”

Reflecting on recent developments and Monkey Puzzle’s future prospects, David added, “Firstly, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Grace for her amazing work over the last decade. She’s been an integral part of our team and really defines what we, at Monkey Puzzle, are all about.

“With our Epsom nursery setting the stage for several locations in the pipeline, it’s an incredibly exciting time to be at the forefront of early years education.”