“The idea for Hálogi first came about when I went on a men’s wellness retreat in Cornwall a couple of years ago. I was feeling pretty stressed and burnt out, and felt that a weekend dedicated to wellness would hopefully pull me out of the rut I felt I was in. It was me and nine other men in a similar position, and we spent the weekend doing all sorts of stuff from surfing, to breathwork and a sauna session. I found the sauna and breathwork sessions particularly transformative, and they helped me recognise that I wanted to make a significant change in my life.

“When I returned home from the retreat, I felt inspired to set up something similar to help other people find that sense of escapism. I started researching mobile saunas and put a plan together of how I could launch the business, and not too long after, I’d sourced the sauna and had the brand, website and social media ready to go.”

“I started scouting out a few options in the South West for our first location, finding our first at the lido in Brixham, South Devon, overlooking Shoalstone Pool and Torbay. We introduced our hot and cold therapy concept with our five-person mobile horsebox sauna and ice tubs. Some people were understandably apprehensive, but we quickly saw people start to embrace the Finnish tradition and make it part of their weekly routine.

“By chance, someone from Urban Splash visited us in Brixham and this sparked a conversation about Royal William Yard as a potential next location for Hálogi. I went to see the Yard for myself, and it was immediately clear that the setting and opportunity were the right fit for the business. I then made the decision to relocate the sauna to Plymouth and invested in a new mobile sauna to continue Hálogi in Brixham.”

“It’s no secret that wellness culture in the UK is growing – we’re seeing people swap Friday nights at the pub for time in the sauna and finding a new community of like-minded people while they’re at it. There’s lots of hot and cold experiences popping up across the country, but not many have the environment surrounding them like we do. We’re positioned right next to the sea – the natural beauty of Royal William Yard is unrivalled, and it’s a huge selling point for us.

“Our customers can heat up in our wood-fired 90°C sauna before going for a plunge in the ice tubs, which are chilled and filtered to the exact temperature needed for genuine hot and cold therapy. Our aim is to bring people together to unwind and connect, the very same way I did on that first retreat.”

“Since we opened at Royal William Yard in May 2024, we’ve established a great community of people who visit us regularly. We’re often fully booked on our sessions across the week, with regulars and first timers. The Yard is definitely our home, and we’re actively looking at expanding so we can bring the Hálogi experience to more people.

“My team at the Yard are incredible – Aislinn, Kim and Becks create the experience for our customers, leading our guided sessions and generally being on hand to help our customers make the most of their time with us. They’re all as passionate as I am about wellness and the Hálogi brand, and their energy is what makes every session special.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the brand, putting on more events and workshops to complement our sauna and ice experience, and introducing Hálogi to more people and see where this next chapter at Royal William Yard takes us.”