STORCX is back with a bang and a slightly shifted heart. Following a covid re-balance we are thrilled to announce that we are now focussing on our core business as a specialist boutique assisting luxury brands develop and grow in the UK & Europe.

Having just come back from what in fact was only 5 days, we feel we were away a month.  We were slightly apprehensive leaving all sugars, grains, caffeine & alcohol at the door on arrival at the glorious Goodwood Estate; however, we were also excited of how this could change our bad eating habits & ultimately our lives. 

 

STORCX pulled together the most fabulous group of women to share this experience including, the fashion designer Emilia Wickstead, HRH Princess Beatrice, Ellie Goulding and Kelly Eastwood aka The London Chatter, we knew we would be in for a very special experience.

On arrival one is instantly blown away by the sheer natural beauty of the estate. Wide rolling hills with fluffy sheep and newly born lambs bleating softly, instantly fed the eyes and invoked a sense of nature, relaxation and calm.

 

Entering the hotel we were greeted by an army of smiling helpful staff, unweighing us from our luggage.  A Goodwood Wellbeing and STORCX schedule was laid out amidst the most spoiling of goodie bags including fabulous, organic eco-friendly products from Mantle, Irene Forte skincare, Champo haircare products, and Indigo Luna yoga wear organised by the team at STORCX.

 Every hour had been scheduled to perfection, combining a perfect balance of exercise, treatments, nutritional consults, and fascinating gut seminars by Stephanie Moore.

Now may we say there are nutrionists and nutrionsits but Stephanie Moore, once met, will never be forgotten. Her natural glow, energy and incredible scientific knowledge of the body, mind and passion for health is intoxicating in every way and in each gut health talk, we were hanging on her every word. Immediately dispelling myths that all dairy is bad, eggs are linked to cardiovascular disease and oat and almond milk are good for you, we were hooked.

 

One of the many benefits of being at a health retreat on the Goodwood Estate is the access to the organic farm they run, so all meals are from estate to plate, hence the name of the restaurant where all our meals were served, the award-winning utterly delicious Farmer Butcher Chef restaurant.  While we were expecting a small plate of poached white fish and steamed broccoli at best, we were blown away when we were offered dishes such as beef tarte, roast lamb, duck, warm thick soups and sometimes a little chocolate bite of heaven. On several occasions we were unexpectedly joined by the Duchess of Richmond (Chatelaine of Goodwood) and Stephanie Moore (lead clinical nutritionist) who provided constant information on what we were eating and why we should eat it. One of the many valuable lessons we learned was that we should have a little glass of a digestive bitter diluted with water and a small portion of fermented food such as kimchi or sauerkraut before each meal, and each meal should consist of fibre, protein and fat. Not only was each mouthful a delicious slice of heaven, but the portion sizes were vast, leaving us all fed, content and happy. All tables were beautifully laid by the exquisite Maison Margaux, ensuring that not only our stomachs were fed but it was a feast for the eyes between mouthfuls.

Cleverly scheduled throughout the 5 days was an array of incredible sound healing, yoga and meditation groups which encompassed the holistic side of the retreat and this, coupled with incredible treatments in the spa including body brushing, abdominal massage and castor oil compresses with the estate walks led by Charlotte Hays (Goodwood’s inhouse PT, lifestyle coach and movement and injury prevention specialist)  ensured that by the end of the week we glowing inside and out.

After 5 days at Goodwood we left this magical setting feeling happier, healthier, recharged and a new outlook and how we should be taking care of our bodies inside and out, with a renewed lease for life.

the duchess of richmond and GORdon

onThe Goodwood health

retreat and her vision

 STORCX Founder, Lohralee Astor, interviews The Duchess of Richmond at the prestigious Goodwood Estate set in the heart of the sumptuous Sussex countryside, the 12,000-acre Goodwood Estate has a global reputation for excellence in its seemingly effortless staging of top-flight horse racing, full throttle motorsport events, a calendar of superb entertaining hosted at the magnificent Goodwood House, a busy aerodrome, bustling hotel, two sought-after golf courses and a productive, fully organic Home Farm.  Underpinning the estate’s busy activities though, runs a desire, long held by the Richmond family, custodians of the estate, to have an influence on the health of the nation through gentle, science-based education, knowledge-sharing and practical hands-on support designed to change attitudes towards diet and the use of preventative rather than reactive medicine. Part of that desire has led to the formation of a range of wellbeing retreats – gut health, menopause support and executive reset which are held on and take advantage of the estate.  Earlier in the summer, STORCX hosted to a group of influential women who got together to learn more about how to establish and maintain a healthy gut microbiome, from ex Grayshott clinical nutritionist, Stephanie Moore, whilst also relishing the chance to take a step back from their busy lives with a range of soothing therapies, breath walks in the calming Goodwood woodlands, soundbathing, sunrise yoga and plentiful delicious, protein-based food straight from the Goodwood farm.

The architect behind Goodwood Health & Wellbeing is Janet, Duchess of Richmond.  She sat down recently in the cosy blue snug at the Goodwood Hotel to talk to STORCX founder, Lohralee Astor to explain more about her aspirations for the future along with her vision for Goodwood to become a haven of innovation, sustainability and cultural enrichment.  She said, “We want to foster a vibrant community where creativity is able to flourish, where art and design intersect with the natural world, all the time making sure that the Goodwood spirit of adventure is still very much in evidence.”

The vision for Goodwood Health & Wellbeing is no flash in the pan. Both the Duchess and her husband, Charles, the Duke of Richmond, have had a long-held interest in organic farming and both were steeped in natural nutrition and health whilst growing up in their respective families. “As children, we were both surrounded by books and conversation about health and natural nutrition, so it was inevitable that we would continue that interest as adults.” she goes on to say.

“When we came to live at the estate, there was an existing working farm. It took us less than two years to convert it to organic status as it’s on the Sussex Downs, already an environmentally sensitive place. It covers an area of 4,000 acres and yields a wide range of fantastic products, all of which are used on our Gut Health Programmes and sold in our farm shop.”

“I particularly love the milk kefir,” she adds, “If you want to include milk products in your diet, then a fermented kefir will give you the best health benefit as it contains around 40 strains of gut microbiota which is many more than is in even the best natural yoghurt.”

 

The Duchess enthused still further about her passion for health and holistic living to Lohralee as she spoke about her favourite aspects of the Goodwood retreats. “I think we offer very special treatments given by leaders in their field.  Elaine Williams, our resident Cranial Osteopath and Acupuncturist was featured in Tatler’s Top 20 spa therapists in the world and Melaina Welland, our Reflexologist, is extraordinary too.  You really can get onto the couch with a painful back and get up a blissful hour later, with your back totally transformed, having only had your feet treated.”

The STORCX group found the whole five-day Goodwood Gut Health Programme to be very effective in helping them reset and learn strategies to help maintain their own individual health in the future.  Janet Richmond continued, “You quickly learn that it’s not just about what you put into your body, although this of course is a key part of it, but it’s how you look after your whole self, what rules you set, what you can do every day at home, learning how to improve your daily habits, one step at a time, just in small ways which aren’t overwhelming, that makes the real difference, long term.” 

As the conversation ended, the Duchess outlined her exciting plans for the future of Goodwood Health & Wellbeing and said, “We’re looking forward to staging a Gut Health seminar in September which will feature Jessie Inchauspé, the Glucose Goddess, and Dr Chris van Tulleken, amongst others, which is exciting. Also, we’re currently developing some further programmes, including a follow-on for those who have already joined us called Maximising Your Healthy Years which tackles the subject of longevity and healthy ageing, which is fascinating.”

In October and November, Goodwood are holding several Gut Health Programmes alongside one offering menopause support from leading experts and an Executive Reset retreat designed to help alleviate extreme workplace stress.  Spaces are available to book.  For further information, simply email wellbeing@goodwood.com or call 01243 520114.  Alternatively, an outline of each programme with full dates and an online enquiry form can be found at www.goodwood.com/visit-eat-stay/health-wellbeing/wellness-retreats/

ends.

 

 

STEPHANIE Moore’S TOP TIPS FOR A HEALTHY GUT

 

 

  • A healthy gut is a healthy mind.

  • Feed your microbiomes well and they will look after you; they are directly linked to mental health, sleep and energy.

  • Biggest gut enemies are sugar and highly processed foods – AVOID!

  • Feed your gut the 3 F’s – Fibre, Fat (natural fat) and Fermented.

  • Keep it simple - start looking at ingredient lists and if there are words on there you don’t recognise or lots of odd ingredients in a food that appears to be healthy and natural , you have got   to question it.

  • Make smart decisions - Quality of food is essential, eating plenty & organic and really nourishing your microbiome, which is the pivotal part of your long-term health.  Every time we eat we are either feeding our gut microbiome or killing them off, so it a choice, do you want to help them grow or do you want to kill then off?

  • Read ‘Eat your Brain Happy’ and book in at the Goodwood Wellness Retreat…

our collaborators

We need to give a big shout out to our brand collaborators, who over the Goodwood wellbeing week, added a little extra sparkle and magic to the retreat.

Mantle @hellomantle generously provided our guests with a whole bathroom full of delicious organic CBD skincare products from masks, serums and the totally indulgent The Whipp body cream to ensure we were glowing head to toe, so not only our gut was healthy but our skin too.  Our personal fave ‘The Treat’ which kills spots in a flash!

MANTLE is leading the way with a new generation of professional skincare elevated by cannabis. With bold confidence, Scandinavian simplicity, and award-winning formulations, MANTLE is challenging the beauty space - and giving women a brand to love that loves them back.  We don’t believe in changing your appearance or masking your well-earned experience.

Irene Forte skincare use the insight of Dr. Ferri and her team at EffegiLab in Trento to move beyond naïve natural formulations. They have used their 35 years of skincare research and development to create natural formulations that are exceptionally skin kind and combine outstanding fragrance and feel with low allergenic potential and proven effectiveness. Fav hibiscus night cream

Chāmpo (pronounced shar-pour) formulates high-performance haircare products powered by +98% natural ingredients and active botanicals for the conscious consumer.  The British brand takes inspiration from Ayurveda and from the founder's Indian heritage: Chāmpo comes from the Sanskrit origin of the word 'shampoo' and describes the practice of cleansing and massaging the scalp and hair.

"We are a small, family run brand ensuring quality, transparency, eco-consciousness and sustainable manufacturing practices.

We are dedicated to thoughtful slow creation. Reducing unnecessary impact on other beings and our planet while providing an alternative to mass production and fast fashion.

Our garments are made in beautiful simple shapes, hand-dyed earthy colours from recycled or organic materials.
Creations designed to celebrate the female form, for all bodies no matter your moon cycle or if you are creating life. Collections are purposely created in small, sustainable runs and we plan to run out of stock. Everything is cut, sewn and dyed by loving human hand, and we ensure that every person involved in production works in comfortable, safe conditions.

Choose well, buy less, make it last."

 We can’t forget the beautiful table settings generously provided by the exquisite @maisonmargaux, ensuring each meal not only tasted delicious but was a feast for the eyes between mouthfuls.