Sauna culture is growing in London, with young people increasingly seeing it as an alternative to pubs and clubs. Authentic Scandinavian-style saunas—separate from those attached to gyms and hotels—have doubled in number year on year, and at the last count, there were 157 authentic saunas in the UK.
Community Sauna Baths CIC is London’s most popular and fastest-growing sauna company. Founders Charlie Duckworth and Rob Dumas had a rocky start: after falling short of their crowdfunding target, they scraped together a few thousand pounds to build their first location in 2021.
Now, they have sites in Hackney Wick, Bermondsey, Stratford, and Peckham, each fully booked most days. Just last week, they announced two new locations, one in Walthamstow and the other in Camberwell, opening this spring.
“Our goal is for it to be in every community, every borough in London,” explains Charlie Duckworth, co-founder and company director.
As the name suggests, Charlie’s ‘community’ saunas are a departure from the glamorous, expensive spa days you might be familiar with. The sites are rustic, outdoor spaces with a ‘DIY’ feel, and a session costs between £9.50 and £16.50. Rather than a once-in-a-blue-moon treat, the idea is for saunas to become part of a normal weekly routine, much like going to the pub.
In fact, for some, it’s replacing it.
“Are [saunas] coming for pubs?” Charlie asks rhetorically. “For me, they’ve already replaced pubs, and I’d imagine a few people feel the same.”
“I think pubs are pretty dull places when you remove the alcohol,” he adds.
Gen Z is the ‘sober-curious’ generation: latest YouGov data shows only 16% of young adults drink several times a week, and one in five don’t drink at all. As a result, young, health-conscious adults are looking for new ways to socialise and relax.
“The hot and cold exposure creates a chemical effect on the body that is similar to alcohol in some ways, but without the toxicity,” Charlie explains. “We had a New Year’s party here – a sober one. And we were able to provide a fun, sociable space.”
The company has grown rapidly. Charlie and co-founder Rob are ambitious. Even so, Charlie says he isn’t motivated by money.
“I have quite a strong dislike for the mentality that you can’t do anything impactful, innovative or interesting unless it’s startup mentality, with lots of VC [venture capital] and people exiting and making money,” he explains. “I had a personal resentment against that kind of thinking. I believe that passion, creativity, innovation, they’re intrinsic.”
Community Sauna Baths is a not-for-profit, operating out of a community centre in Hackney Wick. Charlie says the structure takes the pressure off.
“The only financial consideration we have as a business is our cash flow – making sure we’re viable and sustainable.”
More importantly, it opens doors to new locations and opportunities.
“It means that we can have interesting conversations with local authorities and the NHS without looking like vultures,” he explains.
The demand for saunas is indeed growing, but even Charlie acknowledges that it’s part of a trend for fitness and wellbeing – shaky ground to expand a business on. Even so, he is confident that sauna culture will outlast the hype.
“Regular, communal bathing is something that’s thousands of years old. The human body likes to get hot. It likes to get cold. That’s not going to change anytime soon. As long as we can keep it affordable and accessible to people, then I’ve no doubt that we need lots more of it.”
