Entrepreneur hunting for more ‘leaders of the packs’ after Henley and Marlow success

An entrepreneur from Knowl Hill plans to franchise her illustrated playing cards business and is hunting for more ‘leaders of the packs’ across the UK.

Ace Places creates decks of playing cards that showcase independent businesses, local legends and cultural hotspots that make places special.

Founder Emma Sweet launched her Henley and Marlow playing cards in March and November 2023, respectively.

A pack contains 54 cards in total, the usual 52 cards and two ‘wild cards’.

She said playing cards are a ‘lovely little vehicle’ for marketing businesses, while the local town element ‘really unites the place’.

“That’s why I think it will work in Windsor even better than it has in Henley and Marlow,” the 43-year-old said about her ongoing ambitions for a third pack.

“Henley, Marlow, Windsor make sense; they're all downstream, and all fit the bill.

“The royal connection is mega, and brings a lot of people into Windsor. But there are all these other cool places going on. It’s more of a unique experience that way.”

Emma moved to Henley in 2012 after joining Brakspear as its marketing manager, but originally had the idea 15 years ago while working for a different pub company in Manchester.

“They had had too many pubs to go in a pack of cards, but I really liked the idea,” she said.

“It's trying to shine a light on everything that goes on in the town. Big brands are great for the local economy, but they're not making the town unique.

“What makes Marlow unique is Tom Kerridge having his restaurants there and Suum Vietnamese restaurant, which isn't anywhere else.

“You buy [the cards] because you're proud you live there, and it’s nice to have this beautiful pack of cards, but if you’re here for the Regatta or Pub in the Park, then visitors get to live like a local.

“Cards have this wonderful appeal where you can play with them if you're five years old or if you're 95 years old.

“Monopoly is quite a sophisticated game, whereas cards, you can play snap or bridge and everything in between.”

The artwork for every Ace Places pack is designed by Nicola Metcalfe, a Marlow Bottom resident and graphic illustrator known for her bold, vibrant style. The cards have been sold in Australia, New Zealand and America.

Emma scooped awards at the Berkshire Business Awards, UK Start Up Awards and the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards in recent years.

“In this tech-driven world of AI, it’s real human design in the card; they're not AI-generated, and it's someone real leading the pack,” she said.

“We all go to new places, and want to find exciting hidden gems, but what we often do is find run-of-the-mill places on Google because that's what the algorithm has decided is the best one.

“By having someone curate the path and say everything good about this particular place, it gives you so much freedom.”

Emma plans to franchise the business by expanding to launch packs in other UK towns with residents who can help coordinate them.

“It’s not just two packs that start and end with Henley and Marlow: it's given me the confidence to take this across the UK and the world," she said.

“It sounds like a big, bold claim, but there are so many smaller towns that don't get enough of a tourism boost. They're very impactful cards.

“As a leader of the pack, I will go to Marlow Chamber of Commerce meetings and Henley events because I must be part of the town, and that will be the case for Windsor.

“I think once Maidenhead has gone through the finishing stages of its redevelopment, it's going to be mega. There aren’t enough independents yet, so Maidenhead is certainly for the future.

“I live too far away from Richmond, and I will never get over its skin.

“It’s about finding smaller places that have real heart and soul. The test for a place is – if I was going there for the weekend, would you say ‘Ooh, that’s nice’?”

Emma hopes to galvanise people to lead a pack or for businesses to feature in them.

“Sadly, businesses do come and go, but you can open it up to new businesses and keep the pack current and fresh," she added.

“People want to feel that they've been invited into the club.

“From someone who's been on both sides of Tripadvisor – working with pubs to get to the top of the list but also as a customer looking at its prime-time places, so many times when you go to the number one place, it's always mediocre.

“This could be what businesses need – something positive that really does generate interest and spark curiosity – and all in a handy pack of cards.