After spending five years in the British Army as part of the Royal Signals, Chris Deaville moved into the telecommunications industry and eventually established his own successful mobile telecommunications business working for the likes of O2, Vodafone and EE turning over more than £2m a year.

After hearing about the endeavours of Dutch record-breaker Wim Hof, professionally known as “The Iceman”, whom as the name suggests, is known for his prolonged exposure to extremely low temperatures, Chris started researching the effects the cold can have on the body.

In his research, he found studies on the positive effects of cold showers and cryotherapy. Excited by this emerging technology, Chris made the decision to build a business around cryogenic treatment and assisting people in their physical recovery.

A unique opportunity

Clitheroe Cryo opened its doors in the summer of 2021 and recently celebrated its first anniversary.

Its main attraction is a state-of-the-art cryogenic chamber, in which up to 3 people at a time enter the chamber whilst the chamber rapidly cools down to -87 Degrees Celsius. Such extreme temperatures cool the skin and send the body into thermal shock, in turn this allows for oxidised and nutrient rich blood to be pumped faster throughout the body, improving circulation and feeding muscles, joints, tendons and even the skin as well as producing endorphins leaving you feeling energised and relaxed.

This treatment is proven to speed up the recovery process post-exercise and is used by professional athletes as well as fitness fanatics and enthusiasts.

Describing its foundation, Chris says: “I was listening to Wim Hof on Radio 2 one morning and he was talking about the benefits of cold exposure. So I got into having cold showers and practising breathing techniques and started to do my own research into the subject.

“I experienced a cryo chamber and felt the full effects. I knew there was nothing in Clitheroe that offered this kind of service so I decided to look into building a business. We opened after lockdown last year and we’re doing well, it’s been a good first year.”

Access to Finance Specialist, Cassim Patel

Finding funding

Working alongside Access to Finance Specialist, Cassim Patel, Chris secured £50,000 to invest in a top of the range, second-generation cryotherapy chamber and matched the investment by putting his own personal funds to the venture.

Chris had seen the services provided by Access to Finance during his time as a business advisor and has referred other entrepreneurs to their services. Cassim and the Access To Finance team worked with Chris on his business plan and developed a compelling case to apply for a Start Up Loan.

Cassim says: “I met Chris just before lockdown had begun to discuss his plans. We carried on through Covid to get the funding arranged and in place ahead of his desired opening. One thing that must be mentioned is that Chris has invested in state-of-the-art technologies and the cryo chamber he’s got is still market-leading.

“We worked together on his business plan, understanding the demographics of the Ribble Valley and looked at the opportunities for finance, including the Start Up Loan he secured. It’s brilliant to see what he’s done and after a visit in November, I even took the opportunity to get in the chamber.” 

As part of establishing a customer base, Clitheroe Cryo has created an affordable on-off service as well as offering tiered membership deals and benefits for people that want to go for multiple sessions or experience several treatments.

Expansion of services

Clitheroe Cryo has built up the number of services it provides in the last 12 months.

As Chris points out: “People are less enthusiastic about extreme cold treatments in the winter, so we wanted to make sure that there were opportunities for everyone at all times of year.”

The business now offers compression boot recovery, which doesn’t involve cooling or heating the skin as a recovery method, but rather compresses a person’s legs in a systematic way allowing for blood to be squeezed up and down helping flush out lactic acid and toxins, improving circulation enabling recovery and even helping combat cellulite.

This compression process is popular among those who walk or run long distances such as marathon runners, footballers and cyclists or even just people who are on their feet all day long.

Chris can offer a localised Cryogenic treatment as well, in which specific areas on the body, can be targeted and treated by cold air treatment. Common ailments for this are tennis elbow, swollen knees and ankles, lower back pain etc.

A similar treatment they offer is a process known as “Cryo Facials”, a process which treats acne and can improve a person’s overall skin complexion and can eradicate fine facial lines.

An investment in red light therapy (photobiomodulation) has also helped the business broaden its range of treatments for all customers.

Chris Deaville

“I want to really hone the experience people have at Clitheroe Cryo. We have invested in red light therapy panels which can help revitalise and rejuvenate your muscles and skin. Our customers are already making use of the full range of treatments.”

Chris Deaville, Owner, Clitheroe Cryo

Looking to the future

While the business is still only in its second year of trading, Chris has taken an interest in potential expansion and maybe even franchising.

“I’m not ready to open a second place right now, but we are looking at potential to expand the business and have even viewed other locations. An expansion will mean that more staff and training will be needed. My partner is currently undergoing training so she can be incorporated into the business.

“You’re seeing these places doing amazing things in the USA and they will come to the UK, so it would be good to get ahead of them and establish ourselves.

“I’ve got a real fire in my belly to do it.”