Spalding’s Rush Hour escape rooms on the market as owner turns attention to the entertainment business

After five years of building up his escape room business Brett Harman says it’s time to get out.

The popular Rush Hour venue on Spalding’s Red Lion Street is currently on the market for £44,995.

While Brett has described creating the bespoke rooms - which see punters locked inside until they complete a series of tricky tasks - as having ‘fulfilled my dreams’, he believes it is time to move on as his voiceover work and growing TikTok movie account take up more and more of his time.

“It’s sad to see the business up for sale, but because of the direction my career is going it needs to sit in the hands of someone who can give it the love and care I’ve always given it,” said Brett, 36.

“I have a manager and some great staff but I like to be hands-on with the company. It’d be nice for someone who has the enthusiasm and passion for this kind of entertainment to come in as I can’t be here as often now.

“It would be nice for the escape rooms to remain as it’s been so popular, but if someone wanted to change it to another source of entertainment - ineractive darts and axe throwing are big things at the minute - that would also be lovely. But it’s up to whoever wants to take it on.

“It’s sad to sell, but it’s time due to the exciting stuff that’s happening.”

Brett built up the business with partner Hannah Stinson, who sadly passed away following a rare form of cancer last October, after giving up teaching to take on the venture while getting ‘hooked’ on escape rooms, completing more than 150 so far.

And he isn’t the only one who got the buzz as the locals and visitors from further afield have taken on the challenges on breaking each of the three rooms’ codes.

“Lots of Spalding faces come along but we get people from far and wide; we had a group of surgeons from London who are escape room champions who go round the globe doing them. They’ve done over 6,00 and they absolutely loved ours,” added Brett, whose decision to keep trying new ventures in life was inspired by his own battle with leukaemia nine years ago.

“Every couple of years we recycle the themes and start again. We do it all ourselves, put up our walls, build the puzzles from start to finish. It feels very personal and has that personal touch.

“I like to explore things I have a passion in, and it fulfilled my dreams opening up my own escape rooms - and just before lockdown as well.

“I’ve lived in Spalding all my life and it’s been great to have given the people some excitement on the way.

And with providing for daughter Summer now his main focus, Brett is looking to support the family by following his heart again.

“I’m always trying to do something that’s going to fulfil my creativity, and the voiceover stuff has really taken off,” added Brett who has built himself a home studio and now has three agents based in both the UK and USA after being mentored by Peter Dickson, best known as the voice of X Factor.

“But recently the biggest thing I’ve been doing is my TikTok content creations.

“I’m a big movie enthusiast so I’ll do quizzes or content about new movies coming out, movie reviews.

“We’ve hit 100,000 followers which is amazing and a lot of fun.

“I want to do everything I can for my girl and to make her proud.”

Rush Hour is available to view on Rightbiz.co.uk and you can find Brett on TikTok at the @BrettFlix handle.