In the latest installment of Meet The Founder, we’re delighted to introduce you to Chloë Luxton, founder of Bramley, a beautiful British product range inspired by nature and the British countryside.
After training at Cowshed, Chloë founded Bramley when her husband was in need of British-made products for his Wiltshire pub, The range has grown to include Little B, a playful bath and body range just for children. We’re big fans here at Claudi & Fins so we thought it would be nice for Chloë to tell you a little more about Bramley.
So, Little B is part of the Bramley family. Tell us more.
Bramley is a bath, body & home brand inspired by, and created in, the countryside. We want everyone to experience that feeling of time spent in the countryside, wherever you are!
We have always had a strong sustainable ethos and we are proud to have pioneered the introduction of refillable products into the hospitality industry many years ago. Our packaging is 100% recyclable, and all our ingredients 100% bio-degradable and safe to be washed into rivers and oceans, making Bramley safe for the environment.
How did it come about?
I created Bramley originally for my husband’s pub, The Beckford Arms, having always wanted to combine my love of natural products with my desire to have my own business. We had just got married and moved out of London and so it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring all my ideas together.
Was there a turning point when you thought ‘yes, I’m now really onto something’?
I think the main turning point for us was when Robin Hutson, founder of The PIG Hotel (then only one hotel), took us on as the brand in all the bathrooms of their New Forest hotel. It was a real punt for him, and I will always be grateful to him for believing in Bramley (and me).
Where did you get the inspiration for your product range?
I have always been passionate about nature and the environment, and I loved creating things, I used to make my own ‘flower perfume’ when I was little and sell it outside my house for 10p! For Bramley I looked to the landscape around the pub for inspiration, we moved down in June and the hedgerows were bursting with wildflowers
Where does the name Bramley come from?
It actually comes from the name of the road that we lived on in London, just before we moved to the countryside. I tried out other names, but nothing conjured up English wholesomeness as much as ‘Bramley’. It just works on so many levels.
And tell us more about the additional ranges – Little B and Digby?
When I’m looking at creating new products, I always think about what a hotel would use so it made sense to introduce our Little B children’s hair & body wash initially. It went down really well so we added more to the range and it can now be found in Trotters & Jojo Maman Bebe.
Digby came about because, again, there are lots of dog friendly hotels out there. We now have a full range of Digby products and we’re now the grooming range for John Lewis.
We love the artwork on your products – who designs the packaging?
Thank you! The flowers on our Bramley bottles are actually photographs of flowers but they have an illustrative quality to them. The illustrations on the Little B and Digby bottles have been created for us by Susannah Taylor, a journalist, songwriter, and all round talented person! She’s really captured the personalities of the brands.
What has been your proudest moment in business?
When the Duchess of Cambridge got in touch to see if Bramley could help her with a campaign to support the early development years of children and vulnerable families during the pandemic, alongside some other iconic British brands. We were delighted to be able to help.
What advice would you give to other people thinking of starting a business?
I would say go for it, but make sure you really know your audience, and do it with a good friend so you have someone to bounce ideas off and help make decisions when it gets a bit serious!
As a foodie brand, food is a big part of our lives. Can you share with us your favourite meal? And hotel?
I love food so it’s really hard to pinpoint one meal…roast chicken is up there as we have it every week, it would have to be with bread sauce & stuffing. I also love a Saag Chicken and Spaghetti Bolognaise. My favourite hotels are The PIG Hotels – they are just so beautiful and incredibly relaxing.
What’s next for you and the business?
We’ve got lots of exciting plans in the pipeline which include beautiful new products so keep your eyes peeled…
So why not give the folks at Bramley a follow on Instagram so that you can keep up to date on all the latest!
And for your chance to win a bundle of goodies from the Little B range (PLUS lollies!), head over to Instagram to enter our latest giveaway. Lots of luck!
