Natracare has secured high praise after winning a Queen’s Award for International Trade. The Bristol-based personal care company won the accolade following 30 years of sustained growth and innovation in a competitive market. Still family-owned with just 20 staff, it has successfully built markets in over 80 countries.
Natracare’s product range includes certified organic cotton tampons, plastic free organic and natural pads for periods, new mothers and incontinence, as well as certified organic cotton wipes and nursing pads. Most recently, the brand hit the national headlines for creating the very first Water UK Fine to Flush approved flushable wipes.
On achieving this award, founder Susie Hewson, commented: “Winning the Queen’s Award has been an incredible honour. Starting life as a creative child in a working class, inner-city home, I never expected to receive an award as prestigious as this. When you’re busy running a business, you’re always right in the middle of everything, and there’s not often time to step back and take stock of your achievements. An award as prestigious as this reminds me how far we’ve come. I am proud that Natracare has been able to reach out across the world to women, forging friends through trade and shared values.”
The award is valid for five years and gives Natracare the right to use The Queen’s Award emblem and to fly the Queen’s Award flag at their head offices in Bristol.
Also scooping a Queen’s Award is one of Britain’s last remaining tea blenders, Only Natural Products.
The family owned Gloucestershire tea producer, whose brands include Higher Living and Dr Stuart’s teas, won its second Queens Award for International Trade.
Currently exporting to over 60 countries worldwide, with this number continuing to rise, last year, Only Natural Products sold more than 60m teabags, 80 per cent of which were exported. “We’re obsessed with quality”, explained CEO, Keith Garden. “Whereas many British tea companies are cutting costs by outsourcing their production abroad to countries such as China and India, we’re committed to quality and to the UK because to our customers it acts a guarantee that they’re getting the very best. Britain is still very much regarded as the all-out expert in blending and production.”
Dr Bronner’s has announced the launch of its Heal Earth! campaign in more than 20 countries.
The natural bodycare and personal care brand has released a new documentary, Journey to Pavitramenthe, designed to highlight supply chain solutions for climate resilience. The seven-minute documentary details the community of 1,500 farmers in Bareilly, India, who produce the fair trade and organic mint oil used in Dr Bronner’s products through regenerative agricultural practices. It can be viewed online by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkkk5FjNyQw
Through educational events, in-store demonstrations and promotions, product giveaways, and social media campaigns, the brand’s partners worldwide will use retail and community spaces to inform and educate the public about the collective need to ‘Heal Earth!’ in Australia, Austria, Europe, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Panama, Singapore, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and U.S. In the UK, Dr Bronner’s is selling a limited edition Heal Earth labelled liquid soap.
“We recognise the importance of our small-scale farming partners using regenerative organic agricultural practices to increase soil fertility and revitalise farming communities in making our range of biodegradable products,” commented Cliff Moss, Dr Bronner’s UK distributor. “We are proud to be part of this global effort to educate and demonstrate what is possible working together for climate solutions within our business model.”
Lily’s Kitchen has been granted the Royal Warrant from HRH The Prince of Wales.
The UK-based producer of natural and organic food for pets was founded by Henrietta Morrison in her kitchen 10 years ago, following the illness of her border terrier, Lily. Working with vets, nutritionists, and herbalists, Henrietta created special recipes using natural, wholesome ingredients.
“We are incredibly proud to have been granted the Royal Warrant. Lily’s Kitchen is at an exciting time in its evolution and this is a wonderful recognition founded on quality, which was always my ambition for the brand. I am delighted to say Lily will soon be celebrating her birthday, and it is a rather wonderful Royal recognition to receive in her 16th year,” Henrietta commented.
Organic & Natural Business magazine