December 01, 2022
Phone, keys, decommissioned fire-hose wallet? Check! The Elvis & Kresse Billfold Wallet is a staple of our men’s luxury accessories collection. A classic billfold design, with a partition for notes, space for cards and made from genuine rescued fire-hose this is the ultimate sustainable way to carry your cash.
The Elvis & Kresse design ethos is a little different, some would even say unusual. We start with the rescued materials, making sure we waste nothing and divert everything we can from landfill, more than anything else, the materials we reclaim dictate our design. Elvis spent two years developing this ethical Billfold Wallet until we were happy with it. Fire-hose is an amazing, robust, beautiful material and lends itself perfectly to pieces that enjoy everyday use.
Sleek, stylish, resilient and contactless card friendly - this wallet wastes nothing.
The Elvis & Kresse Billfold wallet measures 9.5cm in height, 12cm in width, and 1.5cm in depth (when closed and empty). It is sleek enough to fit in an inside, side or back pocket without creating unnecessary bulk.
The size lends itself perfectly to zero-waste design as the diameter of firehose is 10cm.
The low profile design means this piece won’t break your silhouette or look overly cumbersome in your pockets but there is still plenty of room inside for what you need to carry every day. The fire-hose Billfold Wallet has space for 8 credit or debit cards and 2 additional pockets for business cards as well as a partitioned note section to keep your foreign currency separate.
The lining within is made from rescued parachute silk (ripstop nylon - this is a vegan wallet too!) and is contactless card friendly.
The fire-hose exterior is tough but malleable and is water resistant and wipe-clean making this the ideal everyday, sustainable wallet.
All our ethical products are hand finished. We are a slow fashion brand through and through. Each piece is produced in a small batch to ensure the highest quality (which in turn, prevents waste). A subtle Elvis & Kresse logo is laser etched onto each piece. Corners and edges are hand painted and the Billfold Wallet is presented in a reclaimed printing blanket pouch - which you can re-use too.
Personalisation is available on our Billfold Wallet - we can laser etch a message, phrase, initials or dates on the inner left panel to make this a wonderful sustainable gift, or memento.
As well as helping us reduce waste (and looking good while doing it), 50% of the profits from our Fire-Hose Collection are donated to the Fire Fighters Charity and 50% of the profits from our Fire & Hide Collection are donated to Barefoot College International. Find out more about these charities and our donations here.
Dimensions: 9.5 x 12 x 1.5cm
Weight: 80g
Personalisation Available: Yes
Note Sections: 2
Card Spaces: 8 Credit/Debit, 2 Business
Exterior: Genuine Decommissioned Fire-Hose
Interior: Rescued Parachute Silk
Amount of materials given a new life:
Fire-hose: 0.06m2
Parachute Silk: 0.15m2
November 20, 2022
Slow fashion is a term that is being increasingly used to describe ethical clothing and accessory companies, but with the prevalence of greenwashing rising at a similar rate here’s our take on slow fashion and ethical production.
Slow fashion is exactly what it sounds like. At its most basic level, it encompasses clothing and accessories that are crafted more slowly and with more consideration. Slow fashion pieces are designed to last, to be reused, to be looked after. Slow fashion companies do not put out new collections on a quarterly, monthly or weekly basis; they produce in small batches, they make products to order, and they only release new pieces when they feel they have something genuinely interesting to add to their collection and offer to their custodians. Custodians is an important word here, slow fashion products aren’t designed to be ‘consumed’, so it isn’t appropriate to talk about ‘consumers’. Slow fashion is an ethos as much as it is a production method, it’s the choice to use materials consciously, it’s the choice to ensure the people involved in producing these pieces are safe and paid fairly, it’s the choice to ensure there is as little negative environmental impact as possible from the process involved in creation.
At the time of writing this, I’m wearing a jumper I have worn regularly for the last 14 years. Yes, it’s a little tired in some places now, but I love this jumper and I hope to be wearing it for several more years.
When we invest in clothing and accessories, are more mindful of what has gone into the creation and manufacture of those pieces and are more understanding of the impact that production can have on our environment and fellow humans, we can use our choices for good.
Fast fashion creates a lot of problems. From the garment workers being paid wages below the poverty line to the chemicals and microplastics from synthetic fibres creating biological dead zones in rivers near to factories.
One of the big problems with this type of production is that it’s also geared for cheap clothing. Clothing and accessories that are designed to be disposable - they last a ‘season’ before they’re out of style and, as they didn’t cost a lot, are then generally discarded. How many times have you, or someone you know said they can’t wear the same outfit again? In our current society, clothes and accessories are designed to be finite, used up and replaced.
We need to slow down. We need to stop and think about the negative impacts of speed. What is the impact on our community and also what our demand for speed and choice means for the environment and the world. The top you’re wearing didn’t just appear in the shop or the website you bought it from. Do you know how it was made? Do you know how much the people who laboured for it were paid? Do you know where the material came from or what it is actually made of? Was the farmer that grew the cotton paid a fair wage? Was the spinner? Was the weaver? Was the screen printer?
As you’re here at Elvis & Kresse, we would imagine you do. But if you’re not 100% sure then we would love you to ask. If everyone decided to ask these questions and shopped elsewhere if they weren’t comfortable with the answers then the fast fashion companies would have to change, they would have to slow down. Imagine the impact we could have if we were just more curious, and more demanding!
There’s a growing movement of slow fashion brands (not to boast, but we were born slow) who are bucking the trend of cheap, disposable clothes and mass production. Slow fashion manufacturers are just that, slow. They’re deliberate with the materials they use, whether that is organically grown cotton or rescued fire-hoses. They’re conscious of fair, living wages and the safety of their craftspeople. They’re diligent about the quality and longevity of their products. Slow fashion brands don’t create for this season, they create for life.
Being considered and caring about these things goes a long way to reducing the negative impacts of mass, seasonal production.
A slow fashion brand chooses to do the following things:
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other choices slow fashion brands can make and all centre around the question of what makes the world a better place - better environment, better society, better lives for everyone. We also choose to donate 50% of our profits, giving back to our stakeholder communities - many other slow fashion brands choose to undertake similar initiatives that benefit the world.
From the beginning we’ve been slow. We take time to design our products using a term we call backwards design. We start with the problem of waste, rescue the material in question and only then do we design products, and these products must do two things - suit that material with as little waste as possible and give them value and a new, long life.
We’ve developed this method over the years, first using decommissioned fire-hoses from the London Fire Brigade, then using Burberry leather off-cuts. Our backwards design process has allowed us to create a range of beautiful, luxury accessories that reinvigorate these materials that were otherwise headed to landfill.
We also produce in small batches - we don’t flood supply and then generate demand with big marketing campaigns. We produce small quantities, see what works and what there is a demand for, then we produce more only when we need to. We are open to feedback and encourage suggestions and critique from our amazing custodians. We test, optimise and improve constantly.
We make everything ourselves - this really is unique, most brands design and sell but they do not manufacture. We manufacture in-house, across two sites, so when people ask 'Who made my bag?' we know precisely. We pay Living Wages to all our team, at both sites... no one is left behind.
When we find another waste stream, we examine the material, we do an enormous amount of research to discover what might be the best possible second life for the material. Over the years we have pioneered solutions like this for more than 15 different waste materials; we regularly use around 10 different waste streams to produce our luxury, ethical bags, wallets, purses, accessories and homeware.
We take what most would call “waste” and we turn it into something beautiful and valuable. We do this at a slow pace that is sustainable and fair and suits demand. We do it methodically based on continued research and development. We also offer repairs - each Elvis & Kresse piece comes with a one year warranty, but outside of this time frame, we would rather repair a piece so it can continue its new life rather than be discarded.
There are a lot of fantastic brands now taking the slow fashion approach. Whether you’re looking for clothes or shoes - it’s always worth double checking who you’re buying from. A couple of really good reference points to check are the directories for our fellow Social Enterprises and B Corps. Both of these organisations are very strict on their membership so you can be safe in the knowledge that a certified Social Enterprise or B Corp (or ideally both, like us) will be putting their people, community and environment first. A few to look at include:
Unsure how decommissioned fire-hose, rescued leather and reclaimed parachute silk can be turned into something truly beautiful? Take a look at our collections here.
Q&A
November 16, 2022
A sustainable handbag with more than one difference. The Small Post Bag, available in our Fire-Hose, Print Room and Fire & Hide collections, is a perfect everyday eco-friendly handbag. With plenty of space, internal pockets, a zip top and an included cross-body shoulder strap - this a stylish and versatile handbag for every day use - or that statement piece to compliment a night out.
The Small Post Bag (and the Large Post Bag) was inspired by a busy lifestyle. A need to have an ethical handbag durable enough to move from your everyday carry needs but also stylish enough to compliment a networking event, after-work drinks or a party.
Each Small Post Bag is handmade in a limited batch to ensure quality and each Elvis & Kresse piece is hand finished in rescued materials so variations in hose colour are to be celebrated!
The Small Post Bag measures 20cm in height, 26cm in width and has a depth of 14cm. The genuine fire-hose handles offer a 15cm drop - perfect for handheld use. We also include a shoulder strap that gives you the versatility to use this as an over-the-shoulder or a crossbody bag too!
It may be small, but it is mighty. This gorgeous piece is lined with rescued parachute silk (ripstop nylon) and includes an internal zip pocket to safely store your valuables.
It has plenty of space within for all your everyday essentials and the Fire-Hose & Print Room versions are designed to be water resistant, wipe clean and are vegan friendly. The Fire & Hide version will need a little more care, and we recommend protecting the leather if you are likely to be caught in the weather.
Kresse regularly carries her phone, purse, book, keys, loose change, business cards, rail card, and small refillable water bottle with a little space for more.
Each Elvis & Kresse piece is hand finished with a subtle laser etched logo and each edge is hand-painted. One of our most popular sustainable handbags, the Small Post Bag is available in a range of colour combinations across our core ranges. View the Fire-Hose & Print Room Collection here and the Fire & Hide Collection here.
As well as helping us reduce waste (and looking good whilst doing so), 50% of our profits from our Fire-Hose Collection are donated to the Fire Fighters Charity and 50% of our Fire & Hide Collection are donated to Barefoot College International. Find out more about these charities and our donations here.
Dimensions: 20 x 26 x 14cm
Handle Drop: 15cm
Exterior: Reclaimed Fire-Hose, Reclaimed Fire Hose and Printing Blanket, Reclaimed Fire-Hose & Recycled Leather
Interior: Rescued Parachute Silk
Volume of materials diverted from landfill:
Fire-Hose Small Post Bag
Fire-Hose: 0.45m²
Parachute Silk: 0.319m²
Weight: 754g
Print Room Small Post Bag
Printing Blanket: 0.216m²
Parachute Silk: 0.319m²
Fire-Hose: 0.187m²
Weight: 685g
Fire & Hide Small Post Bag
Rescued Leather: 0.116m²
Parachute Silk: 0.319m²
Fire-Hose: 0.4m²
Weight: 685g
November 15, 2022
It’s the time of the year again where we are thrilled to announce our (and your) 2022 donation to The Fire Fighters Charity. Since 2005 we have donated 50% of the profit from our Fire-Hose collection to The Fire Fighters Charity. It is our greatest honour to support the work they do - and to give back to the people who used our decommissioned fire-hose in its first life.
The Fire Fighters Charity ensures that all members of the UK Fire Service have support across a whole range of areas from mental and physical health to social wellbeing and into their retirement. Their services are available to all Fire Service personnel and their families; due to the increase in fire service responsibilities during the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis, their work needed now more than ever.
With your help, we have just donated £63,727.12. This money will go directly to helping The Fire Fighters Charity meet the needs of its beneficiaries.
To date we have donated £272,559.45 to the FFC, how does this translate into real impact?
With your help this amount covers the equivalent of 2600 physio sessions, 2000 psychology sessions, 1800 food boxes and more than a year of the Services Access Line.
We, and The Fire Fighters Charity, can’t thank you enough for your support and integral part in making this donation happen. 50% of profit from our Fire-Hose Collection is donated annually to the charity and we hope to keep increasing our total figure each year.
To find out more about how The Fire Fighters Charity helps people, please take a look at some real life stories on their website.
November 10, 2022
The first product Elvis & Kresse ever made, the West End Belt is still one of our most timeless, popular pieces. Elvis & Kresse are still wearing their first belts most days almost 17 years later…
Made from genuine decommissioned fire-hose with a classic West End style buckle, these ethical belts are timeless, staple pieces for any sustainable wardrobe. Available in classic red fire-hose the West End Belt has been featured in Vogue being worn by Cameron Diaz. If that’s not confirmation enough, read on to find out more about the West End Belt.
At Elvis & Kresse the design process always starts with the material and zero-waste in mind. As you can imagine, due to its shape, malleability and durability rescued fire-hose lends itself incredibly well to being a belt.
All Elvis & Kresse belts are made to order in our workshop in Kent to ensure we don't end up with unpopular sizes getting dusty in a store room.
As one of our longest standing pieces, the West End Belt has gone through nearly 20 years of real-life testing and tweaking to make it the best looking, most durable sustainable belt possible. Available in 6 standard sizes from Extra Small to Extra Extra Large these ethical, and vegan, red belts will suit everyone (custom sizes are also available upon request, just get in touch with us here).
The timeless design can be paired with almost any outfit and the West End Buckle is available in either an Antique Brass or Silver finish to suit your style. Each belt comes with 6 robust eyelets and our sizes are measured to the third eyelet from the buckle - giving room to grow or shrink a little!
Water resistant and wipe-clean, this belt is for everyday use and will last for years, a true staple for a sustainable wardrobe.
As with all our pieces, our ethical belts are hand made and hand finished so some small variations occur. Each piece has hand painted edges, a subtle laser etched Elvis & Kresse logo and, as it’s made from rescued fire-hose, it’s also perfect for the vegan fashionista.
As well as helping us reduce waste (and looking good doing it!), 50% of the profits from our Fire-Hose Collection are donated to the Fire Fighters Charity and 50% of our Fire & Hide Collection are donated to the Barefoot College International. Find out more about these charities and our donations here.
Belt Width: 4cm
Weight: 178g*
Belt Length: XS - 31”, S - 33”, M - 35”, L - 37”, XL - 39”, XXL - 41”
Material: Genuine decommissioned fire hose
Amount of materials given a new life:
Fire Hose: 0.05m2*
*Based on a Medium West End Belt
November 05, 2022
Classic, stylish and timeless, our Elvis & Kresse Tote Bag is designed for the sustainably minded, slow-fashion lover. It has been featured on the BBC, is a firm favourite of our wonderful customers and a staple in our award-winning range of sustainable products. It is available in 3 options, our classic full fire-hose, black printing blanket with fire-hose trim, and rescued leather with fire-hose side panels and trim.
Rescued materials are where we start, but our commitment to eradicating waste from the production process is also the main focus when designing any Elvis & Kresse piece.
Genuine decommissioned fire-hose is first cut lengthwise in two, so a round hose becomes two flat strips that are 10cm wide (the diameter of an average hose). Then it is meticulously cleaned before each hose is thinned to precisely half. This means that a hose which starts at 22m in length eventually becomes 88m of linear textile, at a 10cm diameter width.
Our off-set printing blankets are split into even thicknesses, doubling the amount of available material and creating a clean matt black finish.
Finally, our Burberry leather off-cuts are each cut individually, again to maximise material use, then hand woven into the two panels you would find on either side of our Fire & Hide tote.
The sizes of our products are determined by that original 10cm diameter of the hose, which means we have zero waste when we create this pattern (in the workshop we talk in “grids” rather than centimetres or inches).
Each side panel is made up of 5 equal strips of fire-hose (or an equivalent area of printing blanket), with a single strip of hose for the base. Our ethical Tote Bags measure 29cm in height, 36cm in width,13cm in depth and have a 25cm handle drop.
Substance is just as important as style - we ensure all our products are as functional as they are sustainable. Our Totes are lined with either deadstock cotton cloth (rescued from Burberry) or failed parachute silk panels (which are actually made from industrial ripstop nylon and are vegan friendly) - find out more about our parachute silk here.
Within the lining there is an internal zip pocket - ideal for stowing away your phone and purse and two quick access pockets for keeping things organised.
If you are looking for the perfect stylish, sustainable and vegan Tote Bag, our Fire-Hose Tote Bag or Print Room Tote Bag are both entirely vegan. These Totes are incredibly robust - our decommissioned fire-hose has been in service for 25 years - and both of these pieces are water resistant and wipe-clean.
Our Fire & Hide Tote Bag combines rescued Burberry leather and our genuine decommissioned fire-hose. Although the hose elements, including the handles, side-panels and base are all wipe clean the leather panels are more delicate and should be protected from the elements. We are happy to recommend an eco friendly leather protector if you are interested.
Our Tote comfortably fits a 13” laptop and everything else you need throughout the day!
All our ethical products are hand finished. We are a slow fashion brand through and through. Each piece is produced in small batches to ensure the highest quality, which in turn prevents waste caused by overproduction. A subtle Elvis & Kresse logo is laser etched onto all fire-hose pieces and debossed onto leather. Corners and edges are hand painted or bound in fire-hose and the Tote is presented in a reclaimed parachute silk dust bag which can (and should) be used as an elegant bag-for-life.
All pieces come with a one year warranty. We want to ensure our products last for as long as possible so we offer a comprehensive repair service after our warranty period ends.
As well as helping us to reduce waste (and look good while doing it), 50% of the profits from our Fire-Hose Collection are donated to the Fire Fighters Charity and 50% of the profits from our Fire & Hide Collection are donated to Barefoot College International. Find out more about these charities and our donations here.
Dimensions: width 29cm, height 36cm, depth 13cm
Weight: Fire-Hose 936g, Print Room 865g, Fire & Hide 1kg
Handle Drop: 25cm
Exterior Options: decommissioned fire-hose, decommissioned fire-hose with reclaimed printing blanket, or decommissioned fire-hose with rescued leather
Interior: reclaimed parachute silk or deadstock cotton
Amount of materials given a new life:
Fire-Hose: 0.58m2
Leather: 0.203m2
Parachute Silk (or cotton lining): 0.64m2
Printing Blanket: 0.024m2
*The Print Room and Fire & Hide versions will proportionately reduce the amount of fire-hose.
November 04, 2022
We started our planning application for New Barns Farm in December 2020. After 8 long months it came through and we could finally begin the real work of transforming this site. To give you an idea of the scale of this project, here is a bit of a list:
The workshop has definitely been our Grand Design. Despite being a standard rectangle, clad in the black weather boarding that planning demanded and blending in with all our other barns, it is anything but average. To reduce energy demand it is heavily insulated in the floor, the roof and the very thick straw bale walls. It only requires a small heat-pump for warmth and hot water and even in these short days it's 28 solar panels and bank of batteries mean that we have yet to tap into the grid. We installed a used, ex-display kitchen. Water comes from a 20,000L tank that collects all of the rainwater for reuse. Water flows into our wetland. We have
Here are a few images to take you through from start to finish! We have just started to move in!
We started by clearing the site - dog kennels, a pigsty, stables, the back of an old truck. Planning permission was granted based on the local council's joy that these dilapidated structures were removed.
Digging the foundation
The first 'gulp'... the building next to our sunken workshop had no foundations. So it had to be underpinned; there goes the contingency! The white base is due to the chalk, donated by our neighbour / builder, we used it to level the giant base.
Underpinning complete and the giant footings for our glulam frame dug out.
Foundation going in.
These are our blockwork boots, the short wall that our straw bales will sit on, which is essential to keeping them high and dry.
Our little lane was too small for the frame to be delivered to the yard, so the team brought it up through the farm, piece by piece.
The first piece of the frame being craned into place.
Later that same day!
Just one month later - a compete frame, with most of a roof and insulation going in. Elvis and the team work on the plans for the internal layout.
The breathable membrane and cladding rocketing up.
Straw bales arriving from the Isle of Sheppey
Patrick liming and laying the first straw bale.
Building up our insulation... and using bales to make a workbench.
Bale insulation complete!
The first coat of lime plaster going on... we finished with 3 coats, each taking at least a week to dry enough for the following coat to be applied. The building will continue to dry out over the next several months.
Solar system going in!
Rainwater harvesting tank ready to be buried... 20,000L of resilience.
The front doors went in just after Elvis installed this canopy from corrugated steel we have salvaged from across the farm.
George and Carlos finishing the ceiling.
Elvis sealing the floor, ghostbusters style.
The night before the big move!
Moving in - Alex was the first to find a place to perch.
The packing table all ready to go with Dani and Jack in the foreground, setting up the first set of second hand racking.
Our first guests, Dr. Sass Brown brought 33 students working on their Masters in Fashion and Business from Kingston University. Monty was the star of the show of course!
We are having an open day on December 10th, 2022, from 12:00-16:00. If you would like to see us all moved in, just drop me an email: kresse@elvisandkresse.com
November 01, 2022
Remember where we started? A green gully just below the farmyard... In August 2021 we dug our four swales and the final pond. Our last task was to cover all of the tops with woodchip (to avoid weeds from taking over and to avoid losing the topsoil). If you want to read the full story, here it is.
Then we waited for about two weeks before adding the first few hardy plants in early September. I am not sure we needed to wait... we mostly needed to recharge the batteries!
We connected the system and started charging it up with our waste water and its nutrients. Then we waited until almost Spring. In March, Jay came back and we planted a variety of coppicing willow, about 1200 in total. Willow is a fast growing hardwood (if we ever need the fuel) but we plan to keep the carbon locked away by weaving with it.
Then as Spring really arrived or on April 26th 2022 to be precise, Clara and her team came to plant the rest of the wetland.
And then here we are today... During the drought this summer this system kept being topped up, just by our waste water. That kept it green, alive, and a haven for insects, amphibians, birds, and small mammals.
Although you can see some yellowing in the taller plants (due to the drought) our system is thriving and healthy. This is what the sewage system of biophiles looks like.
October 26, 2022
I had a lot of fun recording this podcast with Sandro Forte.
If you want to find out how we got started, why we do what we do, how I feel about NFTs and how amazing Elvis is then it is a great listen.
Available now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
September 15, 2022
The Earth is our shareholder. It is such a simple idea. So true. So obvious.
We have always admired Patagonia, but never more so than today. They have been pioneering a planet and people first business since 1973. Yvon Chouinard, the rock climber / surfer / founder, has just announced something extraordinary in terms of the wider business landscape but completely in line with his entire career.
Rather than sell the company or list the company on the stock market the Chouinard family are transferring their ownership of the company (valued at about $3 billion) to a group of trusts and not-for-profits that will maintain the company's independence and more importantly guarantee that all of its profits are used to fight climate change, and in Yvon's words, 'to save our home planet'.
Elvis & I have been discussing this all morning. Yvon never behaved like a billionaire, yes, he owned the company, but he didn't live like a king, the value stayed in the company, the company he no longer owns. Elvis said - isn't this what we are doing? Have always done? And the answer is kind of, well yes...
The walls of our straw bale workshop... before the lime render.
Most of you who will read this know that we have always donated 50% of our profits to our charity partners, mainly the Firefighters Charity and Barefoot College. But what about the other 50%? Well, here you go, the other half of the story.
1. Savings. We have always wanted to stay independent, to not require shareholders or debt or anything that could diminish our environmental or social goals. So we saved up to give us a buffer in order to maintain this kind of independence.
2. Re-investment. We started with just one material, decommissioned fire-hose, but now we rescue more than 10 materials and do all kinds of pioneering R&D work. We are constantly taking on new material challenges.
Tea sack transformed into packaging; we have more planned for these too!
3. Fighting Climate Change. For many years we have been trying to work out how we could actually be a net regenerative business. How could we provide net benefits to society and the environment? How could we actively foster biodiversity and fight climate change?
Our answer was regenerative agriculture. We moved to New Barns Farm in December 2020 and started planning. We planted a regenerative agriculture vineyard and the rest of the site is really taking shape. This is a long-term project, being regenerative from Day 1 is labour intensive and expensive and we won't have returns for years. Elvis & Kresse is investing in this. If we are right this farm will not only help us to sequester carbon (tree planting, building soil health) but we have designed it to be a hub, a place where we can share everything we are learning about renewable energy, sustainable construction, rainwater harvesting, wetlands, sewage treatment, compost, compost tea, cover cropping, agroforestry, beneficial insects, and the unbelievably complicated world beneath our feet, in our soil. We are only managing one small farm, but if our experiment works and we share all our data, maybe we can help to convince other farmers and landowners and consumers of farmed goods (so yes, everyone who eats food), that there is a regenerative way to live with the land.
Sheep grazing in our vineyard, they are our only fertiliser.
We aren't Patagonia, we are much much smaller than they are, but guess what, we operate in exactly the same way. I am so glad that Yvon's news has made so many headlines; it will certainly make life easier for us and all of the other founders and entrepreneurs out there who have devoted their lives to 'saving our home planet'.
The final pond in our wetland system... waste water becomes bathing water.
PS: If you don't know the Patagonia story or brand then please - dive in.
May 19, 2022
We have mostly been planting trees at New Barns Farm, but we have also been dealing with long dead trees. What is our plan? We are strategically stacking wood to create wildlife habitats. Smaller branches that would blow away are chipped for our compost. But the stumps? We are transforming these into bee hotels by drilling holes, or rooms for the bees to colonise.
Here is our quiet boutique hotel, tucked away between an Apple Tree and a Rose Bush in a secluded spot on the farm.
But this one is our show stopping 7 Star sail shaped epic, offering a view of the vineyard and wetland and boasting all kinds of amenities.
They will offer different but unique experiences for guests we hope will stay forever.
April 21, 2022
Today we are proud to announce that we are one of 226 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise. We have been specifically recognised for our excellence in Sustainable Development.
An amazing honour and another reason to go to Buckingham Palace to celebrate with some of the most sustainable businesses in the UK including some great friends, COOK and Birdsong.
Just before leaving for Buckingham Palace, dress from eBay (DVF, already worn several times) and more importantly, standing in front of our amazing Discovery Apple tree at the farm.