A Cotswolds kitchen table start-up has grown into a national success story.
Little Soap Company, founded by Emma Heathcote-James in the Cotswolds, was presented with the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development on October 22 by Beatrice Grant, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Worcestershire.
The award, announced in May, is one of only 36 given in the sustainable development category out of 185 UK organisations recognised this year.
Ms Heathcote-James, founder and CEO of Little Soap Company, said: “Receiving the King’s Award is a huge honour and having it presented in person makes it a particularly special milestone for the whole team.
“I’m incredibly proud of how far we’ve come since those early days around my kitchen table.
“We set out to prove that sustainable soap could be accessible to everyone, without compromising on quality, and this award recognises the commitment to that mission that runs through everything we do.
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved, but there’s still so much more we want to do to inspire greener choices and drive positive change.”
Founded in 2008 and inspired by her grandmother, Ms Heathcote-James began making natural soaps at her cottage with a focus on products that are kind to both skin and the environment.
Just six months later, the company secured its first supermarket listings.
Today, Little Soap Company has grown into a multi-million-pound business with an 11-strong team and sells a bar of soap every 30 seconds.
Its product lines include Organics, Naturals, Signature Scent Edit, Eco Warrior, and Little Beast for pets.
The soaps are stocked by major retailers such as Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Ocado, Boots, and Amazon.
Sustainability has been central to the company’s ethos from the beginning.
A certified B Corp since 2020, Little Soap Company has helped keep millions of plastic bottles out of the supply chain through its plastic-free Eco Warrior range.
The King’s Award follows the company’s Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2022.
That award recognised the impact of the Eco Warrior range.
