Brilliant Brands Sharing Seasonal Stories
As the days lengthen and stretch into early summer, we're highlighting brilliant brands that master the art of seasonal storytelling. Discover the enchanting sculptures of Jess Wheeler, taste the true flavours of the seasons with Natoora, experience the simple joys of outdoor living at Fforest and embrace the seasonal colours crafted by The Natural Dyeworks.
These four brands beautifully capture the essence of the seasonal year and we hope they will inspire you to use the seasons in your brand storytelling.
From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.
Jess Wheeler with limited edition Bronze Rhubarb Side Table. Image with permission from Jess Wheeler
1. “elegant, poetic and rooted in the raw beauty of nature”
Artist & Designer - Jess Wheeler
“In a world where so much of what we surround ourselves with are carbon copies, delivered in highly manufactured packages, I want to create objects where you can see the touch of the hand, that are full of wobbles and imperfections.”
Encompassing fine art, sculpture and interiors, Jess Wheeler’s playful creations draw inspiration directly from the wonders of the natural world. Jess transforms natural forms from giant cabbage and rhubarb leaves to mushrooms and ivy garlands, forging them from an ever-evolving array of materials including brass, bronze and plaster.
Finding inspiration from her own garden to her daily foraging walks, Wheeler’s latest collection, ‘Left, Right & Rhubarb’ is inspired by childhood memories of spring…
Image with permission from Jess Wheeler
“Rhubarb grows from a bright pink knuckle in the wintered soil, slowly at first and then with increasing luxuriance, announcing the new Spring. As children, our Granny would take my siblings and me to her rhubarb patch, whose leaves towered over us like fairytale parasols, to collect the bright pink stems, cook them, pickle them, share with each other.
In this collection, I’ve tried to preserve the sense of occasion, magic and playfulness that I associate with rhubarb. I cast huge leaves from life, and playfully articulate these joyous springlike forms into tactile usable sculptures.”
Natoora founder Franco Fubini with one of Natoora’s growers and suppliers. Image with permission from Natoora
2. “Microseasons to unlock flavour at every stage”
Food Supliers - Natoora
“Each fruit and vegetable has its own season, with subtle shifts that happen every day. We follow each one through its microseason — early, peak or late — noticing subtle shifts and hitting on unique flavours.”
Natoora exists with one clear ambition; to fix the food problem, working to reconnect people with the origins of the food they eat. Theirs is one of “radical seasonality,” with flavour at the heart of everything they do.
“We sought out flavour by connecting with small-scale growers across Europe. We knew that fruits and vegetables grown in their natural seasons taste best, but our mission led us to growers who also preserve local growing artistry, work with diverse varieties and enhance their ecosystems.”
From the varieties in their produce boxes to the recipes they share online, to the campaigning they do across the food industry, seasonality is at the root of their brand storytelling.
A favourite example of their creative approach to communicating their mission, is their ‘Radicchio Not Roses’ campaign, now in its third year.
Every year 250 million roses are grown for Valentine’s Day, when they are not in season. Natoora’s campaign encourages people to choose a seasonal alternative…
“Deep purple with tight, curled leaves or rosette-shaped with red speckles, bright red with crisp white veins or all hues of pink; we challenge you to find flowers more striking and vibrant than these radicchio heads.”
“At the end of their life as centrepieces, radicchio plants are eaten, not wasted. Their bittersweet complexity makes them ideal for cold-weather salads. Try with lemon, anchovy and garlic dressing or preserved lime and rose vinegar. Mix with fennel and blood orange or try it wrapped around hot smoked trout and kabocha squash onigiri (as an alternative to seaweed).”
Fforest owners Sian Ticker and James Lynch. Image with permission from Fforest
3. “the result of a dream….trying to remember what ‘simple’ can look, feel and taste like”
Accommodation, camping & events - Fforest
“A place to enjoy the simplicity, pleasures and beauty of outdoor living in an outstanding natural environment.”
Fforest is the result of owners Sian and James’ dream of ‘the simplest and purest of things wrapped up in a magical setting’.
I was lucky enough to stay at Fforest for their Gather festival with four friends and our kids. It was a magical time. We cooked, ate, played and slept outdoors, lighting fires, climbing trees, building dens, crafting, dancing, and swimming in the sea, closer to the weather, the tides, stars, the moon and each other. It’s a truly special place, that really does feel like the result of a dream.
Image with permission from Fforest
Sian and James’ connection with the land is evident throughout their storytelling, sharing the simple pleasures as the seasons shift. They host a range of events to celebrate those changes, from feasts to getaways to creative weekends.
“What makes Fforest? Care, growing, cooking, eating, learning, living, fire, adventure, community. Simple.”
The Natural Dyeworks founder Ros Humphries. Image with permission from The Natural Dyeworks, shot by Dave Bullivant.
“Hand coloured slowly with plants and care”
Homewares & Accessories - The Natural Dyeworks
“Crafting an ever evolving palette of colours through the use of petals, leaves, bark, roots & seeds”
The handcrafted, hand-dyed ribbons, homewares and accessories created by owner Ros tell the story of the seasonal year. Using ingredients foraged from the Kent countryside or sourced from food waste collected from local cafes, Ros uses the alchemy of plant-based dyes to capture the essence of the seasons.
“Our palette changes continually with the seasons, and the spectrum of colours available is dependent on the ingredients available such as nettles in spring for cool greens, coreopsis in summer for wild oranges, hollyhocks in autumn for soft blues, alder cones in winter for burnished golds.”
Working exclusively with natural fibres and dyes, Ros’ process is 100% natural. Collecting only what is needed for a single dye pot, all the products show a deep respect for nature and leave as little footprint as possible, “Waste water is reused on the garden and allotment, dye pulp is composted which in turn feeds our soil”.
Want to discover more brilliant brands? The stories continue on Instagram @simplemattersmedia and sign up for our monthly newsletter ‘StoryWorks’
Brilliant Brands Sharing Stories of Sustainability
In April, for Earth Day we’re highlighting brilliant brands who are taking real steps to find better ways to do business. From different industries and with a variety of styles, they all share their work with passion, authenticity and captivating storytelling, including a paint company, restaurant, textile designer, and transport company. We hope you’re as inspired by their work and ideas as much as we are.
From around the world, each in a different industry, all committed to daring to do business differently.
Image with permission from Atelier Ellis. Photographer Ellen Christina Hancock
1. ‘complex and deep, but also quiet and cocooning’
Paint Company - Atelier Ellis
‘the colours are deeply rooted in the natural world, as well as personal memories, marks, and fragments.’
Atelier Ellis makes quiet, beautiful, handmade paint. Everything is done with exceptional care and thought and a deeply personal touch, including their hand-painted paint charts.
There is a calm confidence to their brand presence, with words and images rich with atmosphere and feeling.
‘Inspired by the way we live in nature, cities, and society, the distinctive shades are designed to create quiet, joyful backdrops to people’s homes and lives, helping them tell their unique stories of home.’
Describing themselves as a ‘human-scale business, ’ founder Cassandra Ellis is aware of the responsibility of running a business and its impact.
“How we consume affects not only an individual’s life but also our society and the environment…I believe in true stewardship - taking care, being in service, producing what we need, and communicating the benefits clearly and simply.
Their paint, ‘True Matt Emulsion,’ is now made using a bio-based formulation, including vegetable oil, sugar, and bio ethanol. Based in Bath, 90% of their materials come from the UK, the remainder from Europe.
The ultimate stewardship is to make the best quality paint in unique colours. As an independent business, we are free to choose best practices and materials, while manufacturing in a fair and equal way.’ - Cassandra Ellis
Image with permission from Silo
‘A Restaurant without a bin.’
The world’s first Zero waste restaurant - Silo
‘Imagining a world without waste.’
A story of daring to think differently and find a better way. ‘Silo’ is the determined vision of Chef & owner Doug McMaster who believes, ‘waste is a failure of the imagination.’
‘a restaurant that doesn’t have a bin: from that simple limitation grows a big tree.
At Silo we choose to provide quality through purity, adopting a more primitive diet with techniques both modern and ancient. Zero waste Silo is a restaurant designed from back to front, always with the bin in mind.
The production of waste has been eliminated by simply choosing to trade directly with farmers, using re-usable delivery vessels and choosing local ingredients that themselves generated no waste. Any remaining scraps of food are then composted, closing the loop.’
It’s not just the food, every detail from the furniture to the plates have been made using recycled materials, developed through experimentation, innovation and of course, imagination.
As well as deliciously creative food (how does quaver and vegetable treacle sound?), there’s a book, ‘The Zero Waste Blueprint’ which is part cookbook, part manifesto.
For more inspiration, this film is definitely worth a watch…
Film by Matt Hopkins of Progress Film Company as part of their series ‘England Your England’ which focuses on individuals in society who are breaking ground from an underdog position.
Image with permission from New Dawn Traders
‘buy less, buy better, buy local, by sail.’
Food Suppliers - New Dawn Traders
‘From across the oceans by the power of the wind, we welcome a new dawn for shipping cargo under sail.’
New Dawn Traders is a Cornish company, that wants to change global trade, offering an alternative and more sustainable way to transport goods.
An estimated 90% of the world’s goods are transported by sea. For many of us, it’s only when a significant event occurs, like a ship getting stuck or a route closing because of war, that we give much thought to how the things we buy have reached us.
New Dawn Traders is working to change that.
‘We trade in wild ideas and delicacies, working with sailing cargo vessels to import produce from across the Atlantic Ocean and along European coastlines pollution-free. Inspired by people, projects, and businesses that promote resilience in local food systems….with our network of ships, producers, and allies, we are building new models for supply chains that put the planet and people first.
New Dawn traders want to reconnect with the journeys of the things we buy to encourage us to focus on what we really need and what can be found locally…playing our part in the global movement to bring food trade to a human scale & consumerism to a conscious level.
The cargos that WE choose to sail over from distant lands are of value because they are products that cannot be grown in England and are of cultural significance and curiosity – the luxuries in life that are worth savouring; like coffee, chocolate, and rum.’
Definitely an idea we can get on board with.
Visit their website to read more about their values and vision. A truly seasonal business, always planning their next voyage and awaiting a favourable wind.
Image with permission from Rootfull
‘Growing lighting fashion and sculpture with biology.’
At the intersection of science, art and design - Rootfull
‘Rootfull cultivates root textile and bridges two seemingly separate worlds from underwater to underground whilst blending artistry, material science, and sustainability.’
I gasped the first time I discovered the work of Zena Holloway and her business Rootfull.
Zena is an incredibly talented underwater photographer. As a diver, she saw the realities and devastating consequences of plastic pollution in our oceans, witnessing marine life being destroyed by climate change.
Zena didn’t look away, instead she dared to question the way things are made and from that curiosity the idea ‘took root and grew.’
She set up ‘Rootfull’ an innovative business that’s seeking to disrupt the material choices we make.
‘Rootfull is a material innovation company developing a new generation of root textile solutions for the circular economy.’
Through exploration and research, Rootfull is developing ways that we might grow new materials. Using wheatgrass seed she’s creating art, sculptures, textiles and even wedding dresses. But more importantly she’s daring to imagine another, better way inspiring more sustainable solutions that could help to slow or reverse climate change.
Want to discover more brilliant brands? The stories continue on Instagram @simplemattersmedia and sign up for our monthly newsletter ‘StoryWorks’