When Chloë founded her botanical bath and body products brand, Bramley, in 2009, it was partly out of a need to create suitably appealing, sustainable toiletries for the bathrooms of the Wiltshire pub with rooms she and her husband had left London to take on. “That was the spark,” recalls Chloë, who is originally from Devon, where she grew up with a lot of beach time and liked to mix her own perfumes for fun.
She had previously worked for the spa brand Cowshed, but, away from the capital, found that it wasn’t easy to source the ecologically sound, high-quality products she wanted to offer guests at the end of their bathtub. “This was 15 years ago, and it was very much 30ml, single-use plastic bottles. I thought, ‘Gosh, these are really not what I want to put in the middle of the British countryside.’ That started everything.”
Chloë solved the problem by fulfilling a long-held ambition to create her own brand. Bramley’s first range included a body wash and lotion, with an emphasis on essential oils, natural ingredients and sustainable packaging. These are the principles on which many credible brands are built these days, but in 2009, “there was really no one else doing it”, says Chloë. “It sounds a bit grand to say that we were pioneers, but we were.”
Guests soon began to enquire whether they could buy the Bramley products to take home – and, in some cases, to stock in their own hotels. When Chloë took a trip in October 2011 to stay in a buzzed-about new restaurant with rooms in the New Forest, THE PIG, she had a suggestion for its founder, a vague acquaintance called Robin Hutson. “As soon as I got home, I sent him samples,” she says. “Robin has always had such a keen interest in sourcing locally and in independent brands, so he was interested right away, and he has been so supportive.”
Today, the Bramley brand is based in Wiltshire, on the Dorset border: “We’re not too far from Stonehenge, is how I direct people.” Chloë collaborates with a local apothecary and all the products are made in Somerset before they arrive at the warehouse to be sent out into the world. Bramley products are available in John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason, carefully chosen hotels and online.
There is also a collection of Bramley x THE PIG products that you will only find in PIG hotels. “I wanted to create the best products on the market,” says Chloë. “They all have different essential oils that have therapeutic effects and really work. For example, the handwash includes clary sage and lemon, which are cleansing, and lavender, which is antibacterial. There are no artificial perfumes – instead, the scents come from the essential oils.
“THE PIGs are sensory, relaxed environments, and these products suit that. We worked closely with Robin, and products such as the hand creams and hand washes were directly inspired by Kitchen Garden ingredients, including chamomile, sage and rosemary.”
Chloë has recently expanded the brand to include Bramley Skin, offering scrubs and facial skincare, as well as a children’s bath products range, Little B, and even an offering for dogs, Digby. As for the future, she has turned down offers for Bramley to be stocked in some rather smart supermarkets but is exploring opportunities with international hotels and applying for B Corp status to assure customers of the high sustainability standards to which the brand holds itself. “We say no to more people than we say yes to,” says Chloë. “But you have to stay true to your values and really believe in your brand. I have faith in our sustainable approach.”
You’ll always find Bramley’s signature hand and body products across our PIG restaurant bathrooms and bedrooms when you come round to ours – and you can buy our PIG x Bramley products, inspired by the Kitchen Garden, by visiting THE PIG Market.
