The Cotswold Bed Company, a firm with over 35 years of experience in the interiors sector, has become the first furniture maker in Gloucestershire to be awarded B Corp status.
Headquartered in Gloucestershire and with a new luxurious showroom in the beautiful Cotswold setting of Elkstone Studios near Cirencester, the firm designs and handcrafts luxury beds, mattresses, furniture, linens and accessories.
Founded in Cheltenham in 2015 by husband-and-wife team, Paul and Alejandra Whitelocks, the company is now one of the country's leading manufacturers of furniture and furnishings.
It prides itself on supporting sustainable, British craftmanship — its luxury range of mattresses, for example, are handmade in a factory less than a mile from the farm from which its wool is responsibly sourced.
To be awarded B Corp status, a business must undergo a rigorous accreditation process that assesses five key categories — staff, customers, community, the environment and its conduct — in which it must score at least 80 per cent and pass an exam.
Paul said: 'We quickly realised that the only way to ensure we could satisfy our clients’ needs was to 'make it ourselves'; and from the beginning, the company’s ethos was to care for our people, our products, our clients and, most importantly, ensure that we considered the planet we live on and try to be as sustainable as possible.'
'Over the past six months we have been on a journey to ensure that our values are fully aligned to that of B Corp — the global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy.
'We are so proud of the team here and the values we stand for, which has enabled us to become a certified member of B Corp, and the first furniture manufacturer in Gloucestershire, and bedroom interiors maker in the UK.'
