There are moments in business when you stop, look back and realise just how far you've come. This time last year, I was collecting fleeces in the back of my car, travelling between local Cotswold sheep farms and delivering wool to be processed. Every fleece represented a conversation with a farmer, a shared belief in British wool and the hope that something meaningful could be built from a fibre so often overlooked.
Fast forward twelve months and things look very different. Today, we're working with a new mill capable of processing tonnes of wool, increasing our capacity by over 500%. Walking through rows of British wool stacked floor to ceiling is both humbling and exciting. It represents more than growth; it represents opportunity. Opportunity for more Cotswold farmers to work with us, more knitters to create with our yarn and more people to discover the beauty of truly traceable British wool.
But while the scale has changed, the heart of Beatrice Bayliss hasn’t.
Every bale of wool still begins on a Cotswold farm, every partnership is built on trust. Every skein of yarn and every piece of knitwear is created with the same intention we've had from the beginning: to celebrate British craftsmanship and restore value to one of our country's most remarkable natural fibres.
Looking around the mill, surrounded by thousands of fleeces waiting for their next chapter, it's impossible not to feel incredibly grateful. Grateful to the farmers who believed in us from day one, to every customer who has chosen to support an independent British brand and to everyone who continues to follow our journey. Growth is exciting, but it's also a reminder of responsibility. As we grow, so does our commitment to producing beautiful, timeless knitwear without losing sight of where it all begins.
What a difference a year can make and here's to the next chapter, taking Cotswold wool even further.
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