About Us
The great thing about starting your own company is that it can be anything you want it to be. I’m not just talking about lovely quality products, about sales, marketing and finance. I’m also talking about ethics, about translating who you are and what you believe in into your working environment, into how you work with your colleagues, your customers, your business relations. At Lavender & Sage we firmly believe in kindness, honesty, fairness, and a great sense of humour. We believe in giving back when we can.
For many years I worked as a property restorer and Interior Designer, which meant living on building sites. Lavender & Sage was started for Jessie, who was then 13 years old, so that our work place should be warm and dry and without steel toe cap boots to step on her pretty Princess' feet. I used the contacts I’d made during the 3½ years we’d lived in Provence and away we went. Lady Jessie was always firmly in control, you must understand. Even our courier said: ‘In the end, everybody reports to Jessie’.
Last year we decided to make an annual event of giving away the proceeds of orders placed on Jessie's birthday on 30th March. This was a great success and a cheque was sent to the Dogs' Trust. Also, we support the Animal Blood Register by supplying the prizes for their monthly draws, which are helping to get more vets signed up. Please see below for more details.
My beautiful darling Jessie passed away on 2nd February this year, leaving an unfillable hole in my life.
In her honour we are now in the process of creating 'Jessie's Trust', which will support animal charities. As soon as there are concrete details, we'll let you know in our newsletter. We are also developing plans for employees to engage in charity work on company time.
In the meantine, please remember the annual 'Jessie's Day' on 30th March. 100% of the proceeds of orders placed on this day will be given to animal charities.
Animal Blood Register
As you know animals are of the utmost importance to us here at Lavender & Sage, which is why we are pleased to announce our official sponsorship of the Animal Blood Register.
Every day pets need blood transfusions, but most of us probably don't realise that there is no such thing as an animal bloodbank. However, for many procedures a transfusion is a clinical necessity and without animal blood donors veterinary surgeons could not undertake important and often life-saving operations. The Animal Blood Register was set up to provide veterinary practices with the resources that they require in order to provide the highest standard of care possible. Which is exactly the way we like it.
We always feel that it is important to give something back whenever we can so, yet again, in purchasing Lavender & Sage products our customers are helping to support a worthwhile cause. For more information please visit www.animalbloodregister.com.
Kit Wilson Trust for Animal Welfare
At their Rescue Centre near Uckfield, East Sussex, the Kit Wilson Trust cares for animals who come from a wide range of backgrounds. Many are unwanted, ill-treated or abandoned. They have a large number of cats and dogs at the Centre awaiting new homes, and each day can bring more animals needing attention. The Rescue Centre has also become a permanent home to horses, donkeys, cats, goats, rodents and a variety of birds. And, last but definitely not least, a beautiful pig called Thistle. All of us at Lavender & Sage spent a day at the Centre, taking dogs out for long walks. We feel the Centre seems somehow contained in a love-bubble and is a place of peace and enchantment.
The Kit Wilson Trust receives no local authority, government or lottery funding. Lavender & Sage were very happy to be able to give the Trust a cheque for £750.
For more information please visit www.kitwilsontrust.org.uk. To make a donation, you can click straight through to Make a Donation.
Ethical trading is important to us
You can buy from Lavender & Sage with a clear conscience.
As well as checking the credentials of all our suppliers, we aim to have minimum impact on the environment ourselves. Also, we would never never knowingly sell products that contain animal ingredients, or have been tested on animals.
As much as possible the packaging and stationery we use is recycled, biodegradable or recyclable, or any combination of these. We are always on the lookout to improve.
But: first and foremost the items we sell are of excellent quality and are meant to last.
Our Media Relations company:
Green Rocket Group (
www.greenrocketgroup.com) is an ethical media relations company which has been set up to help businesses in the green sector get their message across to the right audience. As a social enterprise Green Rocket is dedicated to making a difference through its work. 75% of the profits will be channelled back into an information campaign designed to empower people with knowledge about environmental issues. Green Rocket is quickly establishing a name for itself; alongside winning a prestigious award from UnLtd, the company has received a lot of support from the social business sector.
Some of our Suppliers:
Le Comptoir de Famille
French supplier Comptoir de Famille specialises in authentic reproductions of beautiful objects from the past. Imagine the kinds of lovely bygones you might find in a typical French brocante, or in a corner of the attic - handmade, individual and showing small imperfections which add to their charm - and you’ll get the flavour of what Comptoir offer.
Some Comptoir goods are manufactured outside of the EU. As is the case in the EU, however, these factories are regularly checked, conditions are good and workers are paid a living wage. Absolutely no child labour is employed.
Their body products and candles contain no animal ingredients, nor are they tested on animals.
No Nastys
This local handmade soap company is dedicated to exclusively producing ethical, pure, natural French-recipe soap made without nasty chemicals, additives or colorants and using only the highest food-grade ingredients. Environmentally sound production and packaging.