Ethical children’s clothing brand, Frugi, wins TWO Queen’s Awards for Enterprise: Sustainable Development and International Trade
About Frugi
Frugi was founded in 2004 by Kurt & Lucy Jewson after they struggled to find clothes to fit over cloth nappies. 16 years later, Frugi is the UK’s leading ethical and organic children’s clothing brand available to buy online from welovefrugi.com and over 650 retailers globally in 34 countries. The full range includes tiny baby to ten years with a stylish twinning, maternity and breastfeeding range for Grown-Ups, as well as bedding and accessories.
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses, recognising and encouraging outstanding achievements. Frugi has been recognised with awards for both Sustainable Development and International Trade and are one of only four companies to achieve a double Award this year.
The Sustainable Development category was re-focused for this year’s round by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales urging leaders in the field to place sustainability at the heart of their business. Frugi couldn’t be more pleased and prouder to have been recognised for their continuous efforts in sustainability. They are on a mission to show the clothing industry that you can run a successful business whilst being sustainable & ethical.
Why did you apply for a Queen's Award for Enterprise?
Our gorgeous clothing is made using GOTS (Global Textile Standard) certified organic cotton, meaning we know the processes used are better for and have a lower impact on the environment and the farmers growing the crops. There are lots of measurable environmental benefits to growing and using organic cotton compared to conventional cotton, one of them being that organic cotton uses less energy than conventional cotton as no nasty chemicals are used in the production process. This means there are no nasties being injected into the eco-system around us.
Ethics and sustainability are values that reach throughout our team and practices; from the organic cotton farms through to the factories we work with. Our team works closely with manufactures visiting regularly to ensure everything is ship-shape and everyone adheres to the Frugi Code of Conduct.
Frugi has always attracted passionate people who care about people and the planet, it’s ingrained within the very core of the business. Our amazingly talented team are always open to new ideas, fresh thinking and have a desire to succeed. We set up a dedicated ‘Green Committee’ of Frugi employees who meet regularly to discuss all things eco at Frugi HQ. The aims and objectives of the committee are to lead the way in environmental and business sustainability and to strengthen and reinforce Frugi’s business values.
For us, sustainability is linked to ethics, which is why we donate 1% of our annual turnover to charities who are making a difference in the lives of children and the environment. So far Frugi has donated over £580,000 to charities
This is the second time that Frugi has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade. They first won the prestigious award back in 2014. They have continued to achieve outstanding growth overseas and last year exported products directly to 72 international markets as well as working with 678 retailers across 34 countries. The largest markets of Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the USA and Ireland all continue to see strong year-on-year growth.
What does it mean to business and staff?
We couldn’t be more pleased and prouder to have been recognised for our continuous efforts in sustainability, as we continue our mission to show the clothing industry that you can run a successful business whilst being sustainable & ethical.
Frugi CEO Hugo Adams said: ‘Ever since Frugi was founded, it has been our mission to show the world that you can create a successful brand, whilst upholding strong ethical & environmental values. To achieve two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and in International Trade is a great endorsement of all that we’ve achieved with our environmental commitments and also our drive and passion to take these principles global. Being one of only four companies to achieve a double Award this year is fantastic recognition of the very hard work and dedication from all the team that makes our business truly unique’.
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