Frenchic is the UK's fastest growing chalk and mineral paint brand and is the largest UK supplier to independent retailers, supplying and supporting over 600 stockists in 26 countries worldwide including the USA, UAE and Hong Kong. We provide paint ranges with a variety of uses and in an array of inspirational colours but also a comprehensive range of complementary finishes, brushes and accessories.
We have five ranges – the Original Artisan, Lazy, Al Fresco, Chalk Wall Paint and Trim Paint. The Al Fresco Inside/Outside range is hugely popular - it’s durable, weatherproof, UV resistant, self-priming, self-sealing and works on pretty much any material you can imagine. Our classic chalk wall paint range is perfect for the home – it’s washable, ultra-matte and has very little odour. It’s also EN 71:3 certified, meaning it’s safe for painting children’s bedrooms and toys.
Why did you apply for a Queen's Award?
We pride ourselves in continually creating unique paints in must-have colours and creating innovative formulas. Frenchic's Lazy Range has all the distinctive characteristics of Frenchic's original paint but with added wax, creating a unique chalk and mineral paint with a wax infusion. This innovative addition of wax means that the paint is self-priming, self-levelling, and self-sealing. It is unlike any other chalk paint and the first of its kind in the decorative market. We knew that the Queen’s Award for Enterprise recognises developments like this, and we felt this was the time to share our achievements.
What does it mean to win?
Receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise is a true honour for us, especially in the innovation category. Everything we produce has the customer and environment in mind, combining exceptional quality with ease of use and eco-friendly ingredients. The journey to get to this point has been a true labour of love. A start-up with humble beginnings, no exterior funding, but simply a pure passion for paint - so to have the royal seal of approval is a dream come true for the whole team.
What makes Frenchic special as a company is that we’re so much more than just paint. We’re a global community for up-cycling creativity and inspiration, and that’s reflected in our 1 million plus social media following and within our ever-growing community of stockists. Frenchic really is one big family. We built our business model around championing independent retailers, which continues to be at the heart of the brand. The Queen’s Award is shared amongst every one of us – from our founders in Surrey, to our stockists in Singapore. It’s not just about the award itself, it’s the recognition of years of relentless hard work, passion, community and of course, excellent paint.
More about Frenchic...
The inspiration for the brand came from our founder, Pam Gruhn, who was up-cycling furniture but struggling to find a high-quality chalk paint that really ticked all the boxes; eco-friendly, EN:71-3 certified and therefore safe for use on children's toys, required less stirring and shaking or the addition of water, had no toxins or added VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), had no nasty odour and a beautiful palette of colours. There was a gap in the market and she wanted to create a paint that was easy to use for beginners, as well as being the choice of professionals. A successful product has to have authenticity and be born of a personal passion – Frenchic has both! Pam started the company during an up-cycling revolution, and very quickly the brand became a key driver and influence behind this momentum.
It's the passion, it’s the people, it’s the paint!
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