Herdy in the News

Our new children’s storybook Herdy Junior and the Big Old Boulder launched at Waterstones in Kendal on 18 February. Patricia Hovey MBE had the kids spellbound as she read the book, and there was fierce concentration during the colouring competition. Congratulations go to the winner Harry (age 7) (we love the addition of cherries on the tree and a stingray in the tarn!), and to runners up Pip and Reanna (both 6). All of the fantastic entries are now brightening up the herdy office. We’ll be having another reading and competition at Carlisle Waterstones on 10 March. Come along if you’re nearby.

You’ve all been following the dramatic images from our beloved Cumbria and the flooding over the last week, and your messages of support and concern have been so kind. Thank ewe. We’ve always known that community was a powerful thing, but in the middle of all the chaos and destruction, we’ve experienced some amazing moments of people coming together to help each other. It’s been a very heart-warming time in many ways.   Our herdy team, despite being themselves affected by the flooding, worked tirelessly to get the shops back on their feet at Grasmere, Keswick & Hawes. We’re now back open for business, and trying to help bring some normality and positivity back to the area.  We’ve had some amazing support both locally and from friends afar. In the immediate aftermath, we opened our shop in Grasmere for the community to use broadband, phones or have a cuppa. Within 10 minutes of us posting a request on social media for help at our Keswick shop, volunteers started arriving to help clear the mud, silt and damaged stock and fittings. Jean, one of our herdy friends in the south of England, wanted to help but was too far away. She was so moved by what she saw, she sent tea, coffee, biscuits to the Grasmere shop by mail order - what an amazingly thoughtful thing to do! We even had Finn, one of our Twitter friends, who posted a design for a mug; herdy wearing a snorkel. Made us all smile!  Many local people and businesses were affected. The Cumbria Community Foundation, is fundraising to help those affected by the floods and, if you feel you would like to contribute, here’s the link: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/cumbriafoundation/cumbriafloodappeal2015 It’s been a tough time but Cumbrians are a resilient bunch and trying hard to get the message out that Cumbria and the Lake District is very much open for business. Our roads are open (all bar a couple!), trains are running, and the countryside is as beautiful now as ever. Certain diversions are in place but please come and enjoy what you’ve always done, walk the fells, enjoy the pubs, chill out in the hotels, eat and drink in the cafes and restaurants. Thank you for all your lovely messages of support and we look forward to seeing you soon. Plan your trip, have a look at www.golakes.co.uk.

Herdy teams up with Jamie at Home You may have spotted our terracotta duo garlic pot and herb pot? Well the army is expanding, and two new pots have joined the family… Meet sauce pot and mini pot! We’re delighted to announce Herdy have been commissioned to create these exclusive new items for the Jamie homeware collection, which is available from Jamie Oliver’s party plan business, Jamie at Home. The sauce pot is perfect for serving any sauce you fancy, especially mint! It can also be used as a storage pot and is just the right size for keeping keys handy and loose change safe. The herdy mini pot was designed as an egg cup, but it’s perfect too for serving salt and pepper at your table. The range is designed by us in the Lake District and made in Sri Lanka by a local, family-run workshop whose projects support traditional village potters in the area. Hand decorated, each piece has its own unique characteristics. Kristen Wilkin, Jamie Buyer said, “It is important to Jamie to collaborate with designers who are talented and passionate about what they do and herdy definitely delivers on both fronts. Herdy is a socially responsible company and produce goods of the highest quality. We knew our customers would appreciate the huge benefits we see in collaborating with herdy, and that they would find the hand decorated forms of the Herdwick sheep irresistible.” The herdy pots will be sold through Jamie at Home parties from 1st January 2012.

We love the Lake District fells but it’s nice to travel sometimes. Herdy has ventured as far afield as Japan, and a small but beautiful range of gifts is now available in Tokyo. Ito-ya is a famous Japanese stationery company, and you can now find our very own herdy at their flag-ship store in the trendy Ginza district. The store has 9 floors of stationery and gifts, stocking everything from pens to paint brushes to traditional Japanese paper and calligraphy supplies. The prestigious 100 year old company prides itself on customer service, quality, innovation, and satisfying the Japanese obsession for beautiful stationary. Well worth a visit if you happen to be passing!

herdy are fully behind the Campaign for Wool, which aims to promote the benefits of wool for fashion, interiors and the built environment. Not only is wool beautiful to look at and a great insulator, it's also natural, long lasting, renewable, and when it comes to the end of it's life, it's biodegradable. The Campaign for Wool involves designers, retailers and wool manufacturers working together to promote the wonderful properties that wool has to offer, and was initiated by HRH The Prince of Wales. He believes that choosing real wool is the sustainable choice, and will also help to support sheep farming as an industry. In areas such as the Lake District, farmers do a tough job grazing flocks of sheep to maintain the open landscape and diverse wildlife habitat, but they see little benefit in return. Prices paid to farmers for herdwick wool in recent years have been as low as 5p per fleece, while the cost of shearing is approximately 80p per animal. Without farmers taking care of the landscape, the whole economy of areas such as the Lake District is less sustainable. The herdy company aims to support farmers by making the best use of wool - one of the UK's greatest assets, and creating woollen products with modern appeal, such as the 100% pure wool throws. Their contemporary design aims to appeal to all ages and we hope that items like these will become something that people treasure and pass on to their children and grandchildren, so that this traditional material continues to be valued in the future. To support the Campaign for Wool, herdy sent a flock of willow Herdwick sheep from the Lake District hundreds of miles south to feature in the world famous shop, Liberty of London during National Wool Week in 2010. Look out for woolly events around the country during Wool Week 2011 from 5-11 September, and also International Wool Week 3-10 October. www.campaignforwool.org

We don't like to brag, but in 2010 we were awarded the title Small Company of the Year" by Business in the Community. Business In The Community stands for responsible business and corporate social responsibility, so it was a real accolade. Here are some nice things they said about us: "The Herdy Company has so much authentic passion, and for such a small, young company it is amazing to see the extent of its impact on the local economy. Sustainability is woven into the very fabric of everything the company does. It is truly inspirational and I look forward with excitement to see how the Herdy brand continues to go from strength to strength." In 2011 we have been helping BITC to judge this year's entrants. It has been inspiring to see the creative ways that other businesses are finding to operate responsibly, and we are encouraged to see the responsible business movement continuing to grow. We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the 'Big Tick' seal of approval again this year, and are looking at ways to continue to improve the way we do things. http://www.bitc.org.uk/

We have our own, cute little shop right in the heart of The Lakes so please come and say hello next time you're in town. It's a great opportunity for us to showcase the entire product range and get to meet and greet our customers. We plan to use the shop for new product launches and fun events so keep you eyes peeled for what's coming. The herdy shop is located in Grasmere village, on College Street adjacent to the village green. See you there! College Street Grasmere Cumbria The Lake District LA22 9SZ click here to see a map