Private School News

RGS THE GRANGE SCHOOL, Worcester, pupils help soap-maker avoid getting in a lather

Three little helpers from RGS The Grange are assisting in the re-launch of a Bretforton based business, which has fallen foul of the might of a multi-national company who claimed exclusive rights over the use of the word ‘naked’.
Emma Heathcote-James is the owner of the business, which produces a luxury organic hand-made soap from local sources. She’s marking the change of name, from Naked Soap Company, to Little Soap Company, at a Summer Fair held the primary school in Claines.

Having built up business over the past 18 months via internet sales, trade shows and winning contracts to supply local Waitrose and Warner’s Budgen’s stores, she was devastated when she learnt she would have to relinquish the name.
“The costs of what would have been a lengthy legal battle were prohibitive so I simply decided to draw a line, put Naked behind me and move forward. I still make the same soaps, the packaging and online shop is all the same – only the name has changed…” said
Ms Heathcote-James. “Having the pupils from The Grange help make my first batch of soap under the new company name was a lovely way to look to the future and build on the company’s rapid growth over the last eighteen months.”

Ellie Carey, Ben Hughes and Will Reading, all aged 10, bought rosemary and lavender from their school garden having infused it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil to add to the mixing pot. They were taken through the entire soap-making process and even designed their own bespoke RGS soap. They learned not only how to make soap, but also the maths behind the recipes, the art of creating a brand, the creativity of designing the differing flavours, the benefits of
the essential oils and aromatherapy as well as the greener issues of recycling, and how a thorough approach to environmental issues, is so imperative to being a business winner.

“Instead of using tap water, we added collected rainwater to the recipe,” said Ellie. “The moulds that we poured the soap mixture into came from bits of reclaimed wood used to make the Hamlet set at the theatre in Stratford, which amazed us. I never thought it would
be so much fun to make soap.”

The company’s name change will be celebrated in style among many other local suppliers at The Grange’s Summer Fair on Saturday 3rd July, where the Lavender soap made by the pupils will be on sale.