BUSINESS
KENT WOMEN IN BUSINESS
CLAIRE PRICE :
The Woman Behind … Reuthe ’ s Nursery
reuthes . com
CLAIRE PRICE , OWNER OF REUTHE ’ S : THE LOST GARDENS OF SEVENOAKS IS A WOMAN WHO HAS FLOURISHED IN MANY INDUSTRIES DURING HER ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER . HER CURRENT VENTURE AS OWNER OF THE GARDEN OF EDEN-STYLE REUTHE ’ S - WHICH ACTUALLY STARTED AS A RETIREMENT PROJECT - HAS BECOME HER LATEST ALL-CONSUMING PASSION .
Tell us a little about yourself .
I ’ m a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who has worked both in the UK and the US . My initial startups operated in the architecture and property development sectors , where I developed a broad range of skills and a creative way of seeing opportunities where others see an overwhelming problem .
Reuthe ’ s : The Lost Gardens of Sevenoaks is actually my retirement project ; it was meant to slow me down but has flourished into an all-consuming passion . Dropping my daughter at school one morning , I chanced upon a dilapidated and neglected 11-acre arboretum and plant nursery and it captured my heart . Reuthe ’ s is now a magical healing landscape of indescribable beauty for the public to enjoy and to benefit from physically and mentally .
Who are the women that helped you along in your journey to success ?
My school headmistress imbued in me a self-belief that anything I visioned about my future life was a real possibility and that I had the life skills and tenacity to achieve those goals . She was an extraordinary woman who remained a close friend until she died aged 92 .
In addition , my beloved mum who sadly passed away a few weeks ago was an irrepressible force for good in my life . She always supported me in my endeavours , and she taught me the importance of giving back to society having raised millions for charity over her lifetime . She was unafraid of veering away from the conventions of society and turned down an MBE in protest against her view that celebrities were receiving undeserved honours . I guess I ’ m a disruptor - like my mum .
What has your experience as a woman in business been like ?
I recall visiting building sites in my early career and the site hut being plastered with pics of page three girls . In those days it would have been futile for me to complain , so I held my voice in , as a coping strategy perhaps . As I have become more successful in business , I have found my voice and now feel a visceral obligation to make changes to the world of work . I work hard to create a workplace where everyone is respected , valued and heard . In 2022 the landscape of the world of work for women is transformed for the better and my daughter will not have to navigate the sexist landscape of the 1980s .
How would you encourage other girls and women to get involved in your industry ?
I am proud that Reuthe ’ s is a female-led organisation and I believe that this filters down into everything that we do . It ' s essential that women in business provide a ladder up for others who are at a different stage of their career journey . I enjoy acting as a mentor for local business owners , particularly one ’ s who have suffered due to the pandemic , and I would encourage girls to consider business entrepreneurship as a rewarding career . If you want to change the world then you need to be sitting at the decisionmakers ’ table and that is an unrelenting responsibility for women especially .
What has been your proudest business accomplishment ?
Being invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate an energy-harvesting invention of mine that converted wasted energy from footsteps into light was a significant accolade . But saving The Lost Gardens of Sevenoaks from dilapidation is my proudest acheivement . I have invested my life savings into Reuthe ’ s and opening a business just before lockdown was a challenge that I hadn ’ t predicted . I am proud that we are creating valuable rural jobs and that we welcome tens of thousands of visitors each year to our patch of paradise in the Kent countryside .
What makes you so passionate about the work you do ?
I ’ ve always invested totally in what I have chosen to do . I am motivated by a desire to make a difference and a belief that it is essential that every one of us leaves this world a better place . With that mantra in mind , I ’ ve recently created the Reuthe ’ s charity based around how therapeutic horticulture and environmental wellbeing can heal us , comfort us and provide new skills . The pandemic taught us how we instinctively reach out to nature for a sense of nurture and wellbeing when we are in crisis ; I ’ m hoping the Reuthe ’ s charity is a new chapter in my legacy and that I make my daughter proud .
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