Kent
SMALL BUSINESSES
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS
BUSINESS
A MONTH THAT CELEBRATES BOTH THE DYNAMISM OF WOMEN AS WELL AS THE EMOTIONAL ROLE THAT WOMEN PLAY IN OUR LIVES , WITH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN ’ S DAY FALLING ON 8 MARCH AND MOTHERING SUNDAY FALLING ON 19 MARCH , OLIVIA RICINNI PROFILES TWO OF THE COUNTY ’ S MOST INSPIRING FEMALE FOUNDED BUSINESSES …
The Ivy Barn Littlebourne
An idea born from the lockdown summer of 2020 , Steph Twyman , a farmer ’ s daughter from Wingham , had the epiphany to set up a farm shop and café when selling her uncle ’ s cherries from a small fruit stall . Initially in need of a project when on furlough , Steph could never have imagined what her business would look like almost three years later . But she couldn ’ t have got there without the solid support and hard work from her mum , Lisa . “ I love working with my mum . We make a great team and as well as being mother and daughter and now business partners , we ’ re best friends too .”
Coming from a farming background , Steph and Lisa are huge advocates for local produce . They knew from the start that the Ivy Barn would specialise in all things local and serve the best ingredients that Kent has to offer . “ We order our fresh produce from Curd & Cure as well as local farmers and artisan producers .” Says Lisa . “ We love sharing the best of Kent with our lovely customers . Fresh Kentish produce is unrivalled , especially the cherries that arrive in July , which come straight from the farm via Kent Cherry Co .”
Stop by at The Ivy Barn in Littlebourne , a light bright and airy space that reflects the beautiful Kentish countryside - the perfect spot to relax in with a slice of homemade cake and a cup of good , strong , freshly ground coffee .
the-ivy-barn the _ ivy _ barn
The Milky Tee Company
Mum of two , Lauren Hampshire , from Sittingbourne , founded Milky Tee when she struggled to find practical , comfortable and stylish clothes to breastfeed in . Fed up with the lack of choice and good design out there , she invented her own . With the help of her mother-in-law , who is also a midwife , she created The Milky Tee ® – a T-shirt with hidden zips at each side to allow easy access for breastfeeding or expressing . Initially it was just for Lauren to use when breastfeeding her second daughter Sienna , but Lauren soon realised a lot of other mums could benefit from the design too – and so The Milky Tee Company was born !
“ Our ethos is to be an honest and friendly company , providing stylish , high-quality clothes which allow women to breastfeed easily , anytime , anywhere !” Says Lauren , “ All our T-shirts are made with 100 % combed cotton which is OEKO- TEX ® certified , meaning it has been tested to ensure it does not contain any harmful or irritating substances and is therefore safe for even sensitive skin . I really struggled to find clothes I could wear while I was breastfeeding which weren ’ t either a faff to use , having to lift up or pull down different layers , or which looked quite frumpy and ‘ mumsy ’. So in 2016 , when my youngest daughter was two weeks old , I ordered my first T-shirt pattern , and with the help of my mum-in-law , who is a dab hand with a sewing machine , we created the first Milky Tee prototype .
“ Over the next year I worked on the design , it has taken a couple of years to go from an idea to actually launching The Milky Tee Company website but I truly believe the hard work was worth it and I truly believe in this product . I hope it will help lots of breastfeeding mums out there and I hope you love our Milky Tees as much as we loved creating them !"
www . themilkyteecompany . com
The Milky Tee Company themilkyteeco
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