STORY
Born Locally cont... beyond Kent. In 2025, Macknade was ranked the second best farm shop in the UK( only being pipped to the number one ranking by Jeremy Clarkson’ s Diddly Squat) in a nationwide survey, which is a clear marker of national standing.
Yet Macknade’ s roots run very deep- its own history notes that fruit from its orchards was served at Princess Elizabeth’ s wedding in 1947, a detail that neatly encapsulates the brand’ s longevity with some proper clout. Today, the business blends local suppliers with masterfully curated global produce, creating a destination that feels expansive without losing its sense of belonging in the Garden of England.
Ideas that Spark Industry
Not every Kent success story starts in a field or vineyard; some begin with a simple idea teamed with the nerve to pursue it. Must Have Ideas, the Kent-based company behind the Ego Egg laundry products, is one such example. What started as a rethink of everyday household items has grown into a nationally recognised ecommerce business with serious industry credibility.
PLEASANT LAND DISTILLERY
In 2025, Must Have Ideas appeared in FEBE’ s Growth 100, a list spotlighting fast-growing UK ecommerce brands, and also won Best eCommerce Customer Service at the 2025 eCommerce Awards- recognition that speaks not just to product innovation, but to how the business operates. While the products now reach customers across the UK and beyond, the company has retained the agility and curiosity of a small, Kent-grown enterprise and is known for being responsive, consumer-focused and extremely ambitious.
That balance between creativity and capability also defines Pleasant Land, the Kentish distillery known for its gins, as well as for producing spirits on behalf of others. Operating from Ashford’ s flourishing drinks scene, Pleasant Land has built a reputation as a contract distilling partner trusted by external brands, while still developing its own distinctive range.
Its credentials are both impressive and well known, with the progressive company’ s White Cliffs Gin receiving a Silver award at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2024, and the distillery now positioning itself as sustainability-led, being powered by 100 % renewable energy. It’ s also the kind of place that attracts leftfield collaborations- the distillery has produced a bespoke pickle-and-mustard flavoured gin for former Top Gear presenter James May, which is proof that creativity and professionalism can comfortably coexist.
Scaling Up but Staying Kentish
If there’ s one Kent brand that proves scale and heritage aren’ t mutually exclusive, it’ s Shepherd Neame. Founded in 1698 in Faversham, Britain’ s oldest brewer still
SHEPHERD NEAME
operates from the same town more than three centuries on. Today, Shepherd Neame exports to 44 countries worldwide, supplying beers that carry Kent’ s name- and its brewing heritage- far beyond the county boundaries.
This story is echoed, but in a more modern spin, by Brakes. Founded in 1958 by the Brake brothers, the company traces its origins to the back room of a pub, where it supplied poultry to local caterers. From those modest beginnings, Brakes has grown into one of the UK’ s leading foodservice wholesalers, eventually becoming part of multinational distributor, Sysco- a reminder that some of Kent’ s biggest success stories still begin at the most local of scales.
What links these businesses is not just growth, but how they’ ve chosen to grow. Export markets, national listings and international recognition haven’ t come at the expense of authenticity, but in many cases, depended on it. Born locally, grown with love and admired and loved far beyond the county borders, Kent’ s landscape, produce and people aren’ t marketing add-ons, they’ re the foundation- not in spite of their roots, but because of them.
Kent’ s success as a launchpad for ambitious brands is no accident. Its chalk soils mirror those of Champagne, underpinning the rise of world-class English sparkling wine, and its historic ports, farms and food producers have long fed London and beyond, creating supply chains that scale naturally. The county’ s mix of rural space and proximity to international routes continues to attract innovative producers, proving Kent isn’ t just where a brand begins, it’ s a county that makes growth possible.
186 • www. insidekent. co. uk