RHS licenses The Somerset Toiletry Company for bath and body products
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced a brand-new partnership with The Somerset Toiletry Company, a producer of beautiful, honestly priced luxury toiletries, which has been appointed as a licensee in the bath and body products category – a key focus for the RHS licensing programme.
The projected initial launch comprises a number of standalone products and gift packs. The planned product range has yet to be finalised but is expected to include soap, hand cream, hand wash, shower gel, bath foam and body lotion. A number of the products will also be brought together in special sets designed for gifting.
The RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art, will inspire the design of the packaging, on which the RHS logo will also appear.
The products will offer a wide range of fragrances, inspired by and referencing the natural world, which will be listed closer to the trade launch at Spring Fair, the UK’s leading marketplace for wholesale home, gift and fashion, in February 2025.
The range will arrive at retail later in Q2 2025, selling alongside The Somerset Toiletry Company’s popular own brands, in garden centres, department stores, gift shops, tourist centres, farm shops and pharmacies as well as online and through mail order, both in the UK and overseas.
It is expected to appeal to a wide demographic that loves English heritage products, the RHS brand and of course high-quality toiletries. This is The Somerset Toiletry Company’s first brand collaboration for many years, a reflection of the strength of the RHS brand in general and its appeal to consumers of The Somerset Toiletry Company’s products.
Established in 1999 as a small family business, and now celebrating its 25th anniversary, The Somerset Toiletry Company sells luxury body care and home fragrance worldwide. Its mission to produce products which are exquisitely made and honestly priced has been recognised with a number of awards, including the Queen’s Award and a ranking of 14th in the Elite Business Top 100 SMEs (EB100), the UK’s definitive league table of top SME businesses.
It has also won the EB100 Sustainability of the Year award, recognition of a clear ethical and sustainable philosophy that includes reducing packaging where possible and switching to materials that are commonly recycled.
The Somerset Toiletry Company soaps in particular underline the company’s sustainability aims. They are manufactured locally at ‘The Ministry of Soap Factory’ in Somerset which The Somerset Toiletry Company opened in 2021 to decrease its carbon footprint and bring jobs into the local area. The factory exclusively uses sustainably sourced palm oil certified by the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which certifies that the palm oil used has been farmed, processed, distributed, and sold responsibly with strict rules that protect animals, the environment and people who live and work in oil palm-producing countries. All The Somerset Toiletry Company’s products are cruelty-free.
Sakina Buoy, Chair, The Somerset Toiletry Company, says: “This collaboration is an enormously exciting one, bringing us together with one of the best-loved heritage brands in the country and its unique and beautiful design assets but, more importantly, a brand that shares our devotion to sustainable practices. We’re delighted and honoured to be partnering with the UK’s favourite gardening charity for this new range.”
Cathy Snow, RHS Licensing Manager, adds: “A company that is dedicated to sourcing the very best-quality ingredients to create the perfect fragrances and formulations is an ideal partner for the RHS brand in the enormously important bath and body products category. The Somerset Toiletry Company is also focused on a drive towards ever-more sustainable products and practices, which was another strong factor in our award of this licence. We’re certain this wonderful range will be a big success at retail.”
