History
Jo and Richard Phillips worked in rural Rugby and Northamptonshire before moving to Pembrokeshire, Wales in 2006. We have always worked in creative industries, Jo in Education and support, and Richard in design and manufacturing in the Midlands. We both have a passion for making things, and taking a caring attitude towards employees. Jo has always sewn and knitted as generations of her family always have. We both share interests in the British countryside and particularly in coastal landscapes. Our home in Pembrokeshire is surrounded by inspiring fantastic walking country – better than any gym. The 186miles of the Pembrokeshire coast path consists of largely uninterrupted views, and this is where most of our inspiration has come from.
The natural pastel colours of wild flowers (inset 4) and stunning hues in the exposed folded geology is unparalleled. The name Fern comes from the apparently simple and concise shapes that make a fern in the natural world. But the more you examine a fern, the more you’ll see it’s infinitely more intricate than it first appears. (inset 6) Truly an inspiration for our traditional craftsmanship. We believe that making products is rewarding and strengthening for both self and communities in which they operate. So, while we won’t put the world to rights, we have started making quality woollen products with locally sourced materials. The shawl is the first such of these products, and we hope to add to the range as we create new ideas.
The Business Model
In 2012, we bought a factory in Cardigan, Wales to start to build a business. Initially, it was geared to being a contract design company but soon found that customers required a prototyping service to complement the design activities. We soon thought it would be preferential to launch our own product and in deciding this, we came to the conclusion we should launch a business on the internet as our own brand, Fern.
Fern is owned by Richard’s company - Mountain Hall Ltd. Mountain Hall’s core business was engineering activities, but as Fern continues to grow, we’ll split it off as a separate entity.
We always try to be here to answer queries on our products during office hours, and sometimes beyond. We both believe in fair trade, by paying our suppliers in a timely manner and servicing our customers in a responsible manner. We also believe in being honest – we do our best to provide a decent and proper service, but like life, if things can go wrong, they will. If for any reason you aren’t satisfied, please phone us and we’ll endeavour to put any issues right. But please remember that to have decent suppliers, you also need good customers.
