Each month we chat to inspirational mothers about work-life balance, their favourite travel destinations, travelling with children, and how they really do it all in our How She Does It column.
This month, we sat down with mum-of-three Chloë Luxton, founder and creative director of sustainable wellness brand Bramley to talk family, travel and the top tips she has for making life that little bit easier for working mums. Here, Chloë tells us how she moved to the countryside and built a successful business, all while raising three children – and some chickens!
Tell us more about you?
I’m Chloë, founder and creative director of Bramley. I live in Wiltshire with my husband, Charlie, co-founder of the Beckford Group, and our three children Otto (12), Monty (11) and Inca (eight). We have two dogs, Elsa and Pepper, a tortoise and chickens – including a huge cockerel who literally crossed the road and joined our flock. We’ve no idea where he came from!
Bramley Christmas 2022
What’s your working life like?
I started Bramley nearly 15 years ago when Charlie and I moved out of London to Wiltshire and took on The Beckford Arms, a pub with bedrooms. Having worked at Cowshed, I was tasked with sourcing products for the bathrooms, but couldn’t find what I was looking for – a sustainable, beautiful and fragrant collection – so I created my own. Since then, it has grown very organically, and Bramley can now be found in over 500 hotels, pubs and restaurants as well as retailers such as Fortnum & Mason and John Lewis. Alongside our core Bramley bath and body range we also have Little B for children, Digby for dogs, and we’ve just launched our new Skin collection, so you could say we haven’t rested on our laurels.
What inspires you in your career?
I find inspiration in lots of different areas of my life. There is probably no greater inspiration than nature, and we are so lucky in the UK that we have such varied seasons because it means no dog walk is ever the same. Fragrance is one of Bramley’s key brand pillars so I love to head to a garden and – quite literally – smell the roses. But it could also come from wild honeysuckle in a hedgerow. Quite often ideas come to me when I’m in the car or the shower; I think that’s when your subconscious works because you go into a sort of autopilot. You’ve then got to remember to write it down as soon as you can otherwise you’ll forget it. When it comes to our packaging, sustainability is the main driver behind the designs – can the gift set be repurposed or recycled after it’s been gifted? Can the ribbon turn into a hair tie, or the candle glass become a toothbrush holder? It’s incredibly important to us as a brand that we leave as little a trace on the environment as possible.
Which three items help you juggle everything:
Help with childcare. The lovely Penny has worked with us since Monty was born and she’s the reason I had a third child. She is with us in the afternoon and helps with the school run, feeding the children and generally being brilliant. I couldn’t do it without her. Charlie is also great and does his fair share.
My phone. I don’t know how working mothers managed before mobile phones (or maybe it was easier because you couldn’t be contacted). From being able to pay for school meals online to work WhatsApp groups, it makes life so much easier.
My team. I am lucky to work with a great (mainly female) team which gives me the flexibility to be able to juggle work and life. As a company we pride ourselves on being able to flex for working mothers, and as such we have a really strong female team.
If you could give your past self one piece of advice about being a working mother what would it be?
Surround yourself with a great group of girlfriends with similar aged children. They will see you through the highs and lows of motherhood whilst helping out with childcare and you’ll become friends for life.
Have your career goals and aspirations altered since becoming a working mum?
I think my career goals and aspirations have become more focussed since becoming a working mother. Time is precious (both at home and at work) so you have to really prioritise and maximise it, and get as much done as you can in as little time as possible.
If you had the power to change one thing for working mothers, what would it be?
I would give the ability to be in two places at one time!
If you have a day to yourself, what do you do?
Oh my goodness, where to start? I would spend the morning doing some pottery. I currently go to classes once a week and it’s my favourite three hours of the week. I would then meet Charlie for lunch, and mooch around some antique and charity shops in the afternoon. Last year I challenged myself to not buy any new clothes for 12 months and it’s really become a way of life for me; I love nothing more than heading to a charity or vintage shop and finding a little item of treasure, it brings me such joy. Lastly, I would end my day with supper with girlfriends in the pub – and dancing if the moment arose.
Heading ‘out out’ – where is your favourite spot?
As we live in the middle of the countryside, going ‘out out’ happens very rarely, but if we do it will be to somewhere like the Beckford Canteen in Bath.
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve taken with your children?
We love going to Greece because it is very child friendly, from the beaches and the clear blue sea, to the food. We have been a couple of times, once staying in a villa with a pool and once in a hotel with no pool but by the beach. It became pretty apparent that the pool is a game changer – you can all relax by the pool, but if there’s only a beach you have to be in the sea with your children which isn’t so relaxing. We are tempted to return to this gorgeous villa as it’s just wonderful with a group of friends.
Favourite hotel ever – with and without children?
I am a big fan of The Rectory Hotel in Malmesbury. I have been there a couple of times now and it’s got a great feel to it: very relaxed, delicious food and beautiful interiors. It has a sister pub across the road, the Potting Shed so, if you stay a couple of nights, you can go there for supper and a change of vibe. We tend to stay in Airbnbs when we go anywhere with the children because it’s cheaper, but they do love a hotel and in particular when we stay at one of ours at the Beckford Group, such as the Bath Arms. They fight over the bunk beds, love hanging out in the garden, and the ultimate is being allowed to watch TV in bed.
You live close to Bath, can you share some tips on visiting the city with children?
Bath is our go to city for children. We go to the pop-up ice rink every year and then head to the shops (our children are at the age where they love some retail therapy). I like to persuade them to visit the Victoria Art Gallery for a bit of culture and then we often go for lunch at Wagamama.
Travel essentials with kids?
Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Also, a charger for all the inevitable tech, and a pack of cards.
Travel essentials without kids?
My pillow. I have a feather one from Slip with a silk pillowcase. I love it and always take it with me because so often the pillows you get in a hotel are hypoallergic and too bulky. I also make sure I have my book and my Bramley eye mask – two essentials for a good night’s sleep.
How do you think travel benefits your children?
Oh my goodness, it’s just brilliant. We went to Paris for the weekend last year and it was so lovely seeing their eyes as they spotted the Eiffel Tower and heard people speaking a different language. Even just taking them to Manchester for the weekend was enlightening because it has such a great vibe, and is so different from the Wiltshire countryside. Our next family trip will be to Poland to visit my brother and sister-in-law’s new house in the middle of the Polish countryside.
The best advice you would give to other mothers?
Meal plan. One of the girls in the office worked out that if you make lunch and supper every day for 40 years that is 30,000 meals to plan… I then pointed out you need to probably add another 10,000 once you have children. That’s a lot of food to think about so I try and meal plan when I can – and use my slow cooker. It takes away the mental load and frees you to think about more work-related fun things.
How do you do it?
Surround yourself with a great team at work and at home. Also, don’t sweat the small stuff – I am lucky in that I am generally quite laid-back, so I don’t let things wind me up. I’m fortunate not to be an overthinker. As a working mother, you genuinely can’t have it all, so it’s about getting the balance right for you and your life.
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Any Questions or Tips to add?