Business Spotlight

Bespoke Kitchens from Quartet Interiors (IKEA this ain’t)

It’s hard to imagine  a time when cool and contemporary kitchens – lofty and open  plan, sleek and minimal, white and glossy, granited and oaked, – were not an integral part of modern living. These days whatever kind of property you buy – rustic cottage or warehouse apartment – if it’s been ‘done’ that means a state of the art kitchen. read more

From Dustin Hoffman to David Cameron: the Work of Oli Green

Dorset-based photographer Oli Green is known for creating powerful, mesmerising portraits of brides, children or some of the best known faces in Britain. This week it was the turn of David Cameron when he turned up in Chettle in Dorset….Country Calling talks to Oli Green read more

Life Coaching was Life Changing..

Life coaching is a concept which I’ve had on the back burner for many years. But it wasn’t until two male friends mentioned Caroline Mann, a coach based near Tisbury that I decided to take the plunge.
Both friends had visited Caroline after hitting challenging patches in their careers – both described the coaching experience as profound and life-changing. What’s not to like about that? read more

Loving Online Yoga

Loveyogaonline is such a brilliant business concept I can’t believe it hasn’t be done before.

The site offers a range of yoga videos aimed at beginners through to advanced which you can stream or download in the comfort of your own home. It’s an interactive online yoga community too – so if you struggle with a certain position you can leave a comment and the yoga instructor will get back to you. read more

A Natural High

Sometimes you come across companies which are perfectly named and so it is with Natural High, a cutting-edge, adrenalin pumping safari company based on the Wiltshire/Dorset border.

It was set up 10 years ago by Alex Edwards, a self-confessed experience junkie, who started out as a safari guide and bush pilot in Tanzania. read more

Feel The Love…

Maison Loulou chocolates at LoveLocal

Love-Local, a website dedicated to showcasing the best artisan designers and producers in the West Country, feels like a good idea that was waiting to happen.

It’s the brainchild of entrepreneurs Allison Herbert and Liz Oram who wanted to create a one-stop shop of hard to source products, a little like notonthehighstreet.com but with the feel-good factor of promoting local. read more

David V Goliath: The Village Shop Fights Back

Popping to your local shop for a warm croissant that tastes like Paris, a firecracker cappuccino and a good bottle of wine for later? Though this used to be the stuff of fantasies, the David V Goliath trend for community-owned village shops is continuing to sweep through the West Country.

read more

Minna: Eco Luxe Fashion From the Heart of Dorset

The Dorset countryside is full of surprises and none more so than finding it is home to the eco-luxe fashion label Minna.

Finnish fashion designer Minna Hepburn (a dead ringer for Claudia Schiffer) turns up in a cafe in Shaftesbury looking like the kind of girl you’d spot in Shoreditch. Yet within minutes of talking to her you understand why she chose the West Country to launch her vintage-inspired label which now sells all over the world. read more

Rock N Roll Interiors: Velvet&Dash

When TV producer Charlotte Starling moved from London to West Dorset two years ago she had no idea that the renovation of her clapped out Georgian rectory would precipitate a  brand new business. read more

Chambers&Beau: The Personal Touch

For any wannabe entrepreneurs out there Amy Elson’s business story is the stuff of fantasy. A trained jewellery designer who worked for commercial brands including Jasper Conran, Monsoon and Ghost, she spent years dreaming of setting up on her own. read more