7. I mentioned Innocent and Virgin earlier – who are your entrepreneurial inspirations and what inspires you about them?
Well Innocent and Virgin are two influences. Pret a Manger is another. These companies are shining examples of having a good understanding of what they do and they do it really well. Before Loaf, my first venture was a soup manufacturing company which became the UK’s number one premium fresh soup producer for the likes of Pret a Manger. So, I’ve done the manufacturing bit and now with Loaf I’m concentrating on making sure the key pieces of the puzzle such as marketing, product development and sales all fit together. I think at Loaf we have an honest sense of fun and it’s straightforward to build a good brand by just being ourselves.
I’ve also got a bit of entrepreneurial blood in me. My great-grandfather was an engineer and established Marshall of Cambridge in 1909 after a zeppelin made an emergency landing in the field behind his garage. The event prompted an interest in aerospace technology and resulted in Marshall of Cambridge buying the field as the site for Cambridge Airport. Today the company has an annual turnover in excess of £1bn and employs 4,500 people. The company’s chief principal has always been to put customers above all else and also to look after their employees – the rest will then follow. This is a value which I also see as key to the success of Loaf. My Dad owned Marsh & Parsons, the successful London estate agency in West London.
8. I have pored over the website raising my eyebrows, frequently impressed by the absolute priority you give to convenience and simplifying the buying process, including fuss free delivery overseas – are you a closet minimalist?
My motto is reduce, reduce, reduce. Essentially to keep a concept simple and then work out how to achieve your goal. I think too much choice can be really stressful, especially with shopping. I’m not a total minimalist but I do like simple things. We’re not creating anything new but we are creating a variation of a theme and simplifying the whole shopping process.
9. Okay, since Loaf’s first incarnation as The Sleep Room you have added so much more – what is in store for the future?
We are well on our way to becoming a one-stop shop meaning that customers can now ‘Loaf’ all of their home. We’re not resting on our laurels and we are on to the next project. We are introducing lots of smaller accessories in October this year along with pieces for the home office such as tressle tables and storage, five new tableware ranges, more modular sofas and footstools too. The long term dream is to build a ‘Loaf shack’. My aim is to have a giant out of town retail destination which will be totally bespoke, carbon neutral and made from sustainable materials.
10. I couldn’t help but notice some extraordinarily young members of staff on the website staff roll call… How important is it to you to have family involved in your company?
Ah yes, my wife Melissa is our Head of Words, my toddler Horace is Head of Yawns and our little girl Minna is our champion Head of Snores. As we’re an informal, non-corporate company that is just being ourselves, I think that my family and my company are inextricably linked. It’s incredibly important to have my family involved although this doesn’t have to be the case with business. I think their involvement is a reflection of how we operate. We’re not a hierarchical, management-heavy company who answers to a board committee. We respond to what we like and what our customers like.
11. Is this question no.11?! I never could count! Tell me Charlie, what is your definition of ‘Home’?
Home to me is the one place that tells the story of my life. Every single aspect reflects all the family members’ life and every single item has a reason for being there.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Much thanks to Sally and Charlie at Loaf.
Buy:
Featured:
The Florence Bed | Low Wire Storage Unit | Bagsie Armchair | Bug Pouffe | Campaign Bedside Table | Ben Lowe Art | Rose Chaise Longue
MORE FROM THE SOURCEBOOK MAGAZINE
