Meet the ambitious consumer brands driving rapid growth

Strathberry

Husband-and-wife team Guy and Leeanne Hundleby have built handbag maker Strathberry from their in-home office to one of Scotland’s best-known luxury brands. Started in 2013, all the bags are designed at the couple’s home in Edinburgh in Scotland but made in Spain. Each bag takes at least 20 hours to create.

The name Strathberry is rooted in its home country – Strath means wide river valley, while in the past, berries were used to dye traditional Scottish fabric and materials. “This is where Strathberry comes from,” says Leeanne.

Their hand-crafted leather bags are found on the arms of some of the world’s most famous women, whether they be actors, singers or royalty. Catherine, Princess of Wales, Katie Holmes, Jennifer Lopez, Ayo Edibiri and Kate Hudson have all been pictured using the company's bags.

That exposure has helped sales soar. Revenue hit £26.9m in its most recent financial year, with sales up 169 per cent over the past three years. Initially funded through a Kickstarter, BGF invested £8m in the company in 2021. It has set its sights on generating £100m in revenue in the next few years.

Passenger Clothing

Richard Sutcliffe and his high-school sweetheart – and now wife – Alexa, set up the sustainable outdoor fashion brand Passenger in 2012. The idea to creating clothing that “inspired escapism” came to them when they sat on a beach in Canada after a sunset surf.

“We wanted to do something we gave a shit about, so that we woke up in the morning and got excited about the day to come and what we could do,” Sutcliffe told The Times. “I think naivety allowed us to do it.”

They began selling beanie hats and T-shirts made from recycled fibres at festivals in Devon and Cornwall but soon expanded their lines of clothing, adding in footwear and outdoor wear. For every item bought, the company plants a tree. Their aesthetic focused on models wild camping or canoeing in nature – and it caught people’s attention on social media, particularly Instagram.

That attention has translated to strong sales growth. Revenue is up by 323 per cent over the past three years to £32.5m, while profits are more than £1.7m. Not bad for a couple with no business or retail experience.

European Prestige

Founder John Lambert started his car-dealing career in 2007, importing limited-edition models into Ireland. In 2016, he started European Prestige with a dealership in Kildare before expanding to the UK in 2021. It now has an HQ in Orpington, southeast London, as well as another office in Belfast.

This international expansion has been key to its growth. Revenues have shot up from £7.4m two years ago to £68m in its most recent financial year. That puts its growth over the period at 824 per cent, with profits reaching more than £2m, achieved with just five employees.

The company focuses on selling high-performance cars from Porsche, Bugatti and Aston Martin, in particular limited editions. It currently has one of the 125 Koenigsegg Jesko Attack cars for sale, as well as a Lamborghini Aventador and a version of the Mercedes Formula One car designed for the road.