Shropshire company Turtle Doves aims big

Kate Holbrook, of Turtle Doves, launched the business in November 2009 and has seen it go from strength to strength in the past three years.

The Turtle Doves team is now made up of six seamstresses who make once loved jumpers into gorgeous new garments which are being worn across the UK and as far as Australia and Kazakhstan.

Fingerless gloves, scarves and hugs, an innovative and versatile snood-style garment, are all among the collection of Turtle Doves items which are catching the eyes of shoppers across the board.

And 2012 has been a huge year for the business with the launch of a brand new website to mark its third birthday before Kate heads off to her first appearance at the Clothes Show Live from December 7 to 11.

Kate said: “Turtle Doves was born in December 2009 when I dreamt up the design for these unique wrist warmers which are also fingerless gloves. Having made some for friends, who really liked them, I tested the idea at a local school fair.

“Everyone loved them so I quickly copyrighted the design and before I knew it I had two regular markets in Shrewsbury and lots of repeat custom.

“Since then the business has taken off and in 2012 we have tripled the number of Turtle Doves markets and shows from 2011, developed a website www.turtle-doves.co.uk that we hope allows us to take on more established companies, and taken on more people to augment our stretched production crew.

“We now design numerous products which are innovative, practical, beautiful and recycled. We love our products to have more than one use and make a huge effort to use up as much of every jumper as possible.

“Although we’re a cottage industry we have managed to spread the word about what we do. We have customers all over the UK and farther afield too.

“Our products are all unique - that’s the nature of recycling - so our stock is a kaleidoscope of colour which is always changing.”