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CITY STORIES
The essence of the countryside: The story of Bramley It’s likely that you have experienced Bramley already, even if you’ve never bought something from the range. Whether it’s a hand wash in your favourite country pub or a shampoo tucked into a boutique hotel bathroom, Bramley has become a staple supplier to British hospitality. Hannah Poon speaks with founder Chloë Luxton about a formula that hasn’t changed in 17 years, and the royal request that she thought was a prank.
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Photograph of Chloë Luxton courtesy of Jake Eastham
and soap is rarely the first thing you notice when you check into a pub or country hotel. Yet those small, discreet details are what can truly elevate your experience. With a gorgeous scent and luxurious lather, a trip to the bathroom can have you walking back to the table insisting everyone smells your hands... It starts a conversation without even trying. And that’s exactly what Chloë Luxton wanted when she founded Bramley over 17 years ago. She didn’t just want to create toiletries; she wanted to create an experience for customers. It’s a sentiment that has stayed true to the brand to this day. Back in 2009, she and her husband Charlie packed up their lives in London for a fresh start in the countryside. They purchased The Beckford Arms in Tisbury and transformed it into a charming country escape with rooms. However, when hunting for toiletries to include in the bathrooms, Chloë says she struggled to find products that weren’t packaged in singleuse plastics or were made with synthetic ingredients. With sustainability at the heart of her beliefs, she took it upon herself to create products for their guests. “When you arrive at The Beckford Arms, you almost feel like you’ve taken a wrong turn into a private country estate. There’s a lake on the left and parkland on the right – you almost stumble upon the pub. I wanted toiletries in the bathrooms to reflect the beauty of the countryside we were in,” Chloë says.
bathroom that made me realise how good they were. Women do that all the time, but men usually pay no attention,” Chloë says. Chloë knew she was on to something when people started to ask if they could purchase the products. And that’s how Bramley was born. The brand has grown slowly and organically, with much of the emphasis on elevating hospitality experience. As well as her husband’s line of pubs, hotels and restaurants, Chloë began supplying her creations to carefully selected locations – most notably, The Pig Group. As well as increasing her hospitality customers, Chloë gradually added new formulas to the range. However, she says the original six have not been altered since they first appeared at The Beckford Arms. “They’re just as good now as they were then, so why would I change them?” she admits. Much of what followed came from Chloë’s own personal life, rather than a business plan. When she became a mum, she created Little B as she couldn’t find anything she wanted to use on her children's skin – or on the side of her bath. And as a dog lover, she launched Digby to create a wash that really worked at getting rid of smells (which Chloë herself admits is “disgusting”, especially when they roll in fox poo).
“It was seeing the men smell their hands when they left the bathroom that made me realise how good they were” Chloë Luxton
Chloë got in touch with an apothecary from Somerset and had a range of six products created: a hand wash, hand cream, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. “It was everything you need for a night away, and each of the products had been carefully created with essential oils that were beneficial for their use (rosemary in the shampoo to support hair growth, for example). “I’d found a beautiful book on our honeymoon with floral illustrations and used those on the original designs. When the pub opened, the toiletries were ready for the guests, and people seemed to really love them. “For me, it was seeing the men smell their hands when they left the THEBATHMAG.CO.UK | AUGUST 2026 | THEBATHMAGAZINE 49