From Kettering studio to John Lewis - Laura's delight as she links up with department store

A Kettering woman who makes handcrafted homeware says she’s so excited by the chance to sell her products at John Lewis.

Laura Pack only set up her business Dottie + Olive just over a year ago after taking the plunge when the opportunity for redundancy came up in 2021.

She taught herself how to design and make stylish plant pots, gift sets, candle holders, trays and more at her home studio, all while being sustainable.

Now she’s set to sell them at a pop-up shop at the John Lewis Cambridge outlet from March 20 to 26, having received an email last month saying the department store was interested in her work.

The mum-of-three said: "I was so excited and it was a massive confidence boost.

"I just couldn't believe it. I have made this business in the space of a year and now I'm going to get the opportunity to go into John Lewis."

Laura, 40, had worked at RS Components for 17 years but decided she wanted to start her own business during the Covid-19 pandemic.

She initially wasn’t sure what it was going to be but decided to base it around interiors and sustainability, making the move when she took redundancy at the Corby firm.

Laura threw herself into it and, using eco-friendly Jesmonite materials, began to make pieces at home. She has them stocked in some independent East Midlands shops and Joules was also stocking them until last month.

Now they’ll be on sale at one of the nation’s biggest department store brands after Laura signed up to The Great Brand Exchange, which helps small firms get a foot in the door with bigger retailers.

Laura said she hopes to work with other big retailers going forward and is looking to put on workshops to teach other people the art of terrazzo.

And she urged other women who were contemplating setting up their own business to dream big.

She said: "As scary as it can be, if you just imagine what's possible it's amazing what you can achieve.

"I would encourage other women who are thinking about it (starting a business) to just try. If you work hard then anything is possible."