£10k award for young founder of garden wear business
Feverfew Garden Company, an Orkney-based ladies’ garden wear business founded by entrepreneur Rachel Eunson, secured a cash prize of £10,000 from the Scottish EDGE Awards, the largest funding competition in the country for potential high-growth businesses. These prestigious awards are supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Hunter Foundation, the Scottish Government, and Scottish Enterprise (SE).
‘Young EDGE’
Rachel entered Feverfew into the ‘Young EDGE’ category, specifically designed to support companies whose directors are all aged 18-30. Her entry application, submitted in August shortly after Feverfew’s launch, included a comprehensive written proposal covering essential business details with a social and environmental impact statement and a compelling three-minute pre-recorded pitch.
In mid-September, Rachel received the exciting news that Feverfew had made it to the final. She then prepared for a live pitch to a panel of judges via Zoom, followed by a rigorous seven-minute question-and-answer session.
A very impressive founder
Feverfew emerged victorious, securing the ‘Young EDGE’ funding. The judges were impressed by Rachel’s entrepreneurial vision, recognizing her as “a very impressive founder who has identified a gap in the market and successfully brought the product to sales with a strong social impact.”
The Scottish EDGE Awards ceremony and dinner took place at Citation in Glasgow on November 29th.
Well-fitted gardening gloves
Rachel expressed her delight at winning the award, emphasizing her passion for creating functional, well-fitted gardening gloves.
The Feverfew Original Women’s Gardening Gloves, developed after months of research, aim to strike the perfect balance between style and functionality, making them ideal for summer gardening. Their popularity since the June launch has been overwhelming, and Rachel looks forward to further developing her innovative garden wear brand.
Evelyn McDonald, the CEO of Scottish EDGE, praised Rachel’s pitch, prompting the judges to wonder why no one had thought of her idea before. Feverfew, a business that elegantly addressed a seemingly straightforward market need, demonstrated unwavering determination in navigating a complex route to market.
The award-winning Feverfew Original Women’s Gardening Gloves have made waves in the gardening world, earning accolades such as “Best Buy” from Gardenersworld.