How a Leeds mother turned a home hack craft into an award-winning wool business

More than a decade ago, Sarah Turner sought a simple life hack to dry laundry without a loud dryer in a small Leeds home. She created a wool dryer ball and soon built Little Beau Sheep, an Ilkley-based brand that offers eco-friendly laundry and body care products crafted from British wool. The company also sells felted soap and uses wool certified by British Wool to ensure fair prices for farmers. Turner argues wool is abundant yet undervalued in the UK, where millions of kilos are produced annually. Little Beau Sheep started on Etsy and grew through word of mouth, earning the Supply Chain Champion Award at the Small Awards last month and a Downing Street meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Later this year Turner plans to expand, continuing to emphasize sustainability and British wool in her business.