King Charles bestows Cotswolds soap shop founder with King’s Award

Little Soap Company, based in Worcestershire, has been honoured with a 2026 King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.

Just 185 organisations have been recognised nationally this year, making it one of the most coveted accolades in British business.

The award recognises the company’s outstanding and whole-business commitment to sustainable development.

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King Charles III. (Image: PA)

This is a principle that has guided founder Emma Heathcote-James, who began hand-crafting soaps in her Cotswold cottage in 2008.

Emma’s founding ambition was to make pure, natural soap, free from synthetic ingredients, hidden chemicals and plastic excess, genuinely accessible to everyday consumers, at everyday prices.

At a time when organic and natural soap simply wasn’t available on supermarket shelves, Little Soap Company became the first organic soap to reach mainstream UK retail, setting a new category standard.

“As a British business supporting UK manufacturing, jobs and communities, receiving a King’s Award for Enterprise is a real honour, especially following our Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2022,” said Emma.

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Emma Heathcote-James, founder of Little Soap Company​. (Image: Little Soap Company​)

“We are incredibly proud of our team; their dedication and passion have taken my idea from a kitchen table start-up to a nationally recognised brand leading the way in sustainable soap, proving that sustainability doesn’t have to mean compromising on quality and can be accessible for every budget.

“Sustainability isn’t just about the products, but the team too. It’s embedded in how we work, how we hire, and how we make decisions every day.

“This award shows that a small UK business can drive large-scale environmental change through everyday products.

“Our mission doesn’t stop here. This award strengthens our commitment to educating consumers and driving positive change across the whole industry.”

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Little Soap Company​ products. (Image: Little Soap Company​)

Today, the company’s ranges, Organics, Naturals, Eco Warrior and Little Beast, are stocked by Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Boots and all the online giants. Little Soap Company is now a multi-million-pound UK business, selling one bar every 30 seconds, demonstrating that sustainability can drive commercial growth.

Every product the company manufactures is plant-based, vegan certified, cruelty-free and made in Britain.

Packaging across the range is 100 per cent recycled and recyclable, using FSC-certified cardboard and 100 per cent post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic where bottles are used.

Fragrance comes exclusively from pure essential oils, with no synthetic additives, and Little Soap Company is also removing plastic from bathrooms.

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Emma Heathcote-James, founder of Little Soap Company​. (Image: Little Soap Company​)

The company’s Eco Warrior range alone has avoided over 22.5 million plastic bottles to date from the supply chain, and saved more than 20 million litres of water in consumer use.

Each soap bar lasts up to six times longer than a liquid equivalent and can replace four to five plastic bottles.

The company’s liquid soap ranges, which represent just three per cent of its product portfolio, are made exclusively with Prevented Ocean Plastic certified bottles and are positioned as a transition product to gradually encourage consumers to switch to bars.

A 2030 Zero-Plastic plan is in place to eliminate plastic from the supply chain entirely.