Sarah Smith - A Splash of Colour

Don't take our word for it ...

2012-01-20T15:44:00.003Z

Dear Sarah,

I would just like to say thanks for making the ultra cloths. I have never had such a long lasting cloth. We have a caravan and my husband has always done the washing up when we are away. We spent part of November and a good part of December in our caravan, so the cloth got a lot use. My husband can normally marmalize an ordinary J-cloth with the first lot of washing up, but your cloth has survived every lot since November. It has survived my husband, 2 machine washes and 3 lots of bleaching the sink and is now back in the caravan ready for a months worth of use next trip out.

All I can say is please keep producing them to such a high standard.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Sandra Crocker

CHARITY AUCTION ENDS SUNDAY

2011-12-02T11:14:00.001Z

Don't forget that our charity auction of Limited Edition Sarah Smith print Aprons and Shopper bags ends this Sunday 4th December at 19.30. There is still time to put a bid in on your favourite item.

Click this link to go directly to the "Sarah Smith Aprons" auction or "Sarah Smith Shopper bags" for the bags.

100% of the money raised from successful bids will be donated to Za Foundation's Nkomazi Library appeal. Visit the Za Foundation web site for more information on this wonderful charity.

Sarah Smith Limited Editions Charity Auction

2011-11-24T13:30:00.001Z

A while back we had a small number of Aprons and Shopper bags made in some limited edition designs. They were hand printed on Fairtrade cotton, and sewn by our supplier in Leicester here in the UK.

We have decided to auction all of these items and donate all the proceeds to the Za Foundation charity's Nkomazi library project. This project is to build a library in a community in Nkomazi, a particularly poor area in the north west of South Africa. Currently there is no library within a 30 mile radius. Literacy is very low and the lack of access to books does not help.

It is easy for us here in the UK to take for granted how easily we and our children have access to a wealth of books at either public libraries or through book shops. In much of the developing world books are financially out of the reach of ordinary people and public libraries and very rare. This project will make a real difference. More information on Za Foundation and the excellent work they do can be found on their web site. Our Managing Director, Clive Birnie recorded a video for Za Foundation back in the summer when the campaign was launched which you can also see on the Za Foundation website www.zafoundation.org

The picture above shows the 13 designs available. We have 19 Aprons and 15 Shopper bags. For some designs a single item is available for others we have two or three. These are the only items we will produce in these designs so this is a one time opportunity to own a very limited edition Sarah Smith item.

Clive is auctioning the Aprons and Shopper bags on Ebay using his ebay ID "viewfromthehill". Click this link to go directly to the "Sarah Smith Aprons" auction or "Sarah Smith Shopper bags" for the bags.

Happy bidding!

Sarah Smith in Channel 4 News Made in Britain Feature

2011-11-15T09:18:00.001Z

Sarah Smith cloths were featured in a Channel 4 News report about British made goods last night (Monday 14th November 2011) & their reporter Sarah Smith spoke to our Managing Director Clive Birnie. The bit about us is about 4 minutes in.

We are supporters of British manufacturing because buying British supports British jobs and contributes to the wider British economy.

Because we manufacture here in Somerset we buy goods and services from other local companies contributing to the wider economy. For instance we needed some drainage repaired in the factory yard recently so we hired a local company to make the repair, we hire local electricians, local engineering contractors, we use British transport companies to make our deliveries, and we employ 45 people who live, shop and spend their money here in Britain.

The tickle out effect of buying a British made product instead of one made over seas is enormous. Keep that in mind this Christmas and look at the back of the pack to see where things are made and try to buy more British made goods.

Sarah Smith Stain-Away Wipes

2011-10-11T16:56:00.004+01:00

Sarah Smith Stain-Away Wipes are ideal for emergency stain rescue on the go. Whether its tea on your trousers, frappacino on your favourite shirt or ketchup on your kids clothes, Sarah Smith Stain-Away Wipes are the convenient way to avert disaster when you cant get to the kitchen sink.

Available exclusively in Sainsburys now!

Sarah Smith Eco

2011-10-11T16:44:00.003+01:00

The new Eco cleaning range from Sarah Smith has been designed with a splash of colour to add a touch of fun to mundane household chores. Whether dusting, washing up, soaking up spills or wiping down surfaces the Sarah Smith Eco cleaning range has a product to fit the bill. The cloths are durable and machine washeable so they can be used again and again. They are manufactured using a 50% recycled and 50% sustainable fibre blend from sustainably managed forests. The cloth designs are printed in accordance with the Oeko-Tex 100 standard for textiles and are therefore certified free from substances harmful to humans and the environment. The Multi Purpose Eco-wipes are biodegradable and compostable and can be flushed after use. All Sarah Smith products are Made in Britain providing local jobs, reducing the mileage to get the products to you, and ensuring British made quality. Sarah Smith products not only look good but they work brilliantly too!

J-Cloth Dress 2!

2011-01-11T15:21:00.002Z

Another inspired dress design from Ellen, 16, made entirely from cleaning cloths!

New Year, New Look! Zoflora Competition

2010-12-30T13:47:00.007Z

We have teamed up with fragrant household cleaning brand Zoflora to offer you the chance to win a load of goodies to welcome in the new year.

The prize includes one of our Sarah Smith Scooby patterned apron with matching tea towel and the full Zoflora range, worth £50. This combination of floral patterns and scents will freshen up your kitchen in no time.

To enter the competition please click on the link below which will take you to the competition page on the Zoflora website.

http://www.zoflora.co.uk/competitions.aspx

Good luck!

Happy Christmas

2010-12-24T15:18:00.004Z

The mince pies are made just a couple more presents to wrap, Sister finally landed at Heathrow at 5am this morning having been stranded in Australia since Sunday. Phew! Happy Christmas to you all. Thank you for all your kind words enthusiasm and custom throughout 2010. See you all in 2011!

Sarah Smith Apron Spotted on River Cottage!

2010-12-23T14:12:00.003Z

If anyone knows the Bread and Banter girls do let us have their contact details and we will send them some Sarah Smith goodies as thank for accidentally plugging Sarah Smith!

Sarah Smith Free Tea Towel Promotion

2010-12-03T17:04:00.005Z

Thank you to all of those people who have entered our free tea towel promotion. We have had an amazing response to this promotion which has resulted in us temporarily running out of stock of tea towels. We have ordered more stock and everyone that has entered the promotion will receive a tea towel. The new stock of tea towels will be with us by mid January 2011 so please allow until end of Jan/Feb 2011 for delivery. Thanks everyone

New designs in store now!

2010-10-15T15:55:00.008+01:00

Which cleaning need state are you?

2010-10-15T09:54:00.003+01:00

We surveyed over 100 people on their attitudes towards cleaning the home and we found 3 clear need states:

DREAD IT! The majority of people dread the thought of cleaning the house. It makes them feel depressed, overwhelmed and feels like a never ending task. People feel that they don't have enough time, often with children, and they would rather spend time doing other things and as such look to get the cleaning done as soon as possible.
ITS ALL ABOUT THE END RESULT: The next largest group of respondents do not necessarily enjoy or look forward to cleaning but realise that it is a necessary evil and just get on with the task in hand. This group of people cannot relax until the cleaning has been completed but often don't mind it once they get started, it largeley depends what mood they are in. They draw satisfaction from the end results which gives them peace of mind.
ENJOY IT! The minority of people enjoy cleaning the home and in particular the living areas. This group of people like to take their time, put on some music on, clean at their leisure and find doing a good and thorough job extremely rewarding. This group find the act of cleaning therapeutic, stress relieving and even a form of exercise.

So which cleaning need state are you?

Sarah Smith cleaning cloths have been made to add a splash of colour to your home. We like to think that they help make those mundane cleaning chores a little bit more fun. Or is that just wishful thinking on our part?

J-Cloth Dress!

2010-07-15T14:29:00.005+01:00

I am convinced we have the most creative customers in the world! Ellen,16, kindly sent us in these photo's of her GCSE art & textile project where she designed & made a dress from J-Cloths and our very own Sarah Smith cloths. We think its absolutely brilliant and gets a definite A* from the Sarah Smith team.

Free cleaning cloth offer!

2010-07-14T11:48:00.002+01:00

To claim your free Sarah Smith cleaning cloth simply complete this short survey on household cleaning.

Once you have completed the Survey please email us your name and postal address to info@sarahsmith.co.uk and we will send you a free Sarah Smith cleaning cloth. It's as simple as that!

Offer subject to availability. We have around 200 sample cloths to give-away.

Sarah Smith Availabilty

2010-04-20T17:10:00.004+01:00

We have had a number of calls recently from Waitrose shoppers who have been unable to find Sarah Smith products within their local store.

I am sorry to announce that Waitrose have recently reduced the number of their supermarkets that stock the Sarah Smith range.

If your local Waitrose is one of these stores do not panic because our products are still widely available.

You can purchase Sarah Smith products from the following retail outlets:

Sainsbury's - Cleaning Cloths, Dusters & Microfibre Cloths
Tesco - Cleaning Cloths, Scourers, Pretty Pattern Wipes & Dusters
Co-op - Cleaning Cloths, Tumble Dryer Sheets, Scourers
Homebase - Full range

How to Make: Iced Easter Biscuits

2010-03-29T10:49:00.004+01:00

As Easter is almost upon us, I thought I would re-blog our recipe for iced Easter biscuits ...

Makes approximately 15 biscuits

Ingredients

For the biscuits
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
250g plain flour

For the icing
150g icing sugar
A few tablespoons of water
Various food colourings

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Either using a food mixer or by hand, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the egg and gradually add it to the butter and sugar. Finally mix in the flour then bring the mixture together with your hands to form a dough.

The dough can be used straight away but is best after at least half an hour chilling in the fridge. It will be fairly sticky so you'll need to roll it out on a floured surface and sprinkle over more flour as needed. Roll the dough out until it’s about 1/2 cm thick then cut out shapes using a biscuit cutter

Bake the biscuits on a non-stick tray, or a tray lined with parchment paper, for about 10 minutes, but do keep an eye on them, as they may need a few minutes less or longer depending on your oven. The biscuits should be lightly golden when cooked. When they are cooked put them onto a wire rack to cool.

Once the biscuits have cooled you can ice them.To mix up the icing add a few tablespoons of water to the icing sugar and mix well to form a paste. You want the paste fairly thick so that it won’t run off the biscuits when you ice them. Put the icing into separate bowls and add a few drops of different food colouring to each bowl. Ice the biscuits using an icing bag or a spoon and knife to spread the icing out on the biscuits.

What's Your Swap?

2010-01-29T09:22:00.002Z

For this years Fairtrade Fortnight the theme is The Big Swap. For two whole weeks The Fairtrade Foundation is asking you to swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff. Your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas, your usual cotton socks for Fairtrade cotton socks, and your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa. This means that every time you go shopping, you can use your wallet to make a stand.

Read more

British Women are Turned on by an Aga!

2010-01-13T14:00:00.003Z

British twenty to thirty something women fantasise about having an Aga.

We polled over 100 women and found 62% aged 25-35 years would love an Aga in their dream kitchen.

Top five kitchen fantasies:

Aga - 62%
An island - 20%
A Smeg fridge freezer - 11%
Wine Fridge - 4%
Magimix - 3%

93% of women aged 25-35 years also confessed to getting more enjoyment from spending an hour in their kitchen baking rather than climbing the career ladder or going to the gym.

Whilst women work hard in their careers and feel pressure to go to the gym, they secretly just enjoy spending time in their kitchen as a Nigella Lawson like goddess, creating scrumptious treats. A kitchen is the hub of any home and an Aga brings the family together to enjoy delicious home cooking.

Sarah Smith LOVES Fairtrade Chocolate!

2010-01-11T14:18:00.002Z

We donated some pretty pink polka aprons for the SHE chocolate workshop. A day of pure chocolate indulgence by all accounts! If you love chocolate as much as we do you have to check out this video and this link for some scrummy recipes including Linda's delicious Divine Chocolate Torte!

Sarah Smith part of Homebase's up to half price sale!

2010-01-08T11:39:00.003Z

The Sarah Smith range is now on sale in Homebase. Check in-store or on the Homebase website for details.

Help us Give our Microfibre Cloths a Name

2009-12-17T15:29:00.009Z

We are looking to revamp our Microfibre cloths in 2010. As part of this revamp we are looking to give the product a new name that best commincates the personality of the brand and the qualities of the product.

Sarah Smith Microfibre Cloths are 21st century technology made beautiful! Created with the latest textile technology these cloths do not need chemicals to clean. Millions of powerful microfibres absorb the dirt so you just need to add water. Tough and durable you will always want one of these microfibre cloths close to hand to help keep everything gleaming with effortless shine. For work tops, hobs, sinks, tiles, glass, stainless steel, chrome, mirrors, taps, shower screens and baths.

We would like you to choose your favourite from the list of names below or alternatively provide us with an idea of you own. Please either post your selection directly on the blog or email us at info@sarah-smith.co.uk. If you email us your name & address details along with your product name preferences we will send you a free sample microfibre cloth as a thank you.

Sarah Smith Kitchen & Bathroom Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Tedious Task Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Gorgeously Gleaming Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Dazzling Dirt Grabbing Cloths
Sarah Smith Miracle Shine Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Simple Shine Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Surface Shine Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Drab to Fab Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Chemical Free Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Cleans Without Chemicals Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Just Add Water Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Eco Multi Surface Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Easy Clean Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Pretty Powerful Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Happy House Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Miracle Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith House Beautiful Microfibe Cloths
Sarah Smith Beautifully British Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Heart Cloth
Sarah Smith Love Your Home Microfibre Cloths
Sarah Smith Microfibre Marvel
Sarah Smith Dirt Busting Duo
Sarah Smith Pretty Amazing Cloths
Sarah Smith Magic No Smear Cloth
Sarah Smith Super Sparkle Microfibre Cloths

Makeover for Sarah Smith Website

2009-12-16T09:48:00.005Z

We have given the Sarah Smith website a makeover in time for Christmas. We have tried to make it pretty but, importantly, clear and simple to navigate which will hopefully improve your online experience with us.

If you are using the site and you experience any difficulties please do get in touch (info@sarah-smith.co.uk). I actively encourage you to play around with the site and try and break it so that we can correct any errors we haven't spotted.

Thanks in advance and I hope you like the changes we have made!

Sarah Smith Flower Power Non Scratch Scourer

2009-12-02T13:22:00.007Z

As the original Flower Power Scourer proved such a hit, we have developed a non scratch version. Same procedure, we'd like you to test it for us first and give us some feedback. Email details to info@sarah-smith.co.uk to volunteer your services as a trialist. I have about 15 scourers so the first 15 emails I get will be selected for the trial. Thanks everyone

Product Trial Window and Glass Cloth

2009-11-05T16:27:00.006Z

We are after volunteers again. We have some new cloth technology we'd like you to test out for us. The cloth in question is designed specifically to clean windows and glass surfaces. Simply wet the patterned side with warm water and clean surface. Use the reverse blue textured side to dry and polish. If we developed the product further we would of course give the cloth a fabulous pretty pattern. First we want to make sure the technology works effectively for our customers. If you are interested in testing this product out and filling in a simple questionnaire, please send your name and address details to info@sarah-smith.co.uk.

We may be pretty but we're pretty tough as well...

2009-11-05T14:43:00.006Z

Great news. We have had our Sarah Smith Pretty Pattern Wipes independently tested and can confirm that they kill the swin flu virus, (swH1N1) , see:www.wipesdirect.co.uk for more information. That's pretty powerful cleaning & will help keep your household surfaces swine flu free. These wipes can be purchased from most Waitrose & some Tesco stores.

Flower Power Scourer Now Available in Tesco

2009-10-29T16:49:00.005Z

I am delighted to report that our Sarah Smith Flower Power Scourer is now available in around 300 Tesco stores. We think they were so impressed by the feedback given by all of you in July that it persuaded them to put it on shelf (well a clip strip at least!). So a BIG thank you to everyone who gave us their feedback

Sarah Smith Pretty Pattern Wipes - Trial Results

2009-09-24T14:49:00.009+01:00

A big thank you to everyone who volunteered for our product trial. I have to say it was a brilliant response. Here are the results:

Q1: How did you rate the performnace of Sarah Smith wipes compared to your normal purchase?
a) Excellent - 29%
b) Very Good - 58%
c) Okay - 13%
d) Poor - 0%
e) Very Poor - 0%

Q2: How did you find the size of the wipe?
a) Perfect, just right - 51%
b) Too Thin - 11%
c) Too Thick - 0%
d) Too Small - 29%
e) Too Large - 9%

Q3: Did you like the fragrance of the wipes?
a) Yes - 96%
b) No - 4%

Q4: Did you like the pattern on the wipes?
a) Yes - 100%
b) No - 0%

Q5: What were your favourite features of the product?
a) Appearenc - 36%
b) Performance - 4%
c) Both Appearence & Performnace - 52%
d) Other (Please Specify)
- Convenience - 2%
- Fragrance - 2%
- Natural - 2%
- More Hygienic - 2%

Q6: Would you buy this product if it were made available in your local supermarket?
a) Yes - 89%
b) No - 11%

Q7: This product retails at £1.20 in Waitrose. Do you think this is:
a) Excellent Value for Money - 16%
b) Good Value for Money - 44%
c) About Right - 33%
d) Expensive -7%
e) Far too Expensive - 0%

Sarah Smith Customers are the Best in the World!

2009-09-04T16:34:00.008+01:00

We at Sarah Smith strongly believe that we have the best customers in the world. Friendly, creative & inspirational are words that spring to mind. Today was one of those days that reminded us of this fact when in the post we received a poem about Sarah Smith products. How lovely. It made us smile so much that we wanted to share it with you all (see images above). It reads:

I really had to write to say, I'm just so glad you came my way

Your products are the best by far, In fact I rate them all five star

Sarah Smith products are really great, so tell your family and your mates

In Summer, Winter, Autumn and Spring, Sarah Smith products are just the thing

Sarah Smith products make the perfect gift, so give your pals and chums a lift

Sarah Smith gives you so much more, quality, value and that's for sure

You will pay your bill and still be jolly when Sarah Smiths prices save you lolly

Sarah Smith products make your life complete, the opposition just can't compete

I send my best to management and staff and hope this rhyme gives them a laugh

These words are true I do not jest, Sarah Smith products are just the best

Brilliant! And it did indeed make all of us laugh. I sent this customer some Sarah Smith goodies for their efforts. So if you think you can come up with a Sarah Smith poem or rhyme of your own please send them to us at info@sarahsmith.co.uk. I will send all entrants a little prize including a larger prize for our favourite. I will also post a selection of your entries on the blog. Good luck and I look forward to reading your entries :)

kitchencrafter.blogspot.com

2009-08-18T11:10:00.005+01:00

Sally from kitchencrafter.blogspot has made such a brilliant job of making her Sarah Smith bunting I thought is was worth sharing with all of you. Sally's lovely blog is a little peek into her daily happenings and creations with a bit of country life along the way - definately worth a visit.

Sarah Smith Pretty Pattern Wipes

2009-08-03T10:48:00.006+01:00

We need your help again! We have another product we'd like you to try out and tell us what you think. The product in question is our new pretty pattern wipes with lemon tea tree oil & thyme which we have just launched into Waitrose supermarkets.

We are really excited about this product. It's not just a gimmick product. As well as looking gorgeous these wipes are:

Naturally Antibacterial:Made with citrus extracts for natural antibacterial action and fragranced with essential oils.
More Wipe for your Money: 30% bigger than ordinary cleaning wipes
Made In Britain: Developed and produced at our Somerset factory here in the UK

If you would like to volunteer your services please send us an email at info@sarahsmith.co.uk stating pretty pattern wipes in the subject along with your name and address in the main body of the email. We need 100 volunteers so the first 100 emails we receive will be selected for the product trial.

Flower Power Scourer Results So Far ...

2009-07-28T10:44:00.004+01:00

A BIG thank you to all the people who volunteered to take part in our product trial. We have had a fantastic response so far. We are still waiting for a few responses so if you have yet to give your feedback please email us at info@sarahsmith.co.uk. The more responses we get the stronger our argument is to get this product listed in your local supermarket!

For those of you who volunteered but did not receive a free product to trial, don't worry, I have kept your details and you will be first in line to try out another new product in the next couple of weeks. Here are the results so far:

What did you use the scourer for?
a) Washing dishes - 35%
b) Scrubbing Pots & Pans - 30%
c) Cleaning Dirty Greasy Baking Trays - 20%
d) Wiping Down Surfaces - 5%
e) Soaking Up Spills - 1%
f) All of the above - 9%

How would you rate the Sarah Smith Flower Power Scourer's performance compared to your normal purchase?
a) Excellent - 29%
b) Very Good - 62%
c) Okay - 9%
d) Poor - 0%
e) Very Poor - 0%

How did you find the size of the scourer?
a) Perfect, Just Right - 81%
b) Too Thick - 0%
c) Too Thin - 9%
d) Too Small - 5%
e) Too Large - 5%

What were your favourite features of the product?
a) Appearance - 24%
b) Performance - 5%
c) Both appearance & performance - 66%
d) Other (Please Specify) - Flexible - 5%

After 7 days of use, how would you best describe the condition of the Scourer?
a) Excellent condition with plenty of use still left in the product - 38%
b) Okay but will need to buy a new scourer soon - 62%
c) Poor, product is falling apart and struggled to last the 7 day trial - 0%

Would you buy this product if it were made available in your local supermarket?
a) Yes - 90%
b) No - 10%

Vivre Cote Sud 2009

2009-06-25T09:42:00.020+01:00

A few snap shots from a recent consumer show in France:

It would seem that Sarah Smith was a hit with the French consumers, we even got a couple of blog mentions:

katitkat.canalblog.com

phomedamour.canalblog.com

Can You Help?

2009-06-20T11:39:00.001+01:00

Sarah was chatting yesterday with the buyer for cleaning cloths, sponges and scourers at Sainsbury's.

She was talking in particular about our new Flower Power Scourer. A kooky Sarah Smith flower shaped sponge Scourer to brighten up the otherwise dreary task of washing dishes.

Unlike the chunky blocks sold by others ours is flexible enough to get into cups & corners and is perfect for saucespans & baking trays!

He was rather sceptical that anyone would want to buy such a silly thing!

We think it will be rather popular!

That certainly was the impression we got from the recent BBC Good Food Show where we quickly sold everyone of the test batch we had taken along.

So, can YOU help?

Firstly, leave a comment here telling us what you think: Good idea or bad? Would YOU buy it?

Secondly, we need ONE HUNDRED volunteers to give it a try at home & tell us what they think. Can you help?

If you would like to give A Sarah Smith Flower Power Scouer A try email us at info@sarahsmith.co.uk with "FLOWER POWER" in the title.

Thanks for reading & hope you can help!

What Emma Told Me At The BBC Good Food Show

2009-06-19T18:30:00.006+01:00

I met Emma at the BBC Summer Good Food Show 2009 last week at the NEC in Birmingham UK. She was ethusiastically telling a colleague why she loved our Sarah Smith Cleaning Cloths so much so I asked her if she would repeat what she said for the camera. The great thing is that we meet loads of people everyyear just like Emma who have been buying Sarah Smith for years and not only love the kooky colours and patterns but keep on buying because the products last and last and a great value for money. We have worked hard on trying to engineer the products to get this kind of reaction and when you hear it for your self it is hugely satisfying!

A big thank you therefore to Emma and to everyone we met in Birmingham and to all of you who read this blog and buy Sarah Smith products. Its a great brand to work on and I think we certainly have the best customers in the world!

Exclusively Housewares

2009-06-10T10:38:00.000+01:00

A quick pic of our stand at the Exclusively Housewares Show in London, an invitation only trade Show.

Don't think our bunting attempt is as good as Emma's though!

Don't forget we are also at The BBC Summer Good Food Show at The NEC this week as well.

BBC Summer Good Food Show Ticket Give-away!

2009-05-28T13:36:00.004+01:00

We have one set of 2 complimentary tickets for the BBC Gardeners World Live & BBC Good Food Show to give-away. Each ticket admits one person to the show for any one day between the 10th - 14th of June 2009. The show is taking place at the NEC Birmingham and opens from 9am - 6pm.

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning these tickets please email me at info@sarah-smith.co.uk with your name and address stating "BBC Summer Good Food Show Ticket Give-away!"

The winner will be chosen at random from all emails received. Offer ends Wednesday 3rd of June. Winner will be contacted directly by email on the 3rd of June. This is so I can get the tickets to the winner in plenty of time for the show. Good Luck!

'Aprons Get Trendy'

2009-05-21T14:38:00.003+01:00

According to the All About You team our Fairtrade Aprons are rather trendy.

All about you is the website for food ideas,healthy living tips, decorating and much more written by the editors of Good Housekeeping, Country Living, SHE, Prima, House Beautiful & Coast magazines.

I love their description of the apron: "flower power, vibrant & cheerful"- all character notes we aim to acheive. Adding a splash of colour & fun to peoples home's is what we do :)

ABSOLUTION - Preservative Free Skincare From Sarah Smith

2009-05-20T09:37:00.005+01:00

COMING SOON ...

For every day cleansing, Absolution is the preservative free natural wash cloth which is kind to your skin. Absolution has been designed for people who care about what ingredients are inside their cosmetic products.

Absolution has been made using 100% natural ingredients. All Organic Cotton. All with preservative free cleansing formulas. All using an absolute minimum of ingredients rather than the long list that you will find on the back of most personal care products.

Included within the range are; Body Wash Cloths, Facial Cleansing Cloths and Baby Wash Cloths.

Just add water to produce a luxurious lather which naturally cleanses, purifies, softens, smoothes & moisturises your skin. The baby variant also soothes, heals, nourishes & protects your baby’s ultra delicate skin.

Treat your skin the natural way.

All About Eden

2009-05-19T13:57:00.003+01:00

If you have ever wondered what else you could use your Sarah Smith cloths for, why not create your very own Sarah Smith inspired feather duster (minus the feathers!)? Click here to find out how Sara from All About Eden created this practical little gem.

Mary Poppins!

2009-05-15T09:19:00.003+01:00

If you haven't already discovered it, Mary Poppins is a delightful blog full of vintage charm and inspiration. The blog is currently running a give-away where you have a chance to win some Sarah Smith goodies, click here for more info .... and good luck!

Your Home Online - 'Say Goodbye to Dull Cloths'

2009-05-14T10:03:00.005+01:00

It would seem our new Kitchen Classics All Purpose Cloths have been well received by Your Home Online who featured them on their latest shopping news page. Brilliant!

Attic 24

2009-05-11T16:49:00.003+01:00

A BIG thank you to Lucy at Attic 24 for giving us a mention on her excellent blog. Check out here how our Sarah Smith cloths helped Lucy with a touch of retail therapy! Attic 24 is a must read for anyone interested in mothering, decorating, crocheting, baking, sewing, crafting and gardening.

Vivre Cote Ouest 2009

2009-05-11T14:02:00.005+01:00

A few pictures from the Vivre Cote Ouest fair in France.

housetohome

2009-05-11T11:13:00.005+01:00

A big thank you to the housetohome team for voting Sarah Smith Ultra Absorbent Cleaning Cloths as one of their favourite cleaning products. housetohome is the comprehensive guide to interior design brought to you by the editors of Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, 25 Beautiful Homes and Beautiful Kitchens Magazine.

How to Make: Iced Easter Biscuits

2009-04-03T09:30:00.015+01:00

Our friend Julia Parsons has kindly donated the recipe for this how to make feature.

Please take the time to visit her charming blog a slice of cherry pie which is a must read for all you foodies out there.

Makes approximately 15 biscuits

Ingredients

For the biscuits
100g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
250g plain flour

For the icing
150g icing sugar
A few tablespoons of water
Various food colourings

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Sarah Smith In Greece

2009-03-11T11:08:00.004Z

Sarah Smith is 'hot stuff' in Greece according to myworld.gr... thank you!

New From Sarah Smith From 3rd March

2009-02-18T12:45:00.002Z

Sarah Smith Cherry Blossom & Jasmine Tumble Dryer Sheets. We made the first production yesterday and its not on shelf in the first UK supermarket until 3rd March but I have seven packs here for the first seven people who claim them. Email info [at] sarah-smith [dot] co [dot] uk .

5Star Review At DooYoo

2009-02-18T11:34:00.003Z

Sarah Smith Ultra Absorbent Cleaning Cloths have received a 5Star review on DooYoo!!! Fantastic! Apparently:

"These could only be better if they cleaned by themselves"

Read the full review here:

Kitchen Critic

2009-02-17T09:47:00.001Z

We have had a rather kind write up on our Sarah Smith range of Fairtrade Cotton Kitchen Textiles here at Kitchen Critc...

Frankfurt Am Main

2009-02-13T18:34:00.006Z

A few pictures from the Ambiente fair in Frankfurt. Oh and don't forget to check these very kind words from Stephanie!

Guardian Six of the Best Tea Towels

2009-01-23T14:19:00.004Z

Our Sarah Smith Fairtrade Cotton Tea Towel in the best selling "Red Moo!" print has made the cut in The Guardian's six of the best.

I think we call that a Goal!

Lavender House Challenge Update

2009-01-23T12:46:00.004Z

Back in December you may recall a post about Emma's blog Lavender house. Inspired by her creative use of some Sarah Smith cleaning cloths I invited suggestions or examples of other examples of creativity using Sarah Smith fabrics.

Well, Emma put a further idea up on her blog which I really should have told you about BEFORE Christmas... you can see why here. But we will all wrap many a birthday or other present this year so better late than never I say!

Following that Stephanie posted this piece on her blog Loft Creations. I am pretty sure you will agree that the result is fantastic!

Since these are the only two responses to the challenge I see no need for a vote and will be sending both of them a unique one off print of our Fairtrade Cotton Shopper Bag from our recent development work (I had 20 or test prints made with new designs and colours) with a few goodies inside. Just as soon as they both send me their mailing addresses that is!

(email me a info at sarah-smith.co.uk or cbirnie at gmail.com).

Sarah Smith At Top Drawer 2009 in London

2009-01-18T10:35:00.000Z

Pictures On My Wall

2008-12-23T16:51:00.004Z

Well colours really. Trying to distill this little lot down into a coherent 2009 collection!

Watch this space!

Best Wishes to you all from everyone on the Sarah Smith team!

Have a Very Colour Christmas!

Jake at Le Web 08 with Sarah Smith...

2008-12-10T10:04:00.004Z

Le Web 08 is taking place in Paris as I write with around 1500 delegates from around the technology world. A good opportunity we thought to put one of our Microfibre Screen Cloths in the hands of people with screens that would no doubt need cleaning at some point!

Luckily Jake Stride of Senokian and Tactile CRM was there and kindly sent me a picture of him with his Sarah Smith Screen Cloth.

The Screen Cloth will be available to buy from our web store later this week.

Matt & his Fairtrade Quilted Blanket

2008-12-04T13:08:00.001Z

Post Bag

2008-12-03T11:10:00.001Z

Some of this morning's mail. I particularly like the decorated envelopes!

Lavenderhoue - Lets Go Fly A Kite!

2008-12-03T09:32:00.004Z

Another day, another wonderful piece from the blog-world arrives in my inbox from Emma at Lavenderhouse. Emma has made some Christmas bunting from some Sarah Smith Cleaning cloths! Check out her blog its packed with other great ideas!

I think Emma has just set the challenge! Write a "Something you can make with Sarah Smith" and post it on your blog - we will link to it and then let you all vote for your favorite.

The winner will get a Sarah Smith goody bag! We will call it the Lavenderhouse Challenge in Emma's honour!

Loft Creations

2008-12-02T09:29:00.002Z

More kind words from one of our growing network of blogger friends from around the world. This time from Stephanie at her blog Loft Creations.

Stephanie had written to use in response to our call for product testers for our new Microfibre Screen Cloth - the results of which have been fantastic by the way and we will have the product on sale from the new year.

Stephanie's blog is packed full of craft and colour and you might want to check out her Etsy store as well!

UK VAT

2008-12-01T16:46:00.000Z

For the sake of good order I thought I should let you know that we have
of course applied the reduced VAT rate of 15% to all on-line prices for
Sarah Smith products from today.

Home Made Cakes

2008-12-01T15:23:00.001Z

I had a wonderful coversation yesterday at the BBC Good Show with Sarah Cullen-Jones. Sarah has just started a new business selling Home baked cakes and puddings.

I persuaded her to make us a special Sarah Smith cake which we will auction & donate the proceeds to a worthy cause.

I suggested she starts a blog. If she does I will let you know so that you can check out her wonderful cakes for yourselves.

Four Happy Customers

2008-11-29T13:15:00.003Z

Taken at the BBC Good Food Show on Friday 28th Nov. 2008. They each bought a different pattern Sarah Smith Fairtrade Cotton shopper bag and seemed very happy about it!

Sarah Smith Featured In Visite Deco Magazine in France

2008-11-27T10:01:00.004Z

Sarah Smith has been feautured in Visite Deco a French Magazine and web site. The Feature is here. Go to page 128-9.

This is the first time we have been featured in the press outside the UK although of course Sarah Smith freqently gets mentioned by our many blogging friends all over the world. Wonderful news and a great first for our man in France, Christophe Catteau!

I have a suspicion that the our resident French dog Matt ( a Basset Fauve de Bretagne ) may have helped!

Win a Divine Fairtrade Chocolate Hamper!

2008-11-14T21:58:00.003Z

If you are visiting Novembers BBC Good Food Show at the NEC be sure to pay us a visit.

Besides all the fantastic Sarah Smith products for you to see and buy we are running a FREE prize drawer to win this gorgeous Divine Fair Trade Chocolate hamper worth over £50!

A perfect Christmas gift or if you are a chocoholic the perfect indulgence!

We will be in hall 19 stand T149, see you there!

Coming Soon To A TV Near You!

2008-11-07T16:05:00.001Z

Well, here in the UK at least!

Matt Testing A Sarah Smith Quilted Blanket

2008-11-07T16:01:00.001Z

Another Picture From Belgium

2008-11-06T10:59:00.004Z

The travelling Sarah Smith store as it looked at the Countryside 08 Show in Ghent last weekend.

Kitchen Critic

2008-11-05T11:29:00.004Z

Kitchen Critic have published not one but two wonderful posts about Sarah Smith. The first was all about our pattern print cleaning cloths and dusters and the second about our Big As A Tea Towel Microfibre Cloths.

All are put through their paces by the Kate from the Kitchen Critic team. Read the full posts here and here.

Sarah Smith News Update 4th November

2008-11-04T18:23:00.004Z

Phew! What a busy few days. A bunch of us from the Sarah Smith UK team and our top man in France, Christophe, were in Ghent in Belgium over the weekend at the Countryside 2008 fair giving our terribly British brand of kooky pattern print textiles a test drive with the Belgian public.

I think this picture of our Financial Director (CFO) Martyn is proof enough that we had a great time!

Anyone Care To Test Drive This For Us?

2008-10-24T17:28:00.004+01:00

We have about one hundred test pieces of our new Microfibre Screen Cloth which we think is brilliant at keeping Laptop & desktop screens, LCD TVs, iPhones and all other manner of mobile and digital gadgetry free of smudges, fingerprints and other obscuring goo that clouds the view and frustrates our eyes!

No cleaning chemicals needed just a gentle rub with one of these beauties will keep your screen crystal clear and user friendly.

Volunteers to give one a whirl should apply with a "Yes please I'd love to test drive a Sarah Smith Microfibre Screen Cloth in a wacky pattern print" to info at sarah-smith dot co dot uk .

All we ask is that you send us a little feedback. Don't worry we will send you the questions (probably four of them we like to keep things simple!)

A huge THANK YOU in advance!

Prize Draw Results

2008-10-07T12:42:00.003+01:00

Thank you to everyone who entered our big September prize draw and congratulations to the following winners:

1st: Melissa Jones, USA
2nd: Nanette Merrill, USA
3rd: D Daly, Miramichi, Canada
4th: Lisa Durst, ?
5th: Gemma Hogan, UK
6th: Cherylyn Waite, UK
7th: Polly Davidson, USA
8th: Anita Monery, USA

Prizes will soon be on the way!

And as a token of our appreciation for taking part a pack of Sarah Smith Ultra Absorbent Cloths will be sent to everyone who did not win a main prize.

Don't Forget To Enter The Prize Draw

2008-09-26T14:17:00.004+01:00

Just a quick reminder that our September Prize Draw closes at midnight GMT on 30th September - which is next Tuesday.

FREE Prize Draw

2008-09-04T16:00:00.015+01:00

We are holding a free prize draw for you to win some Sarah Smith Fairtrade products. The prizes are as follows:

^1st Prize – 1 'Butterflies' Fairtrade Luxury Quilted Beach and Picnic Blanket

1 'Confetti' Fairtrade Apron

1 'Confetti' Fairtrade Beach Towel

1 'Confetti' Fairtrade Kitchen Towel

1 'Confetti' Fairtrade Tea Towel

2^ndPrize – 1 ‘Scooby’ Fairtrade Luxury Quilted Beach and Picnic Blanket

1 'Moo' Fairtrade Beach Towel

1 'Moo' Fairtrade Kitchen Towel

1 'Moo' Fairtrade Tea Towel

3^rd Prize – 1 ‘Scooby’ Fairtrade Luxury Quilted Beach and Picnic Blanket

1 'Confetti' Fairtrade Beach Towel

1 'Confetti' Fairtrade Kitchen Towel

4^th Prize – 1 'Chrysanthemum' Fairtrade Apron

2 'Chrysanthemum' Fairtrade Tea Towels

5^th Prize – 3 'Confetti' Fairtrade Kitchen Towels

6^th Prize – 3 'Butterflies' Fairtrade Tea Towels

7^th Prize – 3 'Spots' Fairtrade Tea Towels

8th Prize - 2 'Scooby' Fairtrade Tea Towels

If you are interested in taking part in our prize draw please enter for free by sending us an email with your name and address to info@sarah-smith.co.uk before midnight GMT on the 30^th September 2008.

This competition is open to residents of all countries, not just the UK.

This blog post was written by Meg Tuppen during her week of work experience at Sarah Smith HQ in Somerset,UK.

Attic 24

2008-08-26T15:39:00.003+01:00

Another kind blogger has given us a little plug so it would be very rude of us not to return the favour.

Attic 24 is packed with brilliant pictures and posts and therefore at the very least deserves a little mention here!

Marie Claire Buy Of The Day

2008-07-18T10:47:00.002+01:00

Sarah Smith Fairtrade Cotton Tea Towels are today's buy of the day in Marie Claire online! A huge thank you to our Friends at Natural Collection for this.

The picture shows two designs: "Scooby"(pink) and Confetti (blue).

WE ARE NOW SHIPPING TO THE USA & THE WORLD!!!!

2008-07-11T21:47:00.003+01:00

BIG NEWS: We have just gone live with a major overhaul of the Sarah Smith web shop and for the first time we have added International shipping in addition to loads of new products and loads of new features.

International shipping means we can now send web purchases to you anywhere in the world. Click on the International heading on the top panel on the site for full details.

Dear Sarah Smith

2008-07-09T11:19:00.004+01:00

It is always good to hear from our customers. Being the kind of company we are, making real products in the real world we receive wonderful letters like this one:

Dear Sarah Smith,

I have bought two very pretty pink flowery microfibre cloths and I wanted to say how good they are.

Their colour caught my eye in Waitrose and though they were a little more expensive than I would usually pay, I bought them.

They cleaned even stubborn marks without any "potions" added just like the packet says.

I am a believer in letting people know when things are good so hence the letter.

Good luck for your business's future.

Yours sincerely
etc

Wonderful. We put a lot of work into making sure our products are good value for money. That they performance well in use, that they are durable and of course beautiful!

We understand that people buy in the first place because of the colours and patterns but we want them to come back and buy again so we don't want to let them down. So letters like this are gold - they let us know we are on the right track.

Sarah Smith Goes To Norway

2008-07-02T15:03:00.004+01:00

Our Sarah Smith Fairtrade Cotton bags are now available from three separate Norweigan retailers and by the end of July will be in a fourth. We recently shipped an order to a new customer in Sweden as well.

So that means we now have Sarah Smith on sale in the UK, Ireland, Japan, Norway and Sweden.

We just need to solve how to make Sarah Smith available in the US. 20% of our web traffic is coming from the US every month thanks to the wonderful work of our friends in the US like Nanette Merril.

A Busy Few Weeks

2008-06-25T16:39:00.007+01:00

It has been a busy few weeks here at Sarah Smith headquarters in Somerset and also in Birmingham and London as we have been on the road at the BBC Summer Good Food Show and at Summer Fair in London.

We have met some wonderful people over the last few weeks. Too many to mention them all here but in particular:

I met Julia at Summer Fair - check out her blog Vintage Heaven if you haven't already. I don't think she believed me when I said I would mention her here!

If you are ever in Kidderminster you should look up Rizos Greek Specialities - or just look them up online they had some wonderful food on their stand at the BBC Summer Good Food Show!

And if you on visiting the Isle of Man then check out Island Sea Fare or again online - their scallops pan fried with tequilia were so good I had them two days running during the show!

And finally if you or someone you know likes things a little spicy then check out Little Green Men, they have chilli beer and even chilli chocolate!

A big thank you to everyone who came to see us at both Summer Good Food and Summer Fair. The positive things you all had to say about our Sarah Smith products were wonderful to hear.

Save 10% on Sarah Smith Purchases at BBC Summer Good Food Show 2008

2008-06-09T10:00:00.006+01:00

We will be at the Summer Good Food Show again this year. The show is at the NEC in Birmingham and is open from Wednesday to Sunday.

You can find us in Hall 7 at stand 153. You can download a map of the show here. The image below shows our location on the map.

To SAVE 10% on Sarah Smith Purchases made from our stand at the show simply bring a print of this blog post!

Hippy Shopper

2008-06-05T11:23:00.004+01:00

This is our Moo! Shopping Bag, one of our best sellers this year.
It has had a really great write up from Hippy Shopper.

It is 100% Fairtrade Cotton. If that makes us Hippies then so be it!

Freda's Hive

2008-05-22T14:01:00.003+01:00

Nanette Merril has again done us proud with a wonderful post enthusing about Sarah Smith, and giving a couple of Sarah Smith prizes. To get your name in the hat you just needed to leave a comment! Which is of course exactly how Nanette first heard about Sarah Smith when she entered a similar prize draw at Posy.

If anyone else would like to host a Sarah Smith prize draw on their blog we would be happy to supply a few packs of our pattern print Cleaning Cloths as prizes. Email us at info at sarah-smith dot co dot uk.

Sarah Smith Spotted in Australia!

2008-05-01T20:28:00.004+01:00

Another marvelous international sighting of our Sarah Smith Cleaning Cloth! This time at Little Mysteries.

This is the Jasmine print we added only this April! Thanks again to Jane at Posy for letting the blogging world know about us. What a wonderful Lady!

120 Good Things And More

2008-04-24T12:21:00.005+01:00

I love this sort of thing. Nanette Merrill of Utah left a comment below asking do we ship to the US (Answer below also). I flip over to her Blog: Freda's Hive & find a picture of our Sarah Smith Ultra Absorbent Cleaning Cloths pictured. (The red ones - the pattern is called "Moo!").

Turns out Nanette was send them by Jane from Devon. Jane had sent them to Nanette as one of the winners in her "Flowery Cloth Giveaway"! Nanette being one of three winners out of 120 who had entered by leaving comments on Jane's blog POSY. Brilliant. Just fantastic to read so many wonderful comments.

A very big THANK YOU to both Nanette and of course to Jane for highlighting Sarah Smith on their blogs. And to all their readers who have left such kind comments.

Guardian Ecostore

2008-04-21T17:00:00.004+01:00

What a surprise!

There I am taking a moment to munch an apricot Geobar and read some news.

An idle click on the link to Guardian Ecostore and up pops a picture of our Fairtrade Tea Towels! Courtesy of Natural Collection who run this store on behalf of The Guardian.

Two of our Aprons are also there.

Global Micro Brand?

2008-04-19T12:34:00.003+01:00

Our Google Analytics page shows increasing visits to the Sarah Smith web site from around the world.

Sarah Smith products are now on sale in the UK in a growing number of stores, on-line traders such as Ethical Superstore and Natural Collection, and of course from www.sarahsmith.co.uk.

As I mentioned below Sarah Smith Ultra Absorbent Cleaning Cloths can now be bought at Plaza Style stores in Japan.

We have also just received our first order from a retailer in Ireland.

We hope that within a few weeks we will be ready to start shipping Internationally for web orders and will continue to look for retail opportunities around the world.

One day we hope to become a truly Global Micro Brand. A little brand, small everywhere, but available everywhere.

Sarah Smith Now Available in Japan!

2008-04-18T22:44:00.003+01:00

Japanese Department Store Plaza Style are now selling some of our Ultra Absorbent Cleaning Cloths...

Print & Pattern, Flickr and more

2008-04-14T20:41:00.001+01:00

April is halfway done already and we have yet to really get blogging! To make amends a few pieces of news:

1. A wonderful piece here at Print & Pattern on the 2008 collection.

2. We have finally posted some new pictures on our Flickr page.

3. We have added a"Try Before You Buy" offer - register on our main site and we will send you a Free Ultra Absorbent Cleaning Cloth!

British Gas Blues

2007-12-03T09:57:00.000Z

How many people from British Gas does it take to fix a boiler?

First the cooker started doing strange things so I called British Gas to come and look at it as we have a service contract with them.

They came the next day and disconnected it while they waited for a part to arrive.

But when the engineer turned the gas back on the hot water stopped being hot, but as he had not been booked to fix that problem he left.

Miraculously it started working again later that night. Temporarily.

Clive bought a take away curry, a toaster and a camping stove on his way home to see us through. The camping stove control came off in my hand the first time I tried to turn it on.

The curry worked!

The next day (Tuesday) I called BG and they told me the cooker part had been received and booked an engineer to come on Thursday. I took the camping stove back and exchanged it.

Wednesday the hot water stopped working again so I called BG again and attempted to book the same engineer who was booked to fix the cooker. After much debate and bloody mindedness on my part the chap on the other end of the line admitted defeat and agreed to not booking it in as a separate visit.

Thursday morning first thing the engineer himself called me himself to explain that:

a) they did not have the part
b) this was because they had not ordered it even though they had told me they had
c) and he wouldn't have been able to come anyway as he was away on a course so would not have been available anyway!

He very kindly went away to sort things out on my behalf. Called me back an hour later to say:

a) he was coming the next day to fix the cooker and look at the boiler
b) that he could do this because they did have the part for the cooker in stock and had had it in stock all along gathering dust and being ignored.

So Friday morning he comes and fixes the cooked. Disappears upstairs with a sidekick to look at the boiler and does not come down for several hours.

When he does he scratches his head.

"Not sure I can fix it today so lets re-book for Monday while I see if I can get some more parts"

So no hot water for the weekend. Luckily the heating is a separate system! And hey, at least we can pack the camping stove away!

Monday is a repeat of Friday. Many hours of wasted effort to no avail.

Conclusion: They cannot fix it and as it is a rare and specialist boiler (apparently although only about three years old) they should never have offered to include it in our Service Contract in the first place.

So BG bow out with promises of a refund and we are left without hot water and to our own devices.

So I phone the manufacturer who have scheduled a visit today from a local contractor with experience and knowledge of their boilers.

Two weeks since it first went wrong when the BG engineer turned the gas off.

Last Friday night BG called... to sell us more cover!

Great sales tactic. The customer has just had a visit under their service contract so will be open to increased cover! Never mind that they hardly covered themselves in glory.

We politely declined.

So two weeks in and still no hot water... maybe by tonight, but what ths cost will be I do not know.

Fingers crossed!