A Suffolk-based heirloom seed brand is preparing to cross the £1m sales mark just two years after planting its first idea.
She Grows Veg, founded in November 2023, has quickly become one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent gardening brands. The business, which specialises in heritage vegetable seeds, is on track to reach £1m in revenue this year – a milestone achieved by fewer than 2% of female-run businesses nationwide.
The company was founded by Kate Cotterill, a former marketeer, and Lucy Hutchings, previously a jewellery designer. Their aim was simple but ambitious: to make growing heritage vegetables feel accessible, beautiful and rewarding, whether for first-time growers or seasoned gardeners.
What began as a two-person start-up has since grown into a team of 17 – all women – and a brand now firmly on the radar of both the horticulture industry and major retailers. In just over two years, She Grows Veg has more than doubled its revenue year-on-year and secured its first major online retail listing with Ocado.
The brand’s rise has been fuelled by both commercial momentum and critical acclaim. She Grows Veg has won gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for two consecutive years, praised for immersive and innovative exhibits that reimagined how seeds are presented and sold. It has also attracted widespread national media coverage across television, radio and print.
Most recently, the business has been accepted into Buy Women Built, the network championing female-founded brands, and Super Scalers – a global community for underrepresented founders with revenues exceeding £1m.
“It is truly amazing how far we’ve come in such a short space of time,” said Kate Cotterill. “I can’t believe we’re heading to £1m sales this year and more than doubling revenue every year!”
The journey, however, has not been without obstacles. Like many female founders, Cotterill and Hutchings faced structural barriers in the early stages of building the business.
“Getting She Grows Veg off the ground wasn’t easy. Securing our first bank account was really hard and we also faced discrimination whilst trying to get a business loan, with a broker admitting it was harder to secure a loan as a female founder,” Cotterill said.
According to the Invest in Women Taskforce, female founders receive less than 2% of all UK equity investment.
Rather than stall, the founders adapted. The business launched with a £25,000 crowdfunding campaign, followed by further funding secured through Biz Britain. Angel investment in March 2025 provided the capital needed to accelerate growth and scale operations.
Beyond its commercial success, She Grows Veg has built its business around a deliberately different workplace model.
“We are a company that supports women who want to have a career and be there for their children,” Cotterill said. “Our employees all work flexible hours so they can do both; working around school runs, sport’s days and school holidays.”
As the business enters its third year, the founders say their focus is on building sustainably while expanding their reach to a wider community of growers.
“As we start year three, we have so many plans that just continue to build on our success over the last two years, whilst also allowing us to reach an even broader range of potential growers,” Cotterill added.
From heirloom seeds to modern scale-up, She Grows Veg’s growth story is rooted in persistence – and shows no sign of slowing.
