Waitrose farmers supply wool for John Lewis sustainable mattress range
Waitrose farmers have begun supplying wool to the John Lewis department store for a new sustainable mattress range.
Working in partnership with mattress manufacturers Hypnos, H. Dawson and Dalehead, John Lewis is launching a new collection of mattresses that, for the first time ever, will be made with wool provided by Waitrose sheep farmers.
In a statement, Waitrose said sheep’s wool has been under-utilised for decades, with the price offered not even covering the cost of shearing, so many farmers have been forced to dispose of it.
Now the sustainable and natural fibre will be put to good use in a move the John Lewis Partnership hopes will increase awareness of the issue, drive demand for British wool and raise its value for the benefit of UK sheep farmers.
Jake Pickering, senior agriculture manager at Waitrose, said: “We are in a fortunate position in running a partnership that operates both a supermarket and a home department store, so we saw an opportunity to make a difference to our farmers and the environment by ensuring the quality wool they’re producing is not wasted. We hope that in doing this, we will raise awareness of this issue and restore British wool’s status as the highly valued and high quality British commodity it used to be.”
Farming Minister Victoria Prentis said: “The UK has a proud tradition of wool production going back many centuries. We have a growing and creative sector using British wool to make new, sustainable products, which directly supports our sheep farmers. I’m delighted that Waitrose and John Lewis are taking this step, to use an environmentally-friendly resource whilst also supporting British lamb producers.”
Prices for the John Lewis Classic wool mattress range starts from £599 while the Hypnos Luxury Handmade Collection starts from £899.
