MY COUNTRY BUSINESS
JULIA ROBERTS, FOUNDER OF YELLOW GORSE
Inspired by the uplifting aroma of a locally grown shrub, Julia Roberts’ wellbeing enterprise now brings joie de vivre to people’s lives
When Julia Roberts was a little girl, she would often visit the beach with her granny and three siblings, singing a made-up song on the way. ‘It was about the yellow gorse we always passed,’ she recalls. ‘Even now, whenever I see it,
I’m instantly reminded of those happy times we had together.’
It’s no surprise, then, that when the seeds for her wellbeing enterprise, Yellow Gorse, were first sown many years ago, naming it after the evergreen shrub was an obvious choice for her. ‘It grows prolifically in this area through the year, and looks and smells so uplifting; it seemed a really good fit,’ she explains as she stands in her scentfilled store in the lovely seaside town of Swanage in Dorset.
Getting to this point has taken a circuitous route. Julia was an interior designer for more than 20 years, but always had an interest in the natural world and all it had to offer. ‘My mother was a keen gardener, and my love of flowers, plants and herbs came from her,’ she says. ‘I’ve also long been an advocate of natural remedies which have stood the test of time, and the two obviously work in tandem together.’
It was a visit to her local library in Poole 15 years ago, however, that was to unwittingly set her on a new career path. ‘When my son Olly was about 10, we often went there in the evenings, and one day I came across a book on making traditional soap and candles using natural ingredients,’ she explains. ‘I decided to give it a go – and it soon became a bit of an obsession! I made everything from candles to bath oils and soaps, and not only loved the process, but how lovely and effective they were to use. I took an intensive online aromatherapy course and studied the subject in depth to learn more about it.’
As Julia’s knowledge grew, so too did the idea of turning her passion for making natural wellbeing products into a business. Seven years ago, she opened a tiny shop in Swanage, dedicated to her fledgling company. ‘I was still fine-tuning the initial range at this point, so being able to meet customers in person, get their feedback, and learn directly what they needed proved invaluable,’ she says. ‘I was still