Meet The Maker: High Oak and Co

Be Inspired by our Kent Wedding Suppliers who make and sell their own Products!

In this “Meet The Maker” Interview we are pleased to introduce you to Kent Wedding Supplier, High Oak and Co.

Hi, I'm Robert, Chelsea and Pickles Barrington

Firstly, Tell Us About Yourself

High Oak & Co. is comprised of Robert, Chelsea, and Pickles Barrington (she is the “& Co.” emotive brown tabby cat you will see in many photos on social media and in our shop). I’m the Englishman in charge of production. Chelsea also says I make the best roast potatoes this side of the Atlantic. Chelsea is the American lady with the digital brainwaves who has worked in the wedding industry for 10+ years (first as a wedding photographer; it was how she originally connected to the UK wedding industry eons ago and now she is the owner and editor-in-chief of a wedding media brand in Virginia USA, Tidewater and Tulle). When we aren’t making signs, we love to go on travel adventures, try out new pubs, go for walks around the local countryside, and read books (Chelsea is an historical fiction lover, and I’m a biography kind of guy!).

Tell Us About High Oak and Co

High Oak & Co creates bespoke eco-conscious wedding & home signage made with love from West Sussex, England that serves Kent, the UK, and also ships internationally on Etsy. Our shop name comes from the great English Oak tree (a symbol of endurance, wisdom, and life) and our being on top of the neighbourhood hill. We have a pheasant logo mascot, and his name is Winston which means “joyful stone” (since Chelsea jokingly can’t convert into the metric system, but she knows a stone is a Winston).

When did you start High Oak and Co, how and why?

July 15, 2020 was our official launch date.
(Our story written below by Chelsea who does our design, marketing, and photography)

Everything happens for a reason, and it sure did with us. With my kitty Pickles Barrington in tow, I was starting a new life chapter with a sabbatical in the UK, and Robert was seeking his happily ever after. I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone on my trip. That sort of thing only happens in romantic comedies, right? Well, I did meet someone. He won me over with a story of saving a baby lamb’s life and Christmas socks worn in February, I won him over with American strawberry shortcake, and the rest is history… until COVID-19 busted through 2020 like a Brighton seagull absconding with your chunky chips.

Our relationship accelerated rather quickly when I had to leave my AirBnb earlier than expected because of my host having to return home from overseas. We must have been psychic, really. One week before lockdown happened, being the ever wonderful gentleman that he is, Robert insisted Pickles and I move into his flat until my return flight home. By this time, we already knew we were each other’s happily ever afters, but COVID-19 gave us the gift of an unexpected timeline. We didn’t know that travel restrictions would make my return to the States impossible until summertime, so in a matter of months, I learned how incredible he was at building things, and I jokingly said we should open an Etsy shop with our talents combined. The joke turned into a vision, and that vision turned into this shop.

So, friends, we found our sunshine in daily life and in this shop. My love of the wedding world rubbed off on Robert, and his resourcefulness continues to make me fall in love with him more with each thing he makes.

No matter how COVID-19 changes the way the world celebrates weddings, we hope to help be a part of your special day and beyond with a bit of American can-do spirit and British ingenuity. ♥

– Chelsea, Robert, and PB

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What Products do you offer?

We make signage from our signature collection that caters to every wedding style & couple everywhere, and we always welcome custom orders where people are looking for gifts or something similar to what we offer but want to add their own flair to it. In January 2021, we will be launching our home collection that will include some unique items to help make a house a home — they will make great newlywed gifts!

We personally love our gardens and trees, so we are committed to using ethically sustainable materials in our shop! Our wood is sustainably sourced by an FSC-certified timber supplier. Our wood stain is locally sourced, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic. Our personal branded packaging is plastic-free, and all signage is wrapped in recycled kraft paper. In our continued commitment to our hearts for nature, 10% of profits are donated to Woodland Trust, a UK woodland conservation charity that focuses on protecting woodland and replanting trees for future generations.

What is your favourite Product?

Our personal favourite is our custom wooden cake box stands because of the story behind them. Inspired by Robert’s Yorkshire bakery family heritage that specialised in sweets during the late 1800s, we have designed our chic cake box stands that will make any couple’s cake or wedding day desserts look amazing. Made with unique British heritage nails and our signature stain colours, brides or grooms can purchase as a solo stand or order multiple sizes for a stackable dessert display. Possibilities are endless! After the big day, we recommend customers to upcycle their cake box stand into a plant stand or home decor keepsake.

What is your most popular?

It’s a sign of the times as our most popular products are all COVID-related at the moment, particularly our “Spread Love, Not Germs” sign which has already been included in several wedding blog and website roundups:

How many people work with you?

Just me, Chelsea, and Pickles Barrington from our small at-home workshop.

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Testimonial For High Oak and Co

Just what I wanted- the sign perfectly matched the photo. Will absolutely be back, thank you!

jmubella - 1st August 2020
Etsy Review

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