British wool mattress agreements boost farmer cashflow

A UK bed manufacturer has launched a 100% British wool mattress range to address low fleece prices, improve supply chain transparency and provide sheep farmers with faster, fixed payments.

The Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co has updated its Signature British Wool Mattress Collection, describing it as the first and only mattress range filled entirely with pure British wool, without synthetic blends or imported fleece.

The company has also introduced a traceability system linking each mattress to the individual farm supplying the wool.

See also: British wool values lift to 10-year highs at auction

Fleece is processed in farm-specific batches and tracked through production, with every mattress carrying a bespoke QR code allowing customers to identify the source farm.

Harry Thompson, head of brand development and marketing for the Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co, said:

“British farmers are paid mere pennies for fleece. A farmer has no choice but to shear their sheep for welfare, but smaller holdings are barely breaking even.

“Large conglomerates in the industry base the wool’s value on the market average at the end of the year, and typically do not release payment to the farmer until the farmer sends in the next clip the following year.

“This means that many British farmers are unsure of what their wool income is likely to be and feel trapped in a loop where they have no control over how much they’re going to get paid and feel obliged to continue the cycle.”

UK farmers have in the recent past earned between 10p and 60p/kg of wool – below the cost of shearing – although prices in the past year reached £1.18/kg, the highest level in a decade.

The increase has been linked to a global decline in sheep numbers and changing consumer demand for natural materials.

The company offers partner farmers a fixed upfront price, with payment released after three months to support cashflow, formalising agreements on pricing, provenance and supply chain visibility.