Episode 25 : Emma chats to Ruby Chahal of Rock & Ruby, an entrepreneur championing real wool socks...

I first came across Rock and Ruby socks when Ruby approached me about a collaboration with Dimpsey, my shepherd hut stay business.I took a look at Ruby’s website and loved her whole British-made ethos and the fact that her strapline talks about them being designed to last and to bring little moments of joy to the everyday.Socks for those who live thoughtfully…Handcrafted cotton and wool socks designed to last and bring little moments of joy to the everyday.As an entrepreneur myself, I love looking at brands and how they position themselves, and as a storyteller, I love it when their brand story is part of their DNA - so I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.Rock and Ruby was established by Ruby Chahal in 2021 during lockdown. With a background as a Creative Director in fashion, a love of walking in the countryside and inspiration from the home-knitted socks her mother made her - all the pieces were there to feed her growing realisation that she wanted to do something new with her life.So she stepped out boldly and took the plunge, visiting manufacturers in Britain with the intention to create a beautiful sock range that was both made sustainably and durable to wear. But she also wanted the socks to be part of the decision making about your outfit, not just whatever you happened to pull out of the drawer. So with her background in fashion, she focused on the little details as well as the materials used to make them and the result genuinely is a sock that you want to show off!So please do take a listen to our podcast, we hear all about Ruby’s founder story, the ups and downs of her journey, how she named her business developed her products and where she’s headed to next.You can find Rock and Ruby on instagram here You can find Anne Sophie Heist hereYou can find Rachel Collins Photography here And for more conversations like this one, please do make sure you’re subscribed to Countrywoman’s Guide - bringing stories from countryside businesses straight to your inbox. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit countrywomansguide.substack.com