The Caro Podcast

Mud Australia is a brand known for their timeless porcelain homewares, minimalist aesthetic and their extensive colour palette. Since opening their first store in 2007, there are now 12 MUD stores all over the world. I am delighted to invite founder Shelley Simpson onto the podcast today. As a shopkeeper of just one little shop in Bruton, it was a privileged to chat to Shelley about how she grew Mud from making small runs of homewares to mass producing for a fleet of stores. From the conversation I had with Shelley, it is clear that she is not only a smart businesswoman, but that she has a fundamental ambition to work with people and on the ground, where the action is. We chatted about her personal experience in retailed aged 40, and how that inspired the ethos at Mud, and the different ways in which various cultures use her tableware depending on what they eat and the way they eat. We also talk about the Shelley Simpson Ceramic Prize held by Mud Australia every year - and this years winner, Alfred Lowe. I completely fell in love with Alfred’s pieces when I saw them - and more so when I read the inspiration behind them. He describes the importance of their bright colours and fun appearance in holding their presence in a room ‘ a presence that rejects expectations, ignores preconceptions and embraces a provocative sense of rebellion.’ It is initiatives like the ceramic prize that make Shelley Simpson a true inspiration. 

When I was introduced to the Amateurism Collective in 2020, Leo Walton’s records were a happy distraction from the isolation of the pandemic when he, alongside his 3 other friends launched the Amateurism 24/7 radio station. The knowledge that I was tuning-in with a community that were also listening was a warming respite and one that was reinforced when I read the gratitude in WhatsApp groups & on instagram. Leo was positively interrupting the status quo with music and creating a space for connection. We sat down in my kitchen and talked about the beginning’s of Amateurism and reflected on what makes a strong community. We chat about the art of discovery and the beauty of doing something for nothing. Leo is an astute, dedicated and passionate person - and a really good listen, I personally learnt a lot from our chat. I hope you get a chance to experience what he has created in the real at some point but for now, enjoy tuning in to him on this weeks episode.

My guest this week is the Interior Designer, Tom Morris. One of the many reasons i enjoyed this episode is because Tom and I worked together at the Monocle building in London before I moved to Somerset and it's been a while since i've seen him. Back then he was a Journalist and Design Editor but he now tells stories through interiors. His studio was recently credited as one of the House & Gardens top 100 design firms, no less. Tom’s interiors are incredible beautifully. They are thoughtful, confident and surprising. With craft being at the core of his approach, the materials, furniture and art that he curates gives each room a sense of rootedness and assurance. Perhaps it is his background as a writer but he has a way of describing a space that completely transports you away.We talk about creative expression, craft revival, confidence when designing and his considered approach to his projects. Tom is extremely talented, ever so charismatic and a joy to talk to. morrisstudio.co.uk

Bill Amberg is a name synonymous with quality, innovative design and a considered aesthetic. With a career spanning forty years, he has worked with some incredible people on a wide breadth of projects and taken his business across many landscapes. It is safe to say that Bill has seen the design industry through many times.It is an enormous pleasure and privilege to have him on the podcast talking candidly about the reflections over his career and difference between starting a business now compared to the 80’s when he began selling his briefcases to Paul Smith.Bill Amberg is passionate about many things - especially the business incubation programme that he is a part of at Cockpit Arts but also his family, food and the many variety of vehicle he has restored over the years.I have no doubt, that in listening to Bill, you will recognise what a humble and warm person he is. He even brought me a papaya when he visited to record the podcast. And a lime. Enjoy listening to quite the legend…. Bill Amberg.

My first guest for this series is a goodun. It is Tom Calver of Westcombe Dairy - and is probably the most entrepreneurial person I know. Every time I see him he’s thinking up or in the middle of executing some amazing idea. Westcombe cheese are regularly name checked on the menu’s of great restaurants which is testament to the flavour and quality of the cheese they produce. Tom has taken a family business which is steeped in heritage and made a brand that is about community. He is humble, passionate and also generous - when I arrived to record the podcast and his colleague Corina had surprised me with an amazing spread of their cheese and meat which you’ll hear me savouring in a minute with lots of mmm’s and ahhh’s. Westcombe Dairy is not only a regarded name for cheese, and now charcuterie, but it is also known for being a destination. In a small village near Bruton, Westcombe is now the home to Brickell’s ice cream, Landrace mill and now Woodshedding tap room so you can visit and have a fresh beer. 

Paul Webb of 'Black Bee Honey' has many strings to his bow! With a background in design and branding, he has the discerning eye you need for developing a brand - and a modern approach when it comes to ideas and reaching the right audiences.  Paul’s knowledge and passion for bees and their habitats left me feeling heart warmed and hopeful. ‘Saving the Bees’ is a message that we first heard a few years back but I was keen to hear about what this means for his company, Black Bee Honey, when trying to spread the message to the masses. From creating the brand, and winning awards for its design, to the farming process and then landing on the supermarket shelves I know lots of people will enjoy listening to this episode. Welcome my first man to The Caro Podcast, Paul Webb of Black Bee Honey.

I haven’t met many people like Francesca. Her warmth and generous spirit makes you instantly feel relaxed and want to smile - and she has this Italian accent that is a joy to listen to.But Francesca is also a trailblazer. She started making eco paints before anyone else in the UK launching her company Francesca Paints back in 1996. An expert in colour, she formulates all her own colours to form beautiful palettes inspire day travel and culture. Francesca Paints is well known in the Interiors industry having created colours for designers as well as curating colours for their homes.This was the first episode I recorded that hasn’t been at my kitchen table. I headed to Francesca’s inspiring studio in Clapham, with cuttings of the inspiration she’s collected over the years and her mixing table which looks like a Jackson Pollock installation with its layers of paint from 30 years of mixing up paints.In this episode we talk about the journey of her business and we go deep into her latest palette inspired by women in art from the Renaissance period. I hope you enjoy listening to her passion and warmth. It’s quite infectious. 

I was a bit nervous about doing this interview. Not because she’s scary but because I admire her so much - and she’s employed me for one of my first jobs - at The Future Laboratory a good 15 years ago. Caro Till is the Co-Founder of FranklinTill, a design futures consultancy in colour and material innovation for positive social & environmental change. We talk about why sustainability is such a complex subject and the 9 principles for a shift to regenerative materials that FranklinTill came up with. We talk about her experience as the curator for the exhibition ‘Our Time on Earth’ at the Barbican in 2022 which is now on a global 5 year tour and explores the role that the creative industries have in shifting our mindset to an earth-centred one.As a friend, and also a colleague I have always been inspired by Caro’s creativity, knowledge and confidence. She is not only an industry leader but she’s a brilliant speaker. She’s a warm and generous person with a tenacity that I rarely come across. It’s a privilege to have her on this podcast, please welcome Caro Till.