Frasers

Frasers is an award-winning private estate and eco hospitality and events venue in the unspoilt countryside in Egerton, Ashford.

Frasers is made up of a hotel, holiday lets, restaurant and eco-barn which can host corporate events, training seminars, weddings and parties. The farm had been purchased in 1960 by Jon Ian Fraser, the great-grandson of the founders of the ‘House of Fraser’ group. Now owned by Lisa Fraser and her husband Adam, the estate is a family business with an eco-conscious heart.

Lisa has prioritised ecology and environmental considerations within the business, and over the past 30 years has focused on developing the 300-acre estate into a haven for wildlife, and now provides advice and support to other companies looking to improve their eco credentials, an area of the business she is keen to expand.

Lisa Fraser first joined the ScaleUp Ashford programme to gain an objective view of the company. Her coach inspired the team to collaboratively align the business core objectives, which positivity gained buy-in across the team.

Lisa describes their business journey: “We faced a really difficult situation during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Having invested over a million pounds into a new state-of-the-art eco-barn events venue, the national lockdowns really came at a terrible time for us. “Just as we were beginning to bloom into the realms of eco-estate and turn the business from a focus on hospitality to a whole new venture, we were halted. We’ve had the chance to start up again with renewed direction, the support we have received from the ScaleUp Ashford programme has been really valuable to ensure we move forward on the right tracks.

Frasers conduct tours of the estate and regularly invite companies to visit and learn about how to embark on their own sustainability journey. Coty, a global cosmetic manufacturer based in Ashford, is collaborating with Frasers using their facilities to explore more about sustainable working.

Lisa has visited Coty’s site and helped them plan and design a cutting/vegetable garden for their staff to relax in. Frasers are currently exploring opportunities to work together on an ongoing basis, such as participating on a new Carbon-credit initiative.

Lisa added: “Whilst on the ScaleUp programme, we have doubled our staff headcount and have appointed an events manager to ensure that we have the capacity to expand our offer and take on new clients. We are now also relaunching our external catering services, offering high-quality dishes with low food-mileage ingredients.

Frasers operates with very short supply chains, purchasing from a carefully selected group of local artisan producers and suppliers, supporting in excess of 50 other rural, local businesses. The eco-estate has a wholehearted commitment to sustainability, already recognised regionally and nationally, winning a host of eco awards in recent years.