The King's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development 2026 | Our Second King's Award

Salt of the Earth has been awarded The King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development 2026. It’s the most prestigious business award in the UK, and we’re unbelievably proud and honoured.

This is our second King’s Award in two years, following the 2025 award for International Trade. Two in a row feels surreal for a small family business in Hampshire, and we don’t take it lightly.

What the award is for

The Sustainable Development category recognises organisations whose products, services or operations contribute to real environmental, social and economic progress over at least two years. The assessment looks at evidence: certifications, audits, measurable outcomes, supplier practices, governance, and how deeply sustainability is embedded across a business.

In other words, it rewards the unglamorous version of sustainability. The kind that involves spreadsheets, third-party auditors, and a lot of difficult procurement conversations.

What we put forward

Our submission was built around a simple idea: if sustainability is going to be credible, it has to be measurable, verified by someone other than us, and woven into how we actually run the business.

A few of the things we pointed to:

Refillable formats since 2013. We launched the UK’s first refillable spray deodorant, then refillable roll-ons (co-developed with Rodd Design in 2022), then plastic-free balms. Refills use roughly 65 to 85% less plastic than equivalent single-use formats. Since 2013, our refill range has prevented around 23.66 tonnes of plastic and 2.3 million bottles, calculated by multiplying refill units sold by the packaging weight differential versus single-use alternatives.

Renewable electricity since 2020. Our factory in Chandler’s Ford has run on renewable electricity tariff for five years.

Independent certifications. We’re a certified B Corporation, COSMOS Natural certified by the Soil Association, ISO 22716 (Cosmetic GMP), Cruelty Free International approved, Vegan Society approved, and a Living Wage Foundation employer.

A long-term supply chain. We’ve worked with Southampton-based Fruitful Studios since 2007. We reshored our bottle supply to UK manufacturer Spectra and worked with them to move from virgin plastic to 50 percent post-consumer recycled, and then to bottles made from prevented ocean plastic.

Invested in solar. We’ve invested in solar panels for our Chandler’s Ford factory.

Why this one means a lot

The 2025 International Trade award recognised commercial success across borders. This one recognises how we got there, which feels like the more difficult thing to measure and the more important thing to get right.

We’ve always taken the view that a small, family-owned manufacturer can compete with venture-backed companies without compromising on substance. Sustainability isn’t an add-on for us, it’s the reason a lot of our products exist in the format they do. Refills weren’t trendy in 2013. We did them because they made sense.

What’s next

The award doesn’t change the work, but it does sharpen the focus. The big near-term milestones are getting the solar array commissioned, launching the refillable balm in April 2026, and continuing the move towards fully recyclable mono-material packaging across our range.

We’ll keep publishing what we measure, including the things that don’t go to plan. That part matters too.

To everyone who has bought a refill, asked us a hard question, audited us, supplied us, or worked alongside us in the factory: thank you!