Walpole: Tell us about the history of your brand…
Claire Podesta: We created Huckleberry to bring together our love of wooden furniture and all things handmade whilst celebrating British craftmanship and design. In 2020 it was a logical conclusion for us both to combine our previous skills and experience in design and marketing to create a new furniture brand, Huckleberry. Our approach was to design and make furniture that we loved and would like to have in our own home, and we discovered others did, too. This has enabled us to grow organically and continue to develop our range of both indoor and outdoor kitchens and furniture.
What is your brand best known for?
Huckleberry is fast becoming renowned for its unique freestanding solid oak garden kitchens. This is just part of our solid oak garden furniture, which also includes pergolas, beautiful bespoke furniture and joinery for interior heritage projects and buildings of note.
What has been a significant achievement in your company’s timeline?
The journey in any startup has so many small triumphs along the way, but being selected as a Walpole Brand of Tomorrow has certainly been a major highlight for us and reaffirmed that we are on the right path!
Why do you love the brand?
We love the brand because we have a rule that we don’t design anything we don’t love ourselves. Everything we create starts from inspiration – whether it be from nature, architecture or a place we visit. Being able to use these as a reference means we can create from the heart and build on what has gone before us. Somerset, where we live and work, is a huge influence and offers so much that we incorporate into Huckleberry: beautiful countryside, gardens, architecture, art, music, food and a sense of belonging.
Why does your brand represent the very best in British luxury?
Our furniture is unique to us, it is made by the finest craftspeople here in Britain and it will last for generations to come.
What attracted you to becoming a Walpole member?
Walpole is the epitome of British luxury all represented under one roof. To be able to network within Walpole, make contacts and gain support and advice is incredibly valuable to us.
If you could collaborate with another Walpole member, which one would you choose?
We would love to design and make some furniture for Belmond. We are excited to see the Britannic Explorer pass through Somerset this summer!
Tell us about an exciting development or new launch for your brand in the coming months?
We are collaborating with a well-known garden designer this Spring/Summer season, which we look forward to announcing soon. We are also expanding our range to include solid oak garden pergolas and a new range of garden furniture to match our Classic Garden Kitchens.
Visit Huckleberry's member profile
