Our new Coastal Life blog begins with our friend, the fabulous local business woman Emma Vowles. She encapsulates the successful working mother that inspires us. Balancing being a mother to her 3 beautiful daughters and running a growing business, we knew her passion and zest for life would inspire you too. Emma kindly gave her time to answer our questions, giving us an insight into her busy world and showing us that life after the pandemic will see Busby & Fox continue their hard earned success.
Where did it all start? Flowers to Fashion!
I returned to the rolling hills of South Devon after my career in London’s fashion industry and, due to having three small children at the time, I wanted to develop a new pursuit that was flexible and could be run from home. Having worked briefly as a florist before my children came along, it felt natural to set up my own flower business from home – and so, Emma Vowles Flowers was born.
Before I knew it, my husband (Felix) and I were opening a store on Totnes High Street. I began offering complementary homewares and trinkets that I had spotted and collected over the years, which my customers loved. From there, the range evolved to include accessories, knitwear and t-shirts, which all blended really beautifully together and sowed the seed for the start of something new… I’d made a name for myself with the floristry but working 120 weddings a year was starting to become difficult, so I decided to end Emma Vowles Flowers on a high and rebrand my business as ‘Busby and Fox’. Busby was my grandfather’s name and the ‘Fox’ part chosen for its connotations of countryside and craftiness, so the whole thing has lots of special meaning for me.
Here we are five years later and the ribbon has just been cut at our seventh store in the beautiful market town of Marlborough (Wilts).
Why South Devon?
I was born in Buckinghamshire but my family moved to a little self-sufficient smallholding in Devon when I was four. I left for London in my late teens, where I held a few different jobs, from working for a courier company to big-brand fashion and eventually floristry.
I returned to South Devon in my late twenties and settled down with Felix, who eventually gave up his job so that we could both dedicate ourselves to growing Busby & Fox (he’s now our Financial Director). We absolutely love living in Devon. Felix was born here and it’s always felt like my true home. The breathtaking countryside and turquoise shores have such a magnetic draw… not even the coldest winter’s day would stop me from diving in for a quick dip.
What is the inspiration behind the brand? Who is the Busby & Fox woman?
One of the greatest joys in my job is helping women to achieve the look they’ve always wanted, or giving them the tools they need to dress in a confident and fulfilling way. Everyone who works for me takes real care in making sure that our customers know their needs are listened to. We don’t thrust clothes or ideas upon people and we’ll never flatter anyone into making a purchase. We’re passionate about creating wardrobes that are right for our customers, and making the clothes work for them – not the other way round.
Our customer is anyone and everyone, and we pride ourselves on being on-hand in a warm, helpful and honest way; shopping with us should feel like shopping with a trusted friend. Whether you’re picking up a bar of soap, a piece of jewellery for a friend or looking to revamp your whole wardrobe, it’s our job to make the whole experience a pleasure.
Who is Emma?
Sea swimming is my ‘thing’ and I do it all year round. It’s something I’m really looking forward to doing with a group of my girlfriends when we can all meet up again for a BBQ and some beers.
Aside from that, I enjoy cooking with my family, rustling up grabbed-from-the-garden bouquets for friends, foraging, walking my two beloved border terriers, Bonnie and Gertie – pretty wholesome stuff, really!
I get so excited and inspired by the things that I discover when on buying trips for Busby & Fox, from gorgeous colours and fabrics to people, native flowers and the pulse of the environment I’m in. It’s not hard to leave somewhere like Paris, Florence or Copenhagen feeling utterly inspired – in fact, most of my ‘lightbulb moments’ occur abroad!
Holidays!
What places are on the list for the Vowles family holiday, your favourite places to visit home & abroad.
Living in Devon, it often feels like we’re permanently on holiday. We can travel a stone’s throw away and feel like we’ve really escaped the hustle and bustle of daily life, especially when it involves relaxing on a sandy beach.
For warmer climes, I’d probably be happiest escaping to somewhere like Pollensa, North Mallorca. Wandering around its vibrant markets, dipping in and out of boutique craft and jewellery shops with regular ‘cerveza’ stops… heaven!
Where would you recommend locally to visit?
I love taking the ferry from Kingsbridge to Salcombe or Totnes to Dartmouth – the scenery is magical. If you’re ever in Dartmouth, make sure to grab some lunch from Rockfish – they do the best fish and chips in town. The Ferry Boat Inn in Dittisham is 10/10 for beer and has beautiful views. I grew up just a hop and a skip from it, so being there conjures up some lovely childhood memories.
If you’re after an idyllic waterside retreat, my brother- and sister-in-law run a delightful little bolthole called Bowcombe Boathouse, which overlooks Kingsbridge estuary. It’s perfectly placed for a spot of paddle-boarding, then a crisp G&T as the sun sets over the water… not the worst way to spend a day!
South Devon to you in 3 words
Home, heavenly and happy.
Which local businesses get a shout out?
You can’t go wrong with visiting any beach within half an hour from Salcombe – there’s endless exploring to be had and, on a bright summer’s day, nowhere in the world can beat a sheltered cove. This area is just a maze of beautiful spots. I can’t get enough of Wild Artichokes, a restaurant in Kingsbridge run by the brilliant chef Jane Baxter, who serves wonderfully fresh and tasty food, all topped off with a bubbly atmosphere and friendly team. The Crab Shed in Salcombe is also brilliant, placed right on the water’s edge overlooking Salcombe harbour. They serve delicious, hand-picked, local crab meat – it doesn’t get any fresher. Then there’s Salcombe Gin – need I say more. Their deliciously refreshing gin hits the spot every time and it’s fantastic that the distillery is right on our doorstep too!Life after lockdown. What are you most looking forward to doing after Covid?
It’s certainly made me cherish time with friends and family; I’ve noticed enjoying the little things even more than I used to, like walks on the beach at sunset and swimming with friends (a few metres apart, of course!). I’m really proud of the way that Busby & Fox has ridden the COVID storm. We’ve really missed having our doors open so much, and spending time with our lovely, supportive customers, but we’re determined to come back even stronger than ever, and to make up for lost time. We’ve certainly got a few exciting things up our sleeves…Busby & Fox have generously offered Coastal Living Holidays guests a discount to use in their Devon stores. A discount code will await guests on arrival at their holiday home and can be used during their stay.
Find out more about Busby & Fox by visiting www.busbyandfox.com
