CREDIT: LUSH
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
Gabbi’ s favourite Lush products are the solid shampoo bars, which she describes as“ a joy” due to their multi-purpose nature, and Ultrabland – a“ beautiful, gentle” cleanser that took off on social media in 2024.
“ My grandfather was the first person to introduce the blueberry to the UK after the Second World War and no one really knew what a blueberry was back then, as they’ re a North American plant,” David explains.
Starting with just 100 plants, the farm thrived thanks to the fertile Dorset soil and went on to become the UK’ s first commercial blueberry supplier.“ You get the best quality product if we freeze the blueberries before they arrive at the Lush Fresh Kitchen,” David emphasises.“ The real benefits of blueberry are not found in the white inside, but from its skin.” This commitment to sourcing high-quality, sustainable ingredients is overseen by Gabbi Loedolff, Lush’ s Director of Buying.
With 23 years of experience at Lush, Gabbi balances environmental responsibility, ethical sourcing and cost control. Her role ensures Lush’ s strict policies – including non-animal testing and Fair Share guidelines – are adhered to at every step.
I sat down with Gabbi to discuss all things strategic sourcing at Lush.
“ I think our biggest opportunity is really working with our existing supply base, close to a thousand suppliers, and fully understanding all of their processes and the opportunities, as well as the things to celebrate that they’ re already doing well,” she explained.
Her team assesses suppliers through questionnaires, audits and visits, using tools such as Authenticate to map supply chains. Meanwhile, certifications for high-risk materials, such as fair-trade cocoa, add transparency. supplychaindigital. com 155