Cosy Direct hailed as shining example by Chancellor

The founder of a local firm has spoken of his company’s pride after it was hailed by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP as a shining example of the country’s medium-sized enterprises.

Peter Ellse, CEO of Cosy Direct, made the comments following a visit by the Chancellor to his company – which supplies sustainable, open-ended educational resources for schools and nurseries – to officially launch the Government’s Trade Strategy yesterday.

During her morning-long visit, Ms Reeves was given a tour of Cosy’s premises, located on the Staffordshire/Derbyshire border near Tutbury, for a behind-the-scenes look at its operations.

The visit included a meet-and-greet with staff, including the firm’s managing director David Hook and co-founder Amanda Ellse, as well as a tour of the warehouse, an introduction to Cosy’s product design capabilities, and demonstrations of its use of technology and AI.

She also enjoyed tea with employees, including apprentices and former prisoners employed through the Jobs on Release scheme, and was presented with her very own pot of Chancellor’s Honey, harvested from the company’s own beehives.

Founded in 2011, Cosy now employs 110 people and sells more than 6,000 products, ranging from wooden toys to eco-friendly furniture. It exports to 45 countries and has seen the value of its overseas business rise to £3.2 million this year.

This international success earned Cosy a King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2025, adding to its Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, which it received in 2022.

During her tour, Ms Reeves praised the company’s success and operations and holding it up as the kind of company the new Trade Strategy is designed to benefit.

Peter Ellse said: “It is such an honour to be chosen as the venue for the launch of the Government’s Trade Strategy and a real thrill to have Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, tour our premises and meet our amazing staff.

“We’ve worked extremely hard over the past 15 years to get to this stage, so it’s wonderful to see something we’re part of every day held up as a good example when it comes to employment, exports and embracing new technology.

“Medium-sized businesses like ours are vitally important to the economy and to the trade strategy. We’re the ones generating growth and creating jobs, investing in technology and driving exports forward.

“There’s no doubt that businesses need support — and Cosy is an example of what more companies like ours could achieve if they received it.”

Ms Reeves said: “Cosy is a great success story and I want more businesses to take that plunge and to export and to grow jobs and to create investment here in Britain.”

David Hook added: “It was great to showcase the talent and technology that we have within Cosy, our commitment to developing social value within the local community and ways we can accelerate our international trade.

“We were delighted to be held up as an example of an SME that is leading in these areas.”

To find out more, visit www.cosydirect.com