NORFOLK, UK. November 7th, 2025 – Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co. is proud to announce that its founder, Amanda Oldfield, has been named Winner of the 2025 Made in Britain Impact Award for Inspirational Leadership.
Amanda co-founded Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co. at 45, determined to revive the honesty and craftsmanship she felt had been lost in metal bedmaking. Today, the company is known for beds built entirely in Britain and a farmer-first approach to British wool mattresses that is transparent, traceable, and fair.
Amanda grew up around her grandparents’ smallholding near Wimblington, Cambridgeshire, where she remembers her grandfather ploughing with Shire horses Dolly and Price. Those early lessons in care and pride in a day’s work shape everything she leads today, from the workshop to the hillside. To deepen traceability and pay farmers fairly for the full fleece, Amanda even became a shepherdess, building a supply chain that respects land, livestock, and skilled labour.
Amanda Oldfield, Founder, Wrought Iron & Brass Bed Co. said: “This award truly belongs to our team and the farmers who stand with us. At 67, I want this to say loud and clear, to women and to men, that age is just a number. Curiosity, courage and contribution don’t expire. British manufacturing thrives when we keep craft close to home, pay people fairly, and make things to last.”
The judges recognised Amanda for her exceptional leadership in transforming a small family workshop into a respected British manufacturer that creates lasting value through people, skills and technology. They recognised that she leads by example, mentoring a multi-generational team and fostering a culture grounded in craftsmanship, openness and pride.
Harry Thompson, Amanda Oldfield’s son and head of Brand Development for Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. said: “Amanda leads by doing, on the factory floor and in the fields. She’s shown us that excellence is a habit and integrity is a choice. We’re honoured to carry that standard forward.”
The judges said Amanda has grown a family workshop into a respected British maker, creating stable employment and investing in UK skills while building value through people, processes and technology. She leads from the front, mentoring a multi-generational team and setting a clear standard for excellence, with repairability, longevity and full traceability at the heart of design and daily practice. Her approach is collaborative and transparent, forging close relationships with British farmers and suppliers and making a strong business case for local, fair and circular manufacturing.
In the past year, Amanda has expanded direct-from-farmer wool sourcing and deepened consumer understanding of full-fleece value, strengthening systems that make provenance meaningful. She also took the unconventional step as a manufacturer to become a shepherdess, closing the loop between land, materials and finished product, and turning sustainability into lived practice. As she transitions day-to-day leadership to the next generation, Amanda’s lasting contribution is a culture of dignity in work, inclusion and environmental responsibility, ensuring the company evolves without losing its soul.
Alongside the business, Amanda has launched Wool for Welfare, supporting local children living in poverty. The initiative gathers donations and sells boxes of pure wool fleece, including from Amanda’s own flock, for horticultural use, turning a renewable natural material into practical community support.
ENDS