Our Vision: Making beautiful reusables the new normal!
Like your water to stay refreshingly cold as you stroll your favourite City neighbourhood? Like to have your commute coffee look just as trendy and stylish as you? Like a cool thirst quencher when you are hard at it at your yoga class? Or, when you brave your favourite hike despite the inclement weather, and reach “THE SPOT”, do you want your tea to still be steamy hot? Want to feel like you are helping in the fight against single use plastics, and feel awesome as you do? We wanted that too. So, we created Ohelo; hot at keeping things hot, cool at keeping things cold. Helping you to stay Happy and Hydrated.
Where it all began...
We met whilst studying Physics at Oxford and after both starting out with careers in finance wanted to work together to create something of value.
Our light bulb moment came standing in remote British Columbia, Canada, when we realised we wanted to do something different with our lives.
We did some soul searching, a little travelling, and looked for our inspiration.
Travelling brought the idea of thermally insulated bottles to mind, and never really left us (seriously, we were dreaming about water bottles!). Like anyone who saw the Blue Planet 2 series, we had been affected by the awful effect single use plastic was having on the world around us. We love escaping to nature and want to keep it that way: Natural!
So, a business in reusables naturally aligned with our outlook.
We wanted to create high-quality products that were uniquely designed by us. Products that would be durable, hard-working and prevent mountains of single-use plastic from coming to being.
Being image conscious urbanites, we also wanted to create something beautiful. A bottle or tumbler that we would proudly sit on any table in town. We wanted to create something that is stylish enough for daily city use and performs when taken on an adventure. Something that could come with us on any of our travels and make our day better. Our vision of making beautiful reusables the new normal was born, and so we put all of our time, energy, heart and soul into our new focus: Ohelo.
What’s in a name?
In case you were wondering, the ‘Ōhelo berry is endemic to Hawaii and a favourite snack of the endangered Nene goose (Mahalo Hawaii for the inspiration). Remember that for your next pub quiz.
Meet the team
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Katy: Co-Founder
Oxford Physics graduate (geek!) who has been through both a finance career in the city and dancing before hitting this journey into reusable water bottles.
Favourite product: Our classic bottle, which she takes to ballet to jeté across the room with the best of them.
What drink is in her Ohelo? Water for dance class, Prosecco or an English sparkling wine for fun get-togethers with friends.
Favourite spot in London: Hampstead Heath (but don’t tell everyone!)
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Alex: Co-Founder
Oxford Physics graduate (oh no, another geek!) who spent the 1st part of his career in finance. Alex loves wildlife - he nearly became a vet but understanding the laws of physics just won over.
Favourite product: Our classic bottle which he enjoys taking on outdoor adventures (even if it’s raining!)
What drink is in his Ohelo? Water or tea (for cold walks) in his bottle. Chocolate protein shake in his tumbler post work-out.
Favourite animal encounter: Sitting in a small boat floating close to the shoreline on Vancouver Island watching a black bear and her cub foraging along the shore.
The rest of the team
Cognac: Chief Security Officer/Mischief Maker/Head Hound
Newton: Chief Welfare Officer/Office Distraction/Ball Pest
As may be apparent, Cognac and Newton are no ordinary office hires. They are in fact our two miniature dachshunds, who bring delight to our daily lives. They may be small, but with big personalities Cog and Newt like to be included in whatever is going on.
Keeping it personal
We are not a faceless multinational. We are a family business, in fact it’s just the two of us (if you don’t count the two sausage dogs), and we love that. We put everything we have in to making products that will make your everyday a little more special, that look super stylish and perform like a dream. We aim to make beautiful reusables the new normal. We are so excited to share this huge adventure we are on with all of you. Together we can make a difference! Let’s do it!
Sustainability
Sourcing sustainably wherever possible has to be a good thing. Our packaging is 100% plastic free, already recycled and is easily recyclable. We use plastic free paper postal bags which can be recycled. Our distribution centre is powered by 100% renewable energy and has an onsite solar farm. Our stainless steel bottles should last for years and once they have had a good battering the the steel is easily recycled. Sustainability high-five!
Giving back
We wanted Ohelo to be socially responsible from day 1 – to be one of the good guys. On founding Ohelo we decided that 5% of all our profits would be donated to charitable organisations. As we grow that should mean we are donating more money to good causes.
We are proud to be a member of Surfers Against Sewage Ocean Network, supporting them in their fight to clean up our seas and fight against plastic pollution.
Stay tuned in to our blogs to discover which charities are benefitting when you purchase an Ohelo product.
