Turnover doubled, accreditations maintained, prices held; manufacturer Astonish proves ethics and expansion aren’t mutually exclusive
Based in the humble, post-industrial city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, family-owned business Astonish is reaching impressive new heights. Positioned comfortably alongside numerous industry giants, the UK’s leading independent cleaning manufacturer is growing even faster than some corporate conglomerates, while offering competitive prices and providing more ethical products.
In 2023, Astonish had only been operating from its purpose-built £30 million manufacturing facility for 12 months. We catch up with CEO, Howard Moss, three years on to discuss the company’s growth, innovation, and continuous commitment to planet earth.
“I’m pleased to say the business has approximately doubled since we last spoke,” Howard opens. “At the close of our current financial year in May, we finished on a little over £70 million in turnover. We’ve settled into our state-of-the-art factory, and the site is set to receive a further £5 million of new capital machinery in September, which will enable the launch of a new sustainable product, designed to replace an existing plastic format with a cardboard alternative.”
With a record-breaking 2025 and projected growth of 20 percent for this year, Howard believes the company’s success comes down to three core factors: new product development, making the highest quality products, and offering genuine value for money. “Astonish has remained committed to delivering best-in-class products at the best possible value,” continues Howard. “Looking back over the last 15 years, we’ve faced the banking crisis, Covid-19 pandemic, and now a suppressed market shaped by global and geopolitical pressures – other brands have imposed real price increases that retailers would ultimately have to pass on to shoppers. We haven’t done that; even though some of our packaging has increased in cost by more than 20 percent since April, we’re absorbing it. It will ease off in due course, and, in the short term, we’d rather take it on than pass it to the shopper.”
The deliberate decision to absorb rising costs rather than forwarding it to consumers is a perfect example of Astonish’s distinct market identity and strong morals – complementing the ethical standards it holds as a fully vegan and cruelty-free brand. “Holding and maintaining the Cruelty Free International and Vegan Society accreditations means that whenever we’re developing a new product range and sourcing new raw materials, every supplier must provide a signed declaration confirming there are no animal traces in their ingredients, and that those ingredients have not been tested on animals for a minimum of ten years,” reveals Howard. The principle is simple for Astonish; if a supplier cannot provide that declaration, they cannot work with them. For Howard, it’s important to make their accreditations as visible as possible on all packaging – something he is incredibly proud to display. “Even if a consumer isn’t vegan or a pet owner, we still believe it signals something important – that we care,” he highlights.
The same philosophy applies to its product range. Recently, Astonish’s natural range has seen real success, consisting of products such as bicarbonate of soda and concentrated white vinegar, which aims to bring back traditional cleaning solutions from 30-40 years ago. “Shoppers genuinely want these products now, as they’re highly effective and naturally sourced. They don’t contain ingredients that risk an adverse reaction, and they’re kinder to both the environment and the user. Listening to the shopper is our top priority. The public are increasingly conscious of products that have an adverse environmental impact, and they want more sustainable options, but they won’t compromise on performance. There’s no point launching a product with all the right environmental credentials if the efficacy isn’t there.”
A notable upcoming launch is the refill pouches for its Protecting Care antibacterial liquid hand wash, due to launch later this year. The product itself is already available in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco, and the refill pouch will be the equivalent of two bottles, which Howard says will provide further value for shoppers and minimize environmental impact through reuse. In addition, Astonish continues to invest in highly automated machinery to support product innovation, including a fully automated toilet gel line and a market-leading trigger spray line. “The angled neck design of our toilet gel bottle requires the machinery to tilt and fill at an angle rather than from the top,” explains Howard. “That required bespoke, fully automated equipment, which we’ve now installed and are operating at scale.”
Already shipping to 25 countries globally, the firm is exploring further expansion into North America. “We currently have a huge opportunity to develop the North American market, and the scope for where we can take this brand is something we’ve barely begun to explore,” elaborates Howard. Astonish collaborates primarily with privately owned partners, and the overseas market now accounts for around 30 percent of sales. Action – one of Europe’s largest retail chains – is one of its most significant partnerships, operating across Spain, Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Poland. “We began working with Action about 12 months ago and our brand has already become available across many European countries where you simply wouldn’t have been able to find Astonish products before.”
Looking to the second half of 2026, the launch of its refill pouches is accompanied by the relaunch of an iconic product – Astonish’s version of the classic ‘Shake and Vac’ carpet fragrance powder. “This is the modern equivalent of the traditional Shake and Vac powder,” notes Howard. “We’re the market leader in this category, and the products are currently sold in essentially every major UK retailer.” However, the traditional plastic containers didn’t fully align with the company’s sustainability standards which led it to undertake extensive research and stability-testing – this enabled a transition into cardboard tubes to eliminate plastic entirely. “It’s been a rigorous process in ensuring the powder formula remains stable inside a cardboard structure and doesn’t absorb moisture. We’re targeting a November relaunch.
“We’re also investing further in our luxury hand wash range, Moss & Adams under our holding company, the London Oil Refining Company. Moss & Adams is now available in Morrisons, Asda, Ocado, and Dunelm, and is a major focus for us going forward.” As a business that “absolutely punches above its weight,” as Howard describes, Astonish holds its own amongst large competitors like P&G, Unilever and Henkel, and continues to do so – with the support of its people. “There’s an amazing, young, vibrant team here, and our staff retention is extremely high,” Howard concludes. “We give people ownership of their roles, and we operate with a flat structure. It’s a powerful business and it just keeps going from strength to strength.”
