First UK companies certify as B Corps under B Lab’s most ambitious standards yet
Mulberry, Fussy, Lily’s Kitchen, and Vivobarefoot among those leading the way
London, 2nd September 2026—The first cohort of 18 UK businesses has successfully certified under B Lab’s new standards for B Corp Certification, marking a major milestone for the UK B Corp movement as the community surpasses 3,000 companies.
Household names including Mulberry, Fussy, Lily’s Kitchen, Vivobarefoot, Huel, and Medik8 are among those to prove they meet the tougher requirements, alongside businesses spanning food and drink, manufacturing, technology, travel, and financial service industries.
The milestone comes just over a decade after 62 founding B Corps helped establish the movement in the UK. In that time, the UK community has grown from a small collective of pioneering companies to more than 3,000 businesses. Together, they represent a powerful force for positive economic change—with this new cohort helping set the direction for thousands more to follow.
Published in April 2025, following four years of consultation with businesses, civil society, academics, and policymakers, the new B Lab Standards represent the most significant evolution of B Corp Certification to date.
Moving away from a flexible system where companies could choose where to focus their efforts, all B Corps must now meet minimum requirements across seven Impact Topics: Purpose & Stakeholder Governance, Climate Action, Fair Work, Human Rights, Government Affairs & Collective Action, Environmental Stewardship & Circularity, and Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion. This raises the baseline for B Corp Certification, creating a higher and more consistent bar for business impact.
The companies’ performance is subject to independent, third-party assurance, with verification requirements reflecting the size and complexity of the company. Mandatory milestones at three and five years require businesses to demonstrate continued progress, making certification an ongoing commitment rather than a one-off achievement.
The first cohort of companies to certify under the new B Lab Standards include:
Belvoir Farm Drinks: Organic drinks produced on a Leicestershire family farm for more than 40 years.
Butternut Box: Fresh dog food company providing balanced meals tailored to individual dog’s needs.
Colart Group Holdings: Parent company of art brands including Winsor & Newton, established in 1832.
Exodus Adventure Travels: Tour operator founded 50 years ago, offering small-group, locally guided adventures.
Explore Worldwide: Adventure travel company founded in 1981, offering 350 travel experiences across 100 countries.
Finisterre: Cornish outdoor clothing brand, making durable products inspired by a love of the sea.
Fluvio: Consultancy helping to maximise the scale and impact of river and wetland restoration.
Fussy: Plastic-free personal care brand founded in 2020, following a successful appearance on Dragons’ Den.
GF Smith: Creative paper company established in 1885, supplying specialist papers to the creative industries.
Gorman’s Restaurants: Restaurant group operating a collection of restaurants across the UK.
Huel: Plant-based nutrition brand founded in 2015, set to be acquired by Danone.
Lily's Kitchen: Female-founded natural pet food brand.
Medik8: Dermatological skincare brand, combining scientific research with skincare innovation.
MPM Products: Natural pet food company behind brands including Applaws, Encore, and Reveal.
Mulberry: British luxury fashion brand founded in Somerset in 1971.
Pip & Nut: Natural nut butter brand founded in 2015, producing a range of nut butters and snacks.
St Eval: Family-owned home fragrance company producing candles on its farm in North Cornwall since 1993.
Streets Heaver: Healthcare technology company founded in 1986, providing hospital management software to healthcare organisations.
VIVOBAREFOOT: Footwear company creating flexible barefoot shoes.
Wanderlust Life: Female-founded jewellery brand established in 2013, creating handmade pieces from its Devon studio.
While their size, sector, and business model differ, these businesses share a willingness to put people and the planet at the heart of how they operate—demonstrating what responsible business can look like across the economy. Through the new standards, they have made meaningful changes to their operations and value chains, from adopting circular design principles and measuring Scope 1–3 carbon emissions to investing in employee development and increasing support for local and underrepresented suppliers.
At a time when expectations around corporate sustainability are rising and businesses face more scrutiny over their social and environmental pledges, this cohort is opting for greater transparency and accountability rather than retreating.
The standards also align with upcoming regulatory changes, including the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT) and guidance from the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which are designed to strengthen rules around evidence-based claims and tackle greenwashing.
The first cohort of UK businesses to certify under the new B Lab Standards provides an early indication of what a higher bar for responsible business looks like in practice—and its potential to shape the wider economy.
Chris Turner, CEO of B Lab UK, says: “It’s fantastic to see how far the B Corp movement has come, growing from just 62 businesses in the UK to more than 3,000 today. But growth alone isn’t enough. The scale and urgency of the challenges we face mean we have to keep raising the bar for what responsible business looks like.
“This first cohort of businesses has embraced that challenge, meeting a more rigorous set of requirements and showing what it means to put accountability and action at the heart of how a business operates. They are an inspiring group, and now we need to see that ambition spread across the B Corp community and, ultimately, across our wider economy.”
Georgie Roberts, Founder of Wanderlust Life, says: “Choosing to certify under B Lab’s new standards was an opportunity to challenge ourselves and make sure our commitment to better business continues to translate into meaningful action.
“As a small, independent business, we’re incredibly proud to be part of the first UK cohort. It’s a significant milestone for our team and has given us an even clearer framework for strengthening our impact as we grow.”
Benedict Heaver, CEO of Streets Heaver, says: “Being a B Corp isn’t about having a badge on the wall, it’s about the kind of business we want to be every day. It means creating a workplace where people can grow, supporting the communities around us and helping healthcare organisations deliver better services, while taking real responsibility for our impact on the planet.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team for achieving this milestone under the new standards because it shows that growing a successful business and doing good can, and should, go hand in hand.”
Charlotte Pumford, Regeneration Lead at Vivobarefoot, says: “The new B Lab Standards raise the bar significantly, shifting the focus from point-in-time achievements to the systems and accountability needed to drive continuous improvement.
Being among the first UK companies to achieve certification under these standards is an important milestone for Vivobarefoot and reflects our commitment to helping build a more regenerative and responsible business.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact: media@bcorporation.uk
Note to editors
About B Lab: B Lab™ is the nonprofit organisation behind the B Corp movement. B Lab creates standards, policies, tools, and programs to reimagine capitalism, and build a new economic system that benefits people and the planet. B Lab has created and led efforts to pass over 50 corporate statutes globally, advocating for stakeholder governance that requires business decisions to benefit workers, communities, and the environment.
About B Lab UK: As part of this global non-profit network, B Lab UK’s purpose is to redefine success in UK business by building a community of engaged companies, raising awareness of the B Corp movement, and influencing systems change. Find out more.
About B Corp Certification: Certified B Corporations™, or B Corps, are companies verified as meeting standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. To date, the B Corp community spans over 10,000 B Corps across more than 100 countries and over 160 industries, collectively employing more than 1 million people. Around 300,000 companies proactively manage their impact with B Impact™.
The UK hosts the largest B Corp community in the world with over 3,000 certified businesses.
To learn more and join the movement, visit www.bcorporation.net.