Barka Parka dog beds were delighted to receive Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at their workshop in Butleigh yesterday (December 9).

The visit was a welcome break from the Christmas rush at this small manufacturer, and highlighted the work of many small companies that are sometimes invisible in small industrial units across the county and country.

Her Royal Highness was welcomed by the business owners, Emma Aitken and Richard Burdett, and shown into the workshop with social distancing maintained at all times.

Her Royal Highness was shown how this company has made their beds since 1979, with special focus on the company ethos to ensure manufacturing stays within the UK and sourcing as much of their materials from across the nation.

Her Royal Highness met those that support the company, including Janet Coffman, the company founder. Janet was also present with the first bed made from 1976, which is still in daily use.

The company's sustainability starts with the longevity of its products, but this visit was important also to highlight the company's efforts over the last two years to work on the environmental aspects of their work, such as making their packaging plastic free and introducing the first pet bed with BioFoam instead of polystyrene as a filling.

BioFoam is an ecological expanded bean made from plant extract, that is carbon neutral in manufacture and compostable. Her Royal Highness was shown this new filling.

"We're not plastic free as a company yet, but we're on the right path, and making progress," Emma said.

While at Barka Parka Her Royal Highness heard about the company's support for the Armed Forces through its signing of the Armed Forces Covenant and their award in the Employer Recognition Scheme.

Richard is an active Reservist from HMS Flying Fox, Bristol, and Barka Parka has allowed him to complete his commitments to the Reserves, including a month away over this summer.

He said: "We were delighted to host Her Royal Highness, albeit with masks on and social distancing."

Barka Parka began as a hobby for the Coffman sisters in 1976. Their Labrador Lucas had outgrown his bed by 11 months old, and finding nothing to replace it, they made a bed.

In doing so, Janet and her sisters, Marion and Brenda, created a new concept in pet bean bags - not only comfortable, but hard-wearing, and easy to clean. In 1979 a friend asked them to make a bed for their dog, and so it grew.

In 1986 the Coffmans returned from Australia to the country of their birth, bringing Barka Parka with them.

Since then they have since provided comfort to thousands of pets in the UK and across the world.

Seeking to take things a bit easier, they spoke to Emma and Richard, eventually handing over the reins on New Year's Day, 2019.

A photo of Lucas the Labrador, on the first bed, inspired the company logo, but there have been a long line of dogs with Barka Parka – Lucas (joined the company in 1979), Lincoln (1986), Kuldi (1989), Devon (1994), Merlin (2001), Sorrell (2005), Velvet (2007), Deejay (2014), Sekonda (2016), Hazel (2019) and Beau (2019).