A Conversation with Our Founder

At Atlantic Blankets, the coast has always been at the heart of what we do. We caught up with our founder, Gemma, to chat about how Atlantic Blankets began, what she’s most proud of and life outside of blankets.

What inspired you to create Atlantic Blankets?

At the time, I was balancing family life with my career in marketing and really wanted to build something of my own. I saw an opportunity to create a brand that brought together things I genuinely loved - the coast, great design and beautifully made products that would last.

The idea of creating a business with the coast at its heart really appealed to me, and Atlantic Blankets has grown and evolved from there.

A few years later, my partner Alistair joined the business, bringing his background in commercial interior design, and we now run Atlantic Blankets together.

What has been your proudest achievement so far?

Seeing our blankets out in the wild still gives me a little buzz - on someone’s sofa, wrapped around someone on the beach, or being sent as a gift to somebody who needs a hug.

I’m also really proud that as we’ve grown, we’ve been able to do more for the place that inspired the business in the first place - from supporting coastal wellbeing to looking after our local dunes and finding better ways to reduce our impact.

I’m very proud of the team we’ve built around Atlantic Blankets too - it’s come a long way from those early days.

How has your love for the sea shaped your life and business?

The sea is just part of our everyday life. Most mornings start with a dog walk and a look at the sea - partly to check the conditions for our daily coastal report, and partly to work out whether we might squeeze in a surf.

We’re also very involved with our local surf lifesaving club, especially through the summer with Nippers, Youth and Masters. Whether we’re surfing, swimming, coaching, training or simply walking along the beach, we spend a lot of time by the sea.

It naturally finds its way into Atlantic Blankets too. You can see it in our designs - the waves, stripes and coastal colours - as well as in names inspired by the places and landscape around us, and in so much of our photography. And there’s always been that simple idea of a blanket being something to throw around your shoulders after a day at the beach or wrap up in when you get home.

The coast is such a big part of our lives that it feels only right that looking after it is part of the business too.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

Most of my favourite things are pretty simple - walking the dog, getting in the sea for a surf, playing padel and catching up with friends over a morning coffee.

A lot of life also revolves around the kids, so you’ll often find me on the side of a netball court watching my daughter, pitch-side at my son’s football, or being mum taxi with the music turned up far too loud.

What do you hope the future looks like for Atlantic Blankets?

To keep growing, but without losing what makes Atlantic Blankets feel like us.

I want us to keep making brilliant blankets, creating gifts that people genuinely love giving and receiving, and finding meaningful ways to give something back to the coast.

We’ve never wanted to be the biggest. I’d much rather build a really good business, with a brilliant team, happy customers and products we’re proud to put our name on.

And hopefully still have plenty of time for life outside of work too.

What advice would you give to others chasing their dreams?

Find your own “sea” - something that gives you energy, keeps you inspired and feels like you.

Don’t wait until you’ve got everything figured out. Take a few risks, trust your instincts and be prepared to change course along the way. Some of the best things start without a perfect plan.