HARD-WORKING sisters are celebrating after scooping a prestigious national award.

Arabella and Charlotte Harvey set up Raven Botanicals in a kitchen just three years ago, and were celebrating in Glasgow recently as they won Online Retail Startup of the Year at the Startup Awards.

Arabella told the Courier of their stunned reaction when they won the prize.

She said: “I think my sister and I just looked at each other in disbelief.

“We went up to the stage and when we sat down we were saying our hearts were pounding.

“We still feel we are a small, growing company but this year feels like things are starting to grow and become interesting.”

The fledgling beauty business uses a blend of local, UK-grown and ethically sourced ingredients to create luxurious products for the face and body.

Their success has attracted the attention of Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis, as they also reached the finals of the 2022 Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

The sisters had gone to the awards “hoping” but not expecting to come home with an award.

Arabella, who was previously a director at the Peter Potter Gallery in Haddington, said: “We have grown the business ourselves.

“We do the website ourselves, we do not use consultants or outside help.

“We learn as we go.”

Arabella, 45, and 42-year-old Charlotte, who live near Gifford, were presented with a trophy and certificate, and hope that the success will open doors to further opportunities.

The sisters were influenced by their mum Penny’s encyclopaedic knowledge of plants and, inspired by their childhood, developed an interest in the mythologies of the natural world.

After several years making beauty products for themselves and their family, they decided to create a natural skincare range.

That comes despite the sisters balancing their other jobs, with Charlotte working in additional needs provision for primary-age children and Arabella working in capital enhancement for the NHS.