Name

English Willow

Legal name

Fenda Solutions Ltd

Website

https://englishwillow.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cricket Bat Willow / Sporting Goods Materials

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (11321)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Timber Tract Operations & Forest Ownership (Timberland) (IMAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Cricket bat willow
• Timber processing
• Wood cleft supply
• Sporting goods materials
• Commercial forestry

Headquarters

HQ city

Twyford, Banbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. English willow cleft sales: Supply of cricket bat willow clefts to bat-makers globally. Products are graded (Grades 1–4, Butterflies and Vellums), prepared and delivered with consistency. Payment terms are 70% in advance and remaining 30% before delivery. Stock doesn't leave until balance is settled. UK customers charged VAT at prevailing rate; exports outside UK are zero-rated.
2. Tree purchase from landowners: Purchase of mature cricket bat willow trees from UK landowners. Company provides expert valuation, handles entire harvesting and removal process, and offers free replanting included — at least one 16ft unrooted set supplied and planted for every tree harvested.
3. Willow sets sales: Sale of individual 16ft unrooted willow sets at £35 + VAT each for landowners who wish to purchase sets directly without the buy-back arrangement.
4. Guaranteed tree buy-back: In 15–20 years, company buys back mature trees planted through their planting programme. They also plant free replacements so the same ground keeps producing. Landowners receive minimum £800 per mature tree.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

English Willow sources English willow (Salix alba caerulea) directly from UK landowners, then cuts, waxes, dries and heat-treats it into graded cricket bat willow clefts (Grades 1–4, Butterflies and Vellums). It sells these clefts to bat-makers globally via dedicated account managers and direct export freight, while also running a landowner programme of tree purchase, valuation, harvesting and a planting/buy-back scheme.

Product overview

English Willow operates as a specialist English willow supply chain business, offering premium cricket bat willow clefts as its core product alongside complementary services for both landowners and bat-makers. The primary product line consists of Grades 1–4 clefts plus Butterflies and Vellums, all waxed, dried and heat-treated for export, with dimensions exceeding market standard (28" × 5" × 2" × 3"). For landowners, services include expert valuation and harvesting of existing willow plus a planting programme with guaranteed buy-back. For bat-makers globally, services encompass supply of graded clefts, export documentation, and dedicated account management with WhatsApp communication support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZAP CricketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted supplier of premium English willow clefts. Customer testimonial praising grading consistency and quality. ZAP Cricket is proud to have ZAP bats powered by English Willow.
• Cotswold CricketcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted supplier of locally sourced, premium-quality clefts for high-performance cricket bats. Cotswold Cricket collaborated on video content explaining sourcing, preparation and supply process. Commendation for environmental commitment through tree replanting and waste recycling.
• NW Cricket StorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of premium English willow clefts for handcrafted cricket bats in Canada. NW Cricket Store now sources all willow from English Willow, praising professionalism, reliability and consistent grading.
• BM SportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted supplier for cricket bat manufacturing. Customer testimonial praising quality, consistency, additional length flexibility, and professional service.
• JM ChaseminorOthersListed as a partner/business association. JM Chase appears to be a business services provider.
• Ceres RuralminorOthersListed as a partner. Ceres Rural is an agricultural/rural services company.
• Forest Canopy FoundationminorOthersListed as a partner. Forest Canopy Foundation is an environmental organisation focused on tree planting and forest conservation.
• OakbankminorOthersListed as a partner. Oakbank appears to be a seed/planting services provider.
• Royal Forestry SocietyminorOthersListed as a partner/member. Royal Forestry Society is a professional forestry industry organisation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Kookaburra Sport: Australian cricket bat manufacturer that sources English willow clefts from the UK. Comparable as a downstream customer of premium English willow and as a competing bat brand in the same end market.
• Sareen Sports Industries: One of the largest Indian cricket bat manufacturers and a major buyer of English willow clefts. Comparable as a downstream customer in the same cleft supply chain and as a representative of the Indian bat-making cluster English Willow actively supplies.

Emerging players

• Salix Turf & Nursery: UK-based Salix (willow) nursery and grower with overlap into cricket bat willow propagation. Comparable on the upstream planting and propagation side of English Willow's supply chain.

Others

• Gunn & Moore: Premium English cricket bat maker and historical willow processor. Sits at the intersection of customer and competitor for English Willow, with deep expertise in cleft selection and grading.
• Gray-Nicolls: Major cricket bat manufacturer that also historically sources and processes English willow for its own bats. Customer/competitor overlap with English Willow's bat-maker base and a potential threat if it expands external cleft supply.

Direct peers

• BDS Timber Ltd: UK hardwood and softwood timber merchant with a cricket willow cleft offering. Comparable as a competing UK cleft supplier with similar grading, drying, and export-ready processing activities.
• J&S Wright: One of the most established English willow cleft merchants in the UK, supplying bat-makers globally. Direct competitor in the same Salix alba caerulea cleft category with similar export-focused operations and grading standards.
• Woodspring Timber: UK-based timber merchant supplying specialist hardwoods including cricket willow. Overlaps with English Willow on the cleft supply side but is broader in scope, operating across multiple hardwood categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/english-willow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about English Willow