For more than 40 years, The Odd Company has been a family business. It started with Neil Seed. Today, it’s run by his son Andrew.
Between them sits four decades of craft, countless mattresses, thousands of customers and more cups of Yorkshire tea than anyone could reasonably count.
This Father’s Day, we sat them down together for a conversation about family, work and what happens when a business is passed from one generation to the next.

Q. Neil, did you ever imagine that something you started more than 40 years ago would still be here today?

Neil: Not at all. I’d tried my hand at quite a few things while travelling in Australia, and the start of what became Brass Knight happened very organically. I’d found something I was good at and I was trying to make a good living from it.
You don’t spend much time thinking about what things might look like forty years down the line. I’m incredibly proud of what it’s become, and seeing Andrew grow the business over the last six years has been fantastic.

Take us back to the beginning. What was the original idea behind the business?

Neil: One of my loves in life is going to auctions. It’s amazing what you can find, often at brilliant prices.
When I started the business, it was actually about restoring antique beds. They were very much the fashion back then, so I’d find old frames at auction houses, restore them and sell them on.

People would then have these beautiful bed frames, but when the mattresses needed replacing, standard sizes simply didn’t fit. So I started making bespoke mattresses to suit the beds. Before long, people were coming to us specifically because they couldn’t find what they needed elsewhere.

That’s really where it all began.

Andrew, what are your earliest memories of growing up around the business?

Andrew: I remember the workshop where Dad restored the bed frames, but the most memorable moments were when David, my brother, and I would help out on delivery days. That was when it all felt real. We’d be delivering to actual homes and seeing Dad interact with customers. I loved that side of it.

Did you always think you’d end up joining the business?

Andrew: No, not really. I think when you grow up around a family business, you often assume you’ll do something completely different.
I dabbled with my own business ventures, so I’d clearly caught the entrepreneurial bug. After I graduated, I went to work for a small ecommerce business in Edinburgh and saw how quickly it grew. That brought me back to thinking about what Dad had built, and how much potential it had if we really pushed it and embraced ecommerce too.
I’d always loved the craftsmanship and the relationships with customers, so ultimately the opportunity to create something lasting drew me back.

Neil, when did you realise Andrew might one day take over?

Neil: I don’t think I really did until he approached me to have the conversation.
I never wanted him to feel obliged to join the business. I wanted him to make that decision for himself. But once he became involved, it was obvious he cared about the same things I did.

And I could see he had big ideas too.

Andrew, what’s one thing your dad still does better than anyone else?

Andrew: Creative DIY.
There is no challenge Neil Seed can’t solve with a bit of creative DIY. Whether it’s finding a way to deliver a large bed into a small, awkward space, or helping create a drape for an exhibition stand, Dad immediately starts figuring out how to make it work.
That ability to think practically and creatively at the same time is something I’ve always admired.

Neil, what makes you proudest when you look at the business today?

Neil: The growth.
Seeing where Andrew has been able to take the business has really impressed me. Moving from odd sizes into standard-size mattresses, working with top London interior designers – it’s transformed.
It’s got Andrew’s stamp on it now, which is lovely to see.

What has changed the most since those early days?

Andrew: The scale of what we do.
We work with customers all over the country now, and our range has grown enormously. The internet has changed how people discover us too. Years ago, most customers found us through word of mouth. Today, they can find us from anywhere.

And what absolutely hasn’t changed?

Neil: The way we think about customers.
Everyone is different. Everyone sleeps differently. We’ve always believed in listening first and making something that’s right for the individual, rather than trying to fit everyone into the same mould.

When people talk about things being “made properly”, what does that mean to each of you?

Neil: Taking your time. Using good materials. Paying attention to the details nobody sees. Not cutting corners.

Andrew: I’d add longevity. We want people to enjoy what we’ve made for years and years. If something leaves our workshop, it has to be something we’re proud to put our name on.

Andrew, what’s one lesson from your dad that still guides you today?

Andrew: Do the right thing, even when it’s the harder option.
Whether that’s looking after a customer, solving a problem or remaking something that isn’t quite right. In the long run, quality and integrity always matter.

What do you think customers value today that they valued 40 years ago?

Neil: Trust.

Andrew: Absolutely. Customers want to know they’re speaking to real people. They want honesty and good advice.
That’s as true today as it was when Dad started.

Finally, what would you like The Odd Company to look like in another 40 years?

Neil: Still Odd. Still helping people sleep better.

Andrew: I’d like to see the same values that exist today. To continue making exceptional products, looking after our customers and staying true to who we are.