Behind one of Britain’s most trusted wholefood brands lies a quiet family story — of shared meals, generational wisdom, and a lifelong devotion to food that nourishes both people and planet.
As supermarket shelves are increasingly dominated by anonymous brands, white-label products and algorithm-driven choices, there is something deeply grounding about discovering the human story behind the food we eat. For Clearspring, one of the UK’s most respected organic and plant-based food brands, that story is not driven by trends or scale — but by family, relationships, and a reverence for tradition.
At the heart of Clearspring today is Maria Dawson, Managing Director, who officially joined the company in 2012 in Sales & Marketing — but in truth, has been part of it for her entire life. As the daughter of founder Christopher Dawson, Maria grew up immersed in a world where food was not just sustenance, but culture, conversation and connection.
A Childhood Shaped by Food and Philosophy
Maria’s story begins in Japan, where her parents met in a health food shop. Her father, Christopher, had travelled to Japan in the late 1970s, working with an organic trading house and developing a deep respect for traditional Japanese food culture. Her mother was training as a macrobiotic cooking teacher. Food, philosophy and purpose were woven together from the very beginning.
“I was born in Japan — so were my siblings,” Maria explains. “Food was always at the centre of our family life. My dad was sourcing food, my mum was cooking it, teaching it, sharing it. Our home was always full of people — students, parents, children — all connected through food.”
Raised on a predominantly plant-based macrobiotic diet, Maria’s childhood experience of food was different from most. Whole grains meant brown rice — nothing else. Sugar was absent. Meals were intentional, seasonal and deeply nourishing. Rather than formal lessons, food education happened by osmosis.
“I was never really taught how to cook — it was just part of life. I absorbed it because I was always around it.”
Even family holidays were shaped by this ethos. Instead of beaches or theme parks, trips often included visits to miso makers in Japan, olive oil producers in Italy, or grain specialists across Europe.
“Sometimes we’d be allowed into the factory. Other times we’d be sitting in the car park for hours, throwing stones and waiting. We didn’t know any different — it was just normal.”
From Family Roots to Personal Path
Despite being immersed in the Clearspring world from a young age, Maria made a conscious decision not to step straight into the family business. Determined to be seen on her own terms, she chose to build experience elsewhere first.
“I didn’t want to be ‘the founder’s daughter’ who just walked into the business,” she says. “I wanted to understand the wider world.”
Her first paid job at sixteen involved travelling independently to health food stores, hosting tastings and introducing customers to ingredients that were still unfamiliar at the time — quinoa among them.
“I loved explaining where food came from, how to cook it, why it mattered — and doing it in a simple, accessible way.”
She later worked at Fresh & Wild (which became part of Whole Foods Market), before moving into a Japanese furniture company specialising in craftsmanship and design. Though not food-related, the role echoed familiar themes: storytelling, integrity, logistics, and cultural translation between East and West.
It wasn’t until several years later — and after persistent invitations from both family and colleagues — that Maria joined Clearspring full-time.
“When I finally joined, my siblings followed. My husband followed. Suddenly it really was a family business.”
A Company That Feels Like a Family
Today, Maria is deeply committed to preserving that sense of closeness — not just within the Dawson family, but across the entire company.
Clearspring operates from an open-plan office, where hierarchy is minimal and communication is encouraged. Doors are open. Ideas are shared. People are listened to.
“We work together, we eat together, we grow together,” Maria says. “That matters to me.”
Food remains central internally, just as it always has. Staff are encouraged to take proper lunch breaks and cook hot meals in the shared kitchen. Ingredients are provided. Eating at desks is discouraged.
“Food brings people together. It always has.”
The result is a rare sense of loyalty: many team members have been with Clearspring for over a decade, some for more than twenty years.
The Extended Family: Suppliers and Traditions
Clearspring’s family ethos extends far beyond its own walls. Many of its producers are multi-generational family businesses — some now into their third, fifth or even sixth generation.
“My father worked with their parents. Now I work with their children,” Maria explains. “We talk not just about business, but about the realities of family enterprises — the challenges, the responsibility, the pride.”
This continuity is not accidental. Clearspring seeks out producers who share its values: integrity, ethical production, respect for tradition and environmental responsibility.
Maria describes the brand’s philosophy as “innovation founded in tradition.” Ingredients like matcha, miso and tamari may feel new to Western consumers, but they are deeply ancient foods, rooted in centuries of knowledge.
“Our role is to translate tradition — not dilute it.”
Curating, Not Chasing
With an extensive and carefully curated product range spanning Japanese staples, European fine foods and plant-based essentials, Clearspring’s approach to growth is deliberate rather than reactive.
New product development is rigorous. Every ingredient must meet exacting standards — not just for flavour, but for sustainability, sourcing, ethics and long-term impact.
“There’s a long list every year,” Maria laughs. “My job is to narrow it down.”
Some products emerge through collaboration — such as Scottish oatcakes infused with Japanese miso or matcha — marrying heritage with innovation in a way that feels both respectful and contemporary.
Food as Care — At Home and Beyond
Maria’s philosophy around food extends naturally into her own family life. She has raised her children plant-based, just as she was raised herself — not as dogma, but as instinct.
“I trust what I know works for my family. Food is care. It’s not something I cut corners on.”
From packed lunches inspired by Japanese bento boxes to weekend rituals at farmers’ markets, food remains a daily expression of love, nourishment and intention.
Looking Forward: Telling the Story
For many years, Clearspring quietly let its products speak for themselves. But Maria recognises that in today’s crowded marketplace, storytelling matters more than ever.
“We realised people didn’t know our story — the family, the values, the relationships. And that matters.”
With new video content, campaigns and a willingness to step out from behind the scenes, Clearspring is beginning to share what has always been there.
Not as a marketing strategy — but as an invitation.
An invitation to slow down.
To choose food with care.
To reconnect with the people behind what we eat.
Because at Clearspring, behind every label, there is — and always has been — a family.
DISCOVER: www.clearspring.co.uk
