Freddie Chatt's Village Cricket Co., begun after his bat broke, has sold out every year since 2020 on two Start Up Loans. Now he fronts the scheme in the East.
Freddie Chatt, a Great Baddow Cricket Club player who started a cricket kit business when his own bat broke, has been named the 2026 Start Up Loans Ambassador for the East of England.
He set up Village Cricket Co. with his friend George Simmons in 2020. According to the Start Up Loans programme, which announced the appointment, the brand has sold out every year since it launched, and has expanded its product range and built a loyal customer base among village and club cricketers across the country. The business has been backed by two government-backed Start Up Loans.
Start Up Loans says the programme has now delivered more than £115m in loans to founders from the East of England.
A broken bat and a price tag
The pair are lifelong club cricketers. “We are both passionate village cricketers, playing for Great Baddow Cricket Club our entire lives,” they say on the Village Cricket Co. website.
Mr Chatt, described by the programme as an SEO consultant turned cricket entrepreneur, tells the story of how it began on the company’s about page:
“My bat broke after a particularly impressive 13 from 27 balls. I was gutted but also excited to get a new wand. After a quick search online, I was shocked at the prices of new bats. As a classic club cricketer who loved the game, but admittedly wasn’t that great, I resented paying hundreds for a new one. Which sparked an idea, what if there was a way to get a decent bat without the price tag?”
The founders say that once they had looked into how cricket bats are made and the types of willow used, “we saw an opportunity to make a new bat suitable for village cricketers without the usual high cost. From there, Village Cricket Co. was born.”
What the loans paid for
The programme says the business used its second Start Up Loan to increase stock, meet demand from around the country and grow. Its website sells bats for adults and juniors, batting pads, gloves and protection bundles.
Companies House lists Village Cricket Company Limited as incorporated on 4 November 2021, with Mr Chatt and Mr Simmons as its two directors and a registered office in Great Dunmow. It is registered as an online retailer.
The ambassador role
As the region’s ambassador for 2026, Mr Chatt is being put forward by the programme to talk about how he and Mr Simmons launched the business, how they used a second loan to grow it, and the demand they have found for cheaper kit among grassroots players. The programme says that demand is why the brand has sold out every year since launch.
What it means for you
If you are thinking of starting a business in Chelmsford, the government-backed loans Mr Chatt used are run through the Start Up Loans programme, which sets out on its own site who can apply and what support comes with a loan. For other new firms in the city, our monthly round-up of new Chelmsford companies lists the businesses registered at Companies House each month.
Cricketers at Great Baddow, and anyone who reads about cricket in the city, may also remember last month’s story about Chelmsford County High winning the first state school cup at Lord’s.
Have your say