about Kelp & Kindred

Our Story:
From the Kelp Forests to the Fields

About Kelp & Kindred: began with a fight:
To stop the mechanical dredging of wild kelp in Scotland. That fight was won, but it led to something bigger: a realisation that seaweed, often discarded and unwanted, held immense potential to regenerate soil, enrich biodiversity, and build a circular economy.

Founded in the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland we saw an opportunity to turn an overlooked resource into a solution. Fresh seaweed farming wasn’t yet viable, but composting beach-cast kelp was. So we set out to create a compost that does more than feed plants, it strengthens ecosystems, supports coastal communities, and fosters a deep connection between land and sea.

About Kelp & Kindred:
Our Mission to restore
Balance

We believe in zero waste and regenerative cycles. Everything that comes from the earth should be given back in a way that nurtures future growth. Our work embraces permaculture principles, sustainability, and science, blending modern environmental knowledge with age-old traditions.

We don’t stand alone!
Like kelp, we move, adapt, and support.

What we stand for

Environmental Protection: Every choice we make supports marine conservation and soil restoration.
Local Community Support: We partner with local businesses, growers, and sustainability advocates.
Education & Advocacy: We share knowledge about sustainable gardening, composting, and ecological balance to inspire action.

Through our work, we empower people to connect with the land and sea in meaningful ways, ensuring future generations inherit a world rich with biodiversity and opportunity.

find out more about our seaweed products

Meet the Founder:

Hi, I’m Amanda Root — founder, compost maker, and seaweed enthusiast behind Kelp & Kindred.

You could say it’s in my name, I’ve always loved getting my hands in the soil. My mum was a gardener, my dad an artist who loved to draw trees, and my favourite teacher at school taught biology. A concern for the natural world took root early on.

But I’ve taken the scenic route to becoming a full-time compost & mulch maker.

My career began at New Musical Express, writing about punk bands and covering moments like the Greenham Common Women’s peace protests against nuclear bases. That led to a role as Co-Editor at New Internationalist Magazine, exploring social justice stories from around the world.

From there, I moved into local government, then into research, including time at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, working on climate change.

Now I’ve come full circle, back to the real work of worms, compost teas, seaweed, and growing things that matter.

Kelp & Kindred is about making something nourishing from what’s been cast aside, connecting land, sea, and community. And as a Root, it feels right to be helping things grow.