MADE IN THE UK
Keeping things local ensures a low carbon footprint and, at the same time, promotes the skills of UK craftspeople.
‘Many of our products this season will be entirely produced within the same premises,’ says Kris Manalo, senior upholstery buyer at Heal’s. ‘We have strong relationships with potteries in Stoke-on-trent, sofa manufacturers in Wiltshire and one of the UK’S last remaining vertical weaving mills in Oldham.’
Designer Tom Raffield and his team handcraft the eponymous brand’s stunning pieces of furniture in Cornwall using steam bending, a traditional and low-energy method that only needs water and heat. The upholstered furniture pieces are covered in fabrics made by a UK mill that exclusively uses sustainable and recyclable fabrics with wool from ethically reared sheep.
As well as recycling water, Derbyshire-based Denby uses local clay for its ceramics and returns to pasture and landscapes the area from which it digs out the raw material. It also recycles its plaster of Paris moulds and glaze.
Family owned Original BTC has showrooms in London, Paris and New York but its ceramic, glass and metal factories are based in the UK – nine years ago, it bought English Antique Glass, the country’s last remaining traditional manufacturer of flat glass, ensuring the continuation of handmade mouth-blown designs.
Emily Butterill is a relative newcomer, launching Glow five years ago. ‘We use skilled British craftspeople, such as woodturners, metal spinners and glassblowers,’ she says. ‘We believe that for the British economy to grow, we must be loyal to British manufacturing. Our ethos is to support UK manufacturers and source talent close to home.’