Press and politicians have been making a lot of noise about the weakness in the British manufacturing sector recently, a subject that seems to get brought out from under the bed prior to every election. For a country made strong through its manufacturing output throughout the previous two centuries, news that the sector had grown by just 0.1% in the last quarter, progressively decelerating from 1.4% a year ago, was wielded by various political parties to meet various ends.
Meanwhile, the various bodies and organisations that exist to promote buying British kept on doing their day jobs, helping those of us who do design and make products in the UK to sell products in the UK. Indeed our founder, Peter Bennion, described why the Natural Bed Company is passionate about using local Sheffield craftsmen to make our beds and bedside tables; and what he thinks is important in developing a successful British brand; in an interview with Exquisitely British founder, Claire Heighway.
“We believe in manufacturing in the UK and keeping local skills alive – this is one of our core values. Manufacturing locally allows us to be responsive to our customers as it means we can tailor our designs to suit their needs. That’s because when we say it’s made in Britain, it really is – from start to finish! It’s not just another label. Our beds are entirely made to order at our workshops in Sheffield,” Peter advised.
Interested in sourcing more British made products? Take a look at our collection of wool throws made in England by Bronte. We also have a collection of luxurious toiletries made in Cumbria by Bath House. Looking for other items? To source great UK makers and designers, and to find out more about the issues – we recommend a visit to:
Natural Bed Company has not just been keeping local skills alive in Sheffield. We’ve been supporting communities in Nepal, India and Tibet to keep their skills and cultures alive via our sister sites Bringing It All Back Home and Himalaya Diaries. In fact, £1 from every Natural Bed Company bed sold has been going to The Tibet Relief Fund since 2000, and, in our next post we will be introducing an exclusive collection of photographic prints, aiming to raise much needed funds for the Tibet Relief Fund Earthquake Appeal, so, watch this space…
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