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Championing Quality British Craftsmanship

When it comes to utensils and workwear for the kitchen, balancing style and functionality is one of the central tenets of timeless design. We delve into the world of Sir Gordon Bennett, the online retailer devoted to supporting British manufacturing

words by Elliot RAMSEY

After spending 20 years working in advertising, Neil Elliot, a creative director who oversaw campaigns for a range of global consumer goods brands, decided to embark on a dramatic change of career. Disillusioned with the advertising industry, in 2018 Neil established Sir Gordon Bennett, an online retailer specialising in the highest quality British products, fuelled by his desire to showcase the best in craftsmanship and innovation. Inspired by the German company Manufactum, who dedicate themselves to selling skillfully-crafted products made with premium materials, Neil puts a passion for Britain’s playground of craftsmanship at the very fore of his concept, allowing makers to tell stories as diverse as the islands he celebrates.

Although the prevailing narrative of today is that Britain’s manufacturing industry is in rapid decline, and while a scaling down of industries and economies has certainly taken place in recent years, Britain is still the ninth biggest manufacturing economy in the world, directly employing 2.7 million people. It is precisely this narrative that Neil wanted to promote through the creation of Sir Gordon Bennett, shifting the focus on to the myriad of home-grown, heritage brands who excel at creating bespoke, quintessentially British products.

Having always held a certain cachet overseas, British manufacturing has long stood as a byword for quality and excellence. With brands like Burberry, Crockett & Jones and Barbour possessing such a rich history, underpinned by a heritage narrative dating back to the 1800s, there is an incomparable prestige attached to products made in these sceptred isles. And today, more and more British consumers are choosing to invest in products made in the UK, from clothing and accessories to home furnishings and cosmetics. One good reason for this lies in our collective awareness of the environmental implications of buying abroad, but equally, consumers are once again recognising the unparalleled class and character of goods produced on British soil.

Some of the most distinctive and prestigious goods that Sir Gordon Bennett stock are produced by British workwear and kitchenware brands who hand-craft in small batches. Risdon & Risdon, the family-run, Shropshire-based premium apron company, create hand-stitched, contemporary denim aprons that exude an air of quality, with their distinctly clean and sophisticated aesthetic. Having been worn by the likes of Jamie Oliver, as well as contestants on BBC’s Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off, Risdon & Risdon’s high-grade, durable aprons come at a premium, but the craftsmanship and integrity in design that goes into their creation is something that other fast-fashion brands couldn’t try to compete with. With each of their aprons guaranteed for life, Risdon & Risdon are a uniquely British company doing their part to ensure that quality trumps disposability.

Equally, the iconic Richmond Kettle Company, based in the East of England and with a century-long history of traditional craftsmanship, demonstrate that their historic techniques result in incomparably high quality products. Recognised globally for its iconic Edwardian design and constructed by experts in metal spinning, the classic whistling tea kettle has been perfected over generations and is made using the highest grade of pure copper. The Richmond kettle sits firmly as a classic symbol of British culture and heritage, representing the country’s distinguished history of excellence in craftsmanship.

As the founder of Sir Gordon Bennett, Neil Elliot, notes: ‘A shift is happening in society, which originally started as a backlash against fast fashion and has continued with food, drink and other industries. Consumers demand provenance now in almost everything, which is why we are championing British craftsmanship products. Take Risdon & Risdon, for example. Their aprons come with a lifetime repair guarantee. They’re made better, last longer and because of this, they don’t end up as landfill. Buy once and buy well – you can’t say fairer than that.’ EJ

sirgordonbennett.com