The British Emporium is a treasure-chest of delights, containing every conceivable product, where you can be confident in the knowledge that it has been made in Great Britain.
Great Britain has a global reputation for excellence in innovation, design and manufacturing.
Our role is to provide this mass of talent with a shop window to the world.
We believe in the skills of the people of Great Britain, and we love the quality products that they produce.
From long established household names, through to emerging new manufacturers, including both individual craft producers and high-end designers.
We stock enticing ranges, not only reflecting our colourful heritage and wonderful traditions but also exciting new lines which showcase the best in contemporary design.
Many of our products are made especially for us.
Our products are well made, made in Great Britain and at all price points.
From a humble pencil to handmade designer jewellery, there is something for everyone who appreciates quality.
BRITISH MADE
Our definition of ‘British Made’ is that the product must have gone through ‘a substantive change’. For example; if a company imports a hide of leather and turns it into a pair of shoes, we consider those shoes to be made in Great Britain.
There are many products in the marketplace that at first glance seem to be made here but would not satisfy our criteria; for example, we often see ceramics labelled “Decorated in Great Britain” ; if a mug is imported and the final decoration is done here – the product came into the country as a mug and after decoration it is still a mug – so we would not be satisfied that it was wholly made in Great Britain.
OWNERSHIP
The British Emporium is a family business, owned by husband-and-wife team Adrian and Julie North.
Adrian North has had an extensive career working with the British ceramics industry and then major outdoor and casual fashion brands. Providing customers with quality products and excellent service has been at the core of over 30 years of successful retailing.
Julie North started her retail career as a teenager working in her father’s jewellers in Newark. Her father Gerald Drakes was the Nottinghamshire County Watchmaker, the last generation to be apprenticed and trained to make a watch from scratch. He taught Julie the value of well-crafted products and gave her a keen eye to spot true quality.
OUR VALUES
AUTHENTICITY
One of the driving motivations behind creating the British Emporium was the widespread use of misleading phrases used to describe something as “Made in Great Britain”, for which surprisingly there is no ‘official’ definition.
Over the past thirty years or so, retail buyers in Britain have steadily moved their product sourcing overseas, to obtain higher margins through cheaper and often poorer quality alternatives.
We have become increasingly dismayed by labelling intended to give the ‘impression’ that these products are still being made in Britain.
Typical misleading phases used by many iconic brands include: “Designed in Britain “, “British Heritage”, “Great British Design”, “British Innovation”.
Confusingly, many of these brands make liberal use of the Union Jack, the application of which sadly is not restricted in any way.
The British Emporium only sells products genuinely made in Great Britain.
HONESTY
Not every raw material or component is available in Great Britain, sometimes because the industry has sadly been lost or perhaps because it is not grown or extracted here.
We will always strive to make such circumstances as clear as possible to our customers.
RESPONSIBILITY
We consider all business activity to be a partnership with employees, suppliers, customers and communities, who should always be respected and treated fairly.
SUSTAINABILITY
Any manufacturing process has an impact on the environment around us and it is unrealistic to suggest otherwise. Concern for the world we live in should therefore be an integral part of every business.
Responsible manufacturing combines good design and quality material with efficient production methods and safe waste management, to make worthwhile products that will stand the test of time.
We believe that if we pay a little bit more for something that is well made it will not only last longer, but we will also care for it more.
Many of the things you buy from us you may well be handing down to your children!
CUSTOMER SERVICE
We do not believe that you can provide the best customer service purely through the internet. We respect and care about our customers.
We like to talk to you.
You will therefore find our phone number, address and email on our Contact Page.
Of course, the best way to provide service is to meet our customers face-to-face and to give you the opportunity to see and feel our products before having to purchase anything.
We are therefore committed to traditional bricks and mortar stores.
Shops carry significant costs in fitting out, overheads, staff, and stock; an investment which we feel is essential to give our customers a comprehensive all-round service.
INTEGRITY & PRIDE
As a wholly owned family business we are not subject to the pressures of shareholders or external investors; we make our own decisions, choosing products we think our customers will love, rather than being purely commercially driven by margins.
We are proud of our ethics and proud of our suppliers, who strive to produce beautiful quality products you can be proud to own.
HOW DO WE DEFINE 'GREAT BRITAIN'
We would like to take a moment to explain what we define as “Great Britain”, as it is not as straightforward as you might think!
Great Britain is the union of England, Scotland the Wales. England was formally united with Wales by the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1542.
In 1707 the Acts of Union were passed by the parliaments of England and Scotland to unite the two kingdoms and so the United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed; a wonderful collective of three countries, each rich in its own distinctive traditions and culture.
In 1801 the union with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. However, most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922 to form the Republic of Ireland, which is a separate sovereign state, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which formally adopted its name in 1927.
The Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands are independent self-governing British Crown Dependencies with their own parliaments, governments and laws and are therefore not part of the UK.
To confuse things just a little more The British Isles is a purely geographical term – referring to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.
So, to conclude; at the British Emporium we stock products made in Great Britain, comprising – Wales, Scotland and England.
