In this week’s Style Note we go behind the scenes with Robin Birtles, operations manager at ANK, to find out more about the family-owned British workshop we partner with to produce our exclusive made to order furniture collections.
We’re so pleased to be teaming up with you for our new ranges – can you share your thoughts on what makes the team so special?
It’s the staff that makes us special to be honest – the experience they bring is invaluable. They are all very proud of the work they produce - and they take great care in creating some of the best quality furniture in the industry. From the office staff taking care of customer queries and order processing to the production team creating the furniture, through to quality control and the despatch department, many of us have 25-30 years of experience in the upholstery industry, some more than 40 years.
Many brands have moved their manufacturing out of the UK over the years – why do you think your business remained?
We are based in the town of Long Eaton in the East Midlands. To this day, Long Eaton is recognised world-wide as the centre of excellence when it comes to upholstered furniture. The name is so significant that many furniture manufacturers elsewhere in the country have permanent offices and showrooms located in the town. This legacy came following the decline of the lace industry, which meant there were empty mills available to use as well as an influx of workers looking for jobs - and so the major upholstery trade was born in the area.
“In 2019 there were over 50 upholstery companies in this relatively small area, more than any other town in the UK, along with factories supplying frames and springs which added to the manufacturing culture, helping to establish it as the home of British upholstery.”
How has the industry changed over the years?
I suppose the tools used to manufacture furniture have changed. In the past, upholstered furniture was made using a small headed tack hammer and tacks, then a magnetic tack hammer was introduced - removing the need to hold a tack in one hand and a hammer in the other, leaving a hand free to hold the fabric in place – which is much easier! Later still, the introduction of pneumatic staple guns became standard practice, speeding up production dramatically.
Some of the internal components have changed through the years, too. Traditional upholstery used horsehair, coir fibre (the outer husk of coconuts) and blended cotton wadding for the padding of the furniture. Now, for the most part, polyurethane foam and recycled wool blend wadding are commonly used.
Tell us a little about the expert way you craft your sofas and chairs
All our frames are made from hardwood with dowelled joints. The fabrics are cut by our hand cutters using cardboard templates to plot and mark out the plan, ensuring that any fabric pattern matching is perfect. Our sewing machinists then get the cut and marked fabrics, making sure that the marks line up and the patterns are correct.
“The sewn parts then go to an upholsterer, who will take the bare frame and turn the item into a beautifully hand-crafted piece of furniture. One upholsterer will make the piece from start to finish, making certain the quality of the finish is to the highest standard. ”
How do you see the future for British-made products?
I see the future as exciting and full of promise. New products are being developed all the time, with eco-friendly and recycled components starting to make their way into the industry. We are looking to incorporate these products in the future where we can, for the good of the planet - and of course, we’re excited to be teaming up with Cox & Cox, offering people beautifully designed products with our expertise built in.
Between the wood mill, the cutting department, sewing team, upholstery and assembly teams at ANK, the staff have more than 550 years of collective experience in the industry. Our extensive new range of custom made furniture is proving the perfect showcase for their devotion to the craft.