News

11th July 2011

Made in Britain Marque Unveiled

A standard marque for Made in Britain products has been launched by Stoves with backing from UK manufacturers and MPs.

The logo, which was created by Cynthia Lee from Nottingham University as part of a national design competition, was chosen by a panel of industry experts in advertising, design and UK manufacture.

The marque was commissioned by British kitchen appliance manufacturer Stoves after research earlier this year revealed that half (48%) of Brits were confused about which brands could still claim to be made in Britain.

The findings also revealed that two-thirds (67%) want an official seal of approval to show products made in Britain and the majority (52%) think British brands should bring manufacturing back to the UK.

The research has since been debated in the House of Commons and the standard marque has received backing from a number of UK manufacturers and businesses including FromBritainWithLove.com, Samuel Heath, Roman and Servaclean.

Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, is supporting the campaign, he said: ‘The research that Stoves has carried out provides us with compelling evidence of the strength of consumer demand for a Made in Britain seal of approval and I think it is time this issue is raised by the Government.

“I am delighted to be able to support Stoves in their campaign because I believe a Made in Britain marque is a great way to highlight what Britain does best and it is high time that we showed how proud we are of our British businesses.’ 

Denver Hewlett, Chief Executive of Stoves, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the response to the Made in Britain campaign so far, with widespread interest, a mention in the House of Commons and many other UK manufactures showing their support, there is clearly an appetite out there for standard marque.

 “We think that this logo really captures the essence of the campaign and will proudly be displaying it on our website and marketing material and encouraging other UK manufacturers to do the same.”

The marque is designed to be used by British manufacturers on their marketing material, websites and products to help consumers understand the origins of the goods they are purchasing. It can be accessed from www.stoves.co.uk. Anyone wanting to show their support for Made in Britain can also download it as a Twibbon at http://twibbon.com/join/Stoves-Made-in-Britain.

Shaun Woodward, MP for St Helens the constituency where Stoves’ head office and factory is based is backing the campaign. He said: “British manufacture is essential to our economy and has the potential to play a vital role in the UK’s economic recovery.

“It is fantastic to see a major company such as Stoves take the lead in launching a Made in Britain seal of approval on behalf of the country’s manufacturers. There is clear consumer demand for products and goods made in this country and this campaign will help make that purchasing decision even easier.

“The development of a Made in Britain seal of approval is an extremely worthwhile initiative and I am delighted to lend my support to this cause.”

ENDS

Supporting quotes:
Nicky Sherwood from British online magazine and directory FromBritainWithLove.com was a judge on the logo design panel. She said: “A recognisable ‘Made in Britain’ marque will help consumers to make informed decisions about the provenance of the products they purchase. Buying British made products not only helps boost local businesses and the economy as a whole, but it’s kinder to the environment too. But perhaps most importantly of all, it will help raise awareness of all of the talented people in studios, workshops, factories and farms across the nation, who work hard to create beautiful products for us to buy. It’s time to come together and celebrate the wealth of homegrown talent that exists on our doorstep.” 

Vanessa Allan, marketing manager for British bathroom manufacturer Samuel Heath, said: “At Samuel Heath we have been manufacturing in Birmingham for nearly 200 years. All our products are made under one roof in our Birmingham factory and as a British manufacturer we also have strong sense of environmental responsibility and work hard to minimise our environmental impact.

“That’s why Samuel Heath strongly supports the campaign for a standardised ‘Made In Britain’ marque to be used on British-made products. Manufacturers in the UK provide a level of reassurance that can’t be offered elsewhere because of the provenance of their products and the sustainability of their manufacturing processes.  Further transparency, when it comes to labelling products as British, can therefore only help to raise standards and make things clearer for the consumer.”

David Osborne, Managing Director for British shower manufacturer Roman, said: “At Roman, we have found that British manufacture and service back up is an increasingly important differential in the bathroom market today. The added value and distinction within our sector is critical to our success. Only one of our seven ranges has ever been manufactured abroad. This range returned to the UK for manufacture in 2011 and this has had nothing but a positive impact for our business and customers.”
Media enquiries:
For all media enquiries please contact Louise Woodward or Katie Scoggins at Umpf on 0800 4 10 20 10 or email louise@umpf.co.uk / katie@umpf.co.uk  

Notes to editors:
Stoves is committed to UK manufacture with 100% of its built-in ovens, hobs, freestanding and range cookers assembled at its Merseyside headquarters.

*Survey of 1,000 people carried out in January 2011 by Your Say Pays on behalf of Stoves, other Made in Britain research findings included:
• 40% of those questioned think HP Sauce (Netherlands) is British-made, 43% think the same of Royal Doulton which although designed in the UK is now manufactured in the Far East. Almost a third (32%) rate Dyson as a British manufacturer despite production taking place in Malaysia and almost a quarter (23%) did not know Raleigh had moved production to the Far East in 2003.
• 36% of people said they buy British whenever they can and more than a third of people said they would do so more often if it was easier to identify authentic, made in Britain products.
• Supporting UK manufacture and jobs is the main incentive for people to buy British according to the poll (55%).