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We are proud to be involved with the Association of Independent Stores and to support its exceptionally well-organised one day events, bringing suppliers and retailers together in a focused and welcoming environment.

This was an excellent opportunity to showcase our products and connect with the independent retail community. INDX shows attract dedicated buyers from well known stores and we made the most of the occasion to strengthen our network and introduce our range to prospective stockists. We are looking forward to seeing our products on display in new outlets!

Our mission is Retail with Purpose – supporting British manufacturing, championing wildflower conservation and offering high quality products that deliver value for retailers and their customers.

The buyers we met responded positively to that message. They were impressed by the high quality of our products, competitive pricing, practical lead times and flexible order quantities – important considerations for independent retailers.

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Delegates from a wide variety of sites and organisations across the UK and beyond gathered in Birmingham for the Cultural Enterprises Conference & Trade Show, an important meeting place for people working across the arts, heritage and cultural sectors.

It was wonderful to meet so many people representing fascinating venues and organisations from across the UK, and to hear about the opportunities and challenges shaping the cultural sector.

The conference sessions gave us fresh ideas, practical insights and renewed motivation. They also reinforced our commitment to supporting British manufacturing and promoting wildflower conservation—values that remain central to everything we do.

Excellent catering and a warm, sociable atmosphere made it easy to continue conversations between sessions and build new connections. This was an ideal setting to showcase our British-made homewares to retail buyers from a diverse range of cultural destinations.

Supporting heritage, conservation and British manufacturing is at the heart of our business, and this event was a welcome reminder of what can be achieved by sharing ideas, expertise and enthusiasm across the cultural sector.

See you there next year!

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It was a real pleasure to catch up with our valued stockists, hear how they are getting on and their thoughts about the marketplace that we all inhabit. We always appreciate customer comments and use them to improve and develop.

We also love making new contacts who share our enthusiasm for enduring products and the values and ethos behind our business.

Events like this give us the opportunity to spread the word, build new relationships and grow our business while continuing to support British manufacturing and uphold our Retail with Purpose pledge.

Our giveaway wildflower seed cards proved especially popular!  This was a simple way for us to say thanks for stopping by and to share something that reflects our commitment to positive, lasting impact.

Thank you to everyone who visited us and helped make the show such a fun occasion. We hope to see many familiar faces—and plenty of new ones—when we return again in January 2027.

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Eighteen pallets of Sophia Davenport china and textiles en route to New York

Our exclusively British products bring a distinctive touch of the English countryside to shops in every corner of the world. We offer independent retailers and department stores high quality homeware for customers looking for products with genuine provenance.

We welcome enquiries from new stockists and make every stage of ordering straightforward, professional and efficient. Prices are quoted ex works, giving transparent view of the product cost before transport, customs and other destination-specific charges are added.

We take a hands-on approach to fulfilment, coordinating delivery and customs clearance through our trusted logistics partner. Freight, clearance and associated logistics expenses are charged at cost, supporting an open and accountable service.

Working directly with us gives retailers greater confidence in both service and costs – an important advantage in an uncertain trading environment. We do everything necessary to ensure goods arrive safely and on time. If you are a retailer seeking distinctive British homeware and a dependable wholesale partner, we would be delighted to start a conversation.

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This is an ethos which fits perfectly with sustainable retail objectives.

An appreciation of our family’s wildflower heritage began a few years ago with an old cardboard dress box, which opened up to reveal a large collection of great-great-grandmother Sophia’s delicate watercolours.  Having always lived in the countryside and loved wildflowers, we could not resist bringing them to life for others to share.  Together with her father Richard’s 1833 Flora of Oxfordshire, they are the inspiration for the present-day designs and homeware products of our family business.  Initially selling at garden and country fairs, we have evolved over the last six years into a wholesale-only business.

On average, every British county is home to about 950 native species of flowers – but native wildflowers are being lost at a rate of up to one species per year, per county.  Clovers, vetches, and violets are all under threat and much-loved cornfield wildflowers are diminishing, including cornflower, scarlet pimpernel and red field poppy.  Our countryside is becoming less colourful and, more importantly, a less viable habitat for wildlife.  The challenge presented by evolving agricultural practices, increased development, and climate change, is real.

Plantlife (the charity behind No Mow May) estimate that a third of British wild plants are of conservation concern, with 45 species critically endangered.  80 species are already classed as extinct – just one example is the the downy hemp nettle.  Once very common and described as “a handsome plant” in Richard’s notes, it was last recorded here in 1975.

Hemp-nettle painted by Sophia in 1902

Raising awareness

Our approach is to share Sophia’s delightful wildflower illustrations through the medium of high quality and enduring products.  This means that her art lives on and, at the same time, promotes and supports wildflower conservation.  Everyone can make a difference, even if in just a small way – as Dolly Parton put it, “wildflowers don’t care where they grow.”

Many retailers are also rising to the challenge, adopting sustainable practices, sponsoring charities, supporting local initiatives and, where possible, protecting and restoring aspects of our wildflower heritage on their own land.  Who can’t be moved by the sight of wildflowers?  Adding this theme to a retail offering can be financially viable and generate additional income.

Making it worthwhile

As a family business with a very personal approach, we design and develop all our products ourselves, working with British makers and materials such as English fine bone china, linen and papers.  We aim to achieve the highest standards for our products, with the attention to detail that comes from personal responsibility for our work.

Choosing British makers means that we can easily visit them, not just to ensure quality, but also to develop the close working relationships that make any business a pleasure.  We are proud to have achieved Made In Britain accreditation – even our textile labels are woven in Cornwall!

Quality checking our fine bone china

This comes at a price, and buying British can be expensive when compared to the global competition – but we’ve found that keeping it local and being proud of our heritage is a really positive encouragement for customers.  The latest Made in Britain survey shows that 50% of customers and nearly 60% of businesses prefer to buy UK products – and that trend is rising.

British and overseas visitors are often looking for special mementos of their visit; both they and our retail partners appreciate the family story and including our products in their shop enhances customer experience, whether they are UK residents or tourist visitors.  We love sharing our story and are delighted to be found in a variety of retail outlets from village shops to city centre stores.  Paying a bit more for British products is accepted, and our export sales to Europe and the USA indicate that they are well received elsewhere, too.

Promoting our heritage, supporting independent business, and increasing awareness of our wonderful British wildflowers – we are investing in our wildflower heritage.

This article was published in the Association of Cultural Enterprises blog on 25th May 2025

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