Made in Britain...what does it actually mean?

Doodling Lucy is ‘Made in Britain’

But what does that actually mean?

Well, absolutely nothing…without context.

You see the definition of ‘Made in Britain’ is stated as:

A product was manufactured, processed, or underwent a substantial change within the UK. Legally, under the Trade Descriptions Act, there is no set rule defining how much of a product's parts or labor must be local. The spectrum for being able to label a product as “Made in Britain” is incredibly wide. 

Back in 2022 I had the opportunity to create my own mugs - something I was incredibly excited about. I was given a tour of the factory in Stoke-On-Trent where the mugs were made from scratch. Myself and the owner spoke about what ‘made in Britain’ actually meant, and he informed me how many companies state their mugs are ‘Made in Britain’ when in fact they are imported from overseas, but because the final wording added to the bottom was done in the U.K they could legally say it was ‘Made in Britain’. Which really got me thinking.

Now I’m not perfect - having everything 100% made in Britain is incredibly difficult. Even though I work with British companies in the creation of my products, the products they create and source can come from overseas. This is where my time and research come into play - if some of my chain is done overseas I want this to be as ethically and fairly as possible.

So today I thought I would show you some of the chains within Doodling Lucy for full transparency of your products:

Doodling Lucy Defender Caps

• Design hand drawn on paper, then digitally drawn on an iPad in the Cotswolds.
• File then created into an embroidery file through a small business in London.
• The file is then sent to another small business in Ilford London where it is embroidered onto the caps.
• The caps are sourced from a company based in Bury, Manchester but are made overseas.

This company has extensive information on its factories, manufacturing, fight against modern slavery and all of its key supply chain certificates on its website. The chain is very clear and detailed.

Doodling Lucy Jumpers

• Design hand drawn on paper, then digitally drawn on an iPad in the Cotswolds.
• File then created into an embroidery file through a small business in London.
• The file is then sent to another small business in Ilford London where it is embroidered onto the jumpers.
• The jumpers are sourced from by a company in Brussels and made in Bangladesh.

This company has achieved leader status with the Fair Wear Foundation, ensuring safe, fair working conditions across all of its factories.

Its chain can be linked all the way back to the organic cotton seed where each garment begins.

(It’s a company and aspect of my business I am incredibly proud to support)

Doodling Lucy Tea Towels:

• Designs hand drawn in the Cotswolds
• Printed on 100% cotton in a factory in Leek, Staffordshire
• Hand sewn in Leek, Staffordshire
• Labels printed in Colne, Lancashire

Doodling Lucy greetings cards and prints 

• Hand drawn and designed in the Cotswolds
• Printed on a range of paper in Cramlington, Northumberland
• Paper is sourced from both U.K and Italian Mills

 

I am proud to be British, and I’m proud to be a British business. But that does not mean 100% of my products are made in the U.K.

Something I always want Doodling Lucy to be is honest and open about all aspects of the business. I never want to be known as someone who ‘Greenwashes’.

Whenever a new product is created I will try my hardest to source as much as I can in the U.K - which often means that my profit margins are MUCH smaller. Where I really ran into this was when I decided to branch into clothing.

Fashion is renowned for being unsustainable, which is why I am so proud to use the company I do for my jumpers. Their prices are much higher and rightly so because they are incredibly thorough.

I could talk about this for days, but I have limited space here and need to get back to painting but, if anyone ever wants to discuss it further my email is always open (doodlinglucy5@gmail.com)

Thank you so much for your continued support,

Lucy