Did you know that every single throw, scarf and blanket from The British Blanket Company is made right here in the British Isles? Since day one, we’ve committed to weaving all our wool blankets in the UK and Ireland at traditional woollen mills.
Manufacturing locally is so important to us and we know it’s important to you too. British-made is about so much more than sewing on a Union Jack label or putting a bit of shortbread in the box!
Where is The British Blanket Company based?
We are based in the beautiful and historic city of Bristol in the South-West of England. It’s a real hub of creativity with its artistic community and streets of brightly-coloured houses, so is the perfect place for our HQ.
Bristol also has an intriguing connection to the history of blankets. Some historians even think that the blanket may have been invented in Bristol in the 14th century by a Flemish weaver named Thomas Blanquette! Click to read more about this intriguing local legend.
How does The British Blanket Company support the local weaving industry?
Supporting British woollen mills is central to our philosophy, and we do this in two ways:
Firstly, we buy all our blankets from traditional weaving mills in the UK and Ireland. No exceptions! Every time we sell a blanket we order another from our fantastic mills, keeping your investment within the local economy and securing the future of this precious industry.
Secondly, we never miss and opportunity to shout from the rooftops about how brilliant British weaving is! We want the whole world to know how fantastic traditionally-made wool blankets look in contemporary homes. Our aim is to introduce British weaving to a new generation.
Where are your different blanket collections woven?
Our pure wool blankets are woven in Yorkshire and finished in Wales. Our merino lambswool supersoft blankets are woven in Ireland. Our merino lambswool Geo collection is also made in Yorkshire.
We also try to work with UK manufacturers for all the other elements that go into making and selling our blankets. Our woven labels are made in Pembrokeshire and our signature paper mailing bags are printed in Scotland. All this helps to keep the money you spend with us in the local economy.
How do I know if a wool blanket is made in Britain?
Of course, if you buy from The British Blanket Company, you can be confident your blanket is made in Britain or Ireland! As for other places you can buy blankets online, you might need to do a little detective work.
Unfortunately, traditional patterns such as tartan are not protected, so these blankets can be woven anywhere in the world. Many tartan blankets are woven in India and Inner Mongolia (China), for example. You will also find blankets that are designed in Britain and sold by British brands, but woven overseas.
What about using British wool?
All our blankets are woven in Britain and Ireland, but we do not use British wool because it is generally too coarse for making soft and cosy blankets. Almost all British sheep are raised for their meat, not their wool, so the breeds that are commonly bred on British farms have harsh fleeces to protect the animals from the British weather.
Instead, the wool we use for our blankets comes from South Africa and New Zealand where sheep breeds are selected for the quality of their fleece. If you would like to learn more, please read this blog post.
Do you sell recycled wool blankets?
The British Blanket Company only sells blankets and throws made from pure new wool. Our signature collection is made from quality pure sheep’s wool and we also have more luxury throws made from merino lambswool. We don’t sell recycled wool blankets as these are inferior quality.
Head over to The British Blanket Company online shop now to browse our full collection of beautiful wool blankets made in the UK and Ireland.
