Made in Britain? The Hidden Truth Behind British-Made Furniture

We often hear the phrase “Made in Britain” - a proud statement of quality, heritage, and craftsmanship. But when it comes to furniture made in the UK, what does this really mean? In today’s global supply chain, it’s not always easy to know where your furniture truly comes from, or how sustainable it really is.

The Shift in British Manufacturing

We are great at making things - especially when it comes to British furniture. The UK has a proud heritage of craftsmanship in furniture making, which contributed significantly to our early economic growth long before mechanisation and expanded dramatically from the late 18th century with the Industrial Revolution. However, over the last hundred years or so, often referred to as the ‘Second Industrial Revolution,’ many traditional manufacturing sectors, including furniture, have been replaced by imports.

One key factor drives this change: British labour is expensive. In the UK, where we uphold stringent regulations around working conditions and fair wages, the cost of labour has, rightly, remained relatively high. As we are all too aware today, this is not a globally adopted status quo, and therefore there are more cost-effective options available elsewhere.

It also turns out that we’re not just great at making things, what we’re really great at is integrating supply chains. And so we can now make much more furniture, faster and cheaper than ever before, which is convenient since we want it all - and now. However, this increased speed and cost-efficiency don’t always come hand in hand with greater sustainability. 

What Does ‘Made in Britain’ Really Mean?

To dig into the realm of manufacturing provenance is to enter a deeply murky place, steeped in ambiguity and opacity. Discovering the true origin of components in products that pass through global supply chains can quickly become problematic. Today’s manufacturers often operate beyond the boundaries of a single country. Companies share knowledge, materials, assembly platforms — everything needed to produce goods as cheaply and quickly as possible — across countries and continents with impressive fluidity. Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) confirms that a significant proportion of UK manufacturing exports rely heavily on imported inputs.

Legally, for a product to be marketed as ‘Made in Britain,’ it must be manufactured, produced, processed, or reconditioned within the UK. Furthermore, if a ‘substantial change’ is made to the goods in Britain, they can still be deemed ‘Made in Britain.’ However, there is little official guidance on what constitutes a ‘substantial change,’ leaving the term open to interpretation. This means the label can be applied with little assurance that a product is wholly produced in Britain — creating confusion for consumers seeking authentic British-made goods.

What ‘Made in Britain’ Doesn’t Tell You About Furniture

It therefore follows that assessing the provenance of furniture purporting to be made in Britain can pose quite the enigma. For example, a table assembled in Britain from timber felled in China and connecting devices made in a factory in Mexico has, legally speaking, been made in Britain.

But does any of this matter? Instinctively: of course. However, we can’t yet be sure how much. Full carbon footprinting of mass-made furniture is expensive (as you’d expect given the complexity of its supply chain) and is often cited as beyond the reach of the companies responsible for its retail.

Not only is tracing the origins of materials difficult, but the total transport-related emissions are tricky to calculate. Where cited, transport emissions usually only include distances from the first link in the supply chain, that is, we might only be looking at travel from a local distributor, and not the total from source, which may be overseas. This is so hard to assess because manufacturers often don’t know where their parts come from. Furthermore, this sort of research is expensive and, for the time being, discretionary, and so just isn’t conducted. It’s far easier to simply suggest that the transport of raw materials forms only a small percentage of the total carbon impact of a product.

There is therefore a dearth of reliable, comparable data with which to assess the environmental impact of our global supply chain on ‘British made’ furniture. The Furniture Industry Research Association considered the feasibility of generating comprehensive carbon footprints across the industry and concluded that it was a “complex subject, with a number of difficulties that needed to be overcome” before any benchmarking could be adopted.

Curious about alternatives to mass-made furniture? At Summerfield & Scott, we believe transparency and craftsmanship go hand in hand — especially when it comes to restoring what already exists.

Re-Made in Britain: A New Chapter for Sustainable British Furniture

There are many brands which have long championed the use of British materials and craftsmanship, combining them with iconic, exciting design to make top-quality products, often with a good measure of eccentricity.

The question now must be, how can we take the best of our craft skills, blending traditional techniques with the latest technology to create a new breed of expertise, systems and artistry which can lead a serious movement towards a fully circular economy?

“Made in Britain” across the board might prove impossible, but “Re-made in Britain” might just stand a chance.

Why Provenance Matters

The next time you see a piece of British-made furniture, ask what that really means. Look for transparency. Ask about materials. Consider the journey that piece has taken.

Because in the end, furniture that’s already stood the test of time is often the most sustainable choice of all.