THE HOUSEWARES INTERVIEW
August/September 2026
housewareslive.net
“Good design should be an eye-catcher and bring enrichment,” he
says. “I’d hope our attention to the smallest details and the use of high- quality materials stands out and speaks for itself.” And for Robert Welch, one material in particular has played a major role in that story.
Stainless steel has been at the heart of the brand for decades and Mr
deBretton Gordon doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. “Our core material will always be stainless steel,” he says. “That said, we don’t restrict ourselves if there’s a suitable material that fits the bill for a particular product.” It’s also a material that fits neatly into the wider conversation around sustainability. “Stainless steel is an amazing metal and already comprises at least 60 per cent recycled material before we even turn it into our products,” Mr deBretton Gordon explains. “If you decide to retire your cutlery after a few centuries of use, it can
be recycled repeatedly into new products.” A few centuries might be pushing it for most of us, but the point about
longevity is an important one. There has understandably been a huge amount of discussion in the housewares industry about recycled materials, packaging and what happens to products at the end of their lives. But there is another side to sustainability which can sometimes get overlooked: making something properly in the first place. If a product lasts for decades rather than years, there’s less reason to
replace it. What comes next?
Of course, having a 70-year design history doesn’t mean you can stand still.
Mr deBretton Gordon says the company continues to look at new manufacturing techniques, particularly where they can make production
16 |
more efficient or improve the product itself. “Regarding manufacturing, we’re always looking into innovative techniques - ones that raise productivity economically and bring improvements both aesthetically and functionally.” And then there is AI. It seems impossible to talk about the future of any creative industry at the moment without it coming up somewhere, and product design is no exception. AI-generated concepts and imagery are developing incredibly quickly, but Mr deBretton Gordon is clear that, whatever role the technology eventually plays, the designer isn’t disappearing from Robert Welch. “AI is very much the topic of discussion in general, not limited to
product design,” he says. “It may have its role in some form, but any product we release will
always have had a designer at the root of the process and throughout, ensuring the legacy of Robert Welch Designs continues.” Having spent some time in Chipping Campden, that feels quite
appropriate. You have designers working in the studio, silversmiths upstairs and the finished products sitting in the shop just a few doors away. It’s a very hands-on environment, and that connection between the person designing something and the person eventually using it still matters. Robert Welch celebrated its 70th anniversary last year in 2025, and plenty has changed in housewares during that time. Materials have developed, manufacturing has moved on and the way people shop is completely different.
But the basic principle behind the business hasn’t really changed all that much. Make something that looks good. Make sure it works properly. And,
ideally, make it well enough that something won’t need to buy another one for a very long time. And that’s probably the best selling point a product can have.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
