HOW IT'S MADE

Our mission has always been to create beautiful things, beautifully made and we try very hard to make everything as close to our home in Cornwall as we possibly can.

When we started Cream Cornwall in 2012 money was tight and we threw ourselves in at the deep end by creating so many products. We were naive and didn't realise how difficult it would be in the future to offer such a wide range.

But we had a dream and no one was going to stop us! Sometimes putting yourself out of your comfort zone forces you to look at things differently and great things can happen!

With no money to buy in bulk, our hand was forced to look for local manufacturers who could supply us with smaller quantities, many of whom we still work with. We also went to as many workshops as we could and began researching how to make some products ourselves.

We began by making the lampshades ourselves and have continued to do this until today. They are made to order at our warehouse in Penryn, where we print and hand finish them for you.

We are super fussy about how our candles and diffusers smell as we both love fragrance. We do lots of research before settling on the right fragrances. We mixed and melted and poured, mainly in Allison's kitchen, until we got it just right and we continued to make it ourselves until we both got too busy. Now our wonderful customer service manager/fragrance specialist, Tracy, helps to make them in our warehouse.

Our fragrances come from a world leading perfume manufacturer in the UK, and we use a 10% mix to make sure that your room is filled with a heady aroma.

We also make our room diffusers and room sprays in house as well, so you can be assured of a quality product.

We have worked with the same two bone china suppliers in Stoke on Trent for twelve years now. They import the 'blanks', which are made from English china clay and then hand decorate and fire them at their Stoke on Trent factories. The fabulous patterns that decorate our china are made in the traditional screen printed way like they have been made for centuries.

We send our designs to the printers who then print the decals onto sheets with a 'flux' coating that creates a protective shiny lustre to the print when fired. Some of the more colourful designs can take up the 6 screens to build up the colours in the designs, a real skill that is hard to find in the UK these days. Whilst it is possible to produce the whole item in the UK,  the cost to do so is prohibitive and we wouldn't be able to sustain our small business.

Our melamine placemats & coasters are manufactured in the UK by a family run business that specialises in the traditional method of proper baked melamine that are built to last. They use the very best ingredients to make their products, including an extra thick cork backing, that just shouts quality and is worth paying that little bit extra for. These products will last you a lifetime.

We have worked in several ways to produce our cushions. In the beginning we worked with a local screen printer and seamstress to make small batches for us. As we grew we started to print digitally with a company based in the Northwest of England and we had an in-house seamstress.

With a shift in demand and post-covid, we had to move to a company who could manufacture what we needed and at the quality levels we expected. We now manufacture in India with a truly great company who digitally print our designs and who take great pride in producing exactly what we expect. We spent a lot of time in India overseeing the process and making sure that the quality was as good as it had ever been.  We do still make a few cushions locally, where we just need smaller runs.

We were introduced to the company in India by a friend we met at a trade show who had been working with them for many years. At the time we weren't ready for bulk production, but we kept the contact alive and in 2022 began discussions with them to produce our designs for us. This was a giant leap for us and it took many months to source the right fabrics, colours and finishes we wanted. We are delighted to work in partnership with this company and are beyond pleased with their professionalism and care they put into every product. 

All our art prints are digitally printed in house at our warehouse in Penryn. We do hold stock but prefer to print to order, so that you can be assured of great quality every time. We also sell a beautiful white washed tulip wood frame, that compliments all of our prints. These are made locally in Penryn exclusively for Cream by Kitty, who hand finishes each one.

As you all know we have lost many of the manufacturing skills we used to have in the UK which means that in order to keep things fresh and exciting for us and our lovely customers we travel all over the world to make the things that we can't get made here in the UK.

We are careful to work with the best and always travel to meet them face to face to meet them personally and to ensure working conditions are good. We generally ship by sea, and only on the very rare occasion will we air freight cargo. We are always mindful of the impact manufacturing can have on the planet and try, where possible, to reduce our impact on the environment.

Rebecca & Allison