In 1955, fresh from the Royal College of Art, Robert Welch was looking to set up a studio somewhere between his parent’s home in Malvern and London, where he might find work. He rented a small room in the Old Silk Mill in Chipping Campden and installed his drawing board and a truckle bed. It was an inauspicious start for a man whose strong design principles would later make him an MBE and a Royal Designer for Industry.
Being an enthusiastic cricketer, Robert Welch believed in the close working efficiency of small teams. He called upon the complementary skills of designers, prototype makers and manufacturers to help realise the designs. Each new Robert Welch product is evolved from rigorous questioning about its function, manufacture, durability and ease of use.
From cutlery, kitchen utensils to home decor, the company’s range of products is remarkably extensive. Even more remarkable is the fact that, unlike other design companies, none of the products are bought in or created by outside designers. Every item, large or small, has been created by the Robert Welch Design Team in Chipping Campden in the same building where Robert Welch started all those years ago.
