MADE IN BRITAIN, BY EVAN DAVIS : A REVIEW

When M&I found out about Made in Britain by Evan Davis it got rather excited. Then the book arrived (thanks to Little, Brown) in its terribly dull dust jacket and expectations leveled.

Made in Britain is a misleading title. Davis' account is really an economic review of the UK. Therefore it contains very little on (physical) items created here. He visits BAE Systems, McLaren and Brompton - focusing on already well known British manufacturing success stories.

Davis writes in a manner similar to his presenting style on Radio 4 - convivial and easy to understand. There are some nice passages on the history of British manufacturing in the chapter entitled 'How We Got Here' plus some interesting examples of previous 'Back Britain' campaigns (including a 'Help Britain Pen Pal Club' which encouraged children to 'create new friends... future business contacts for your country'; a 60s version of LinkedIn for kids?) Despite these bursts of interesting material, the book suffers from a pervading feeling that it is merely an accompaniment to the TV series of the same name.

"We need to reorient resources away from domestic consumption towards the production of items that can help pay our way in the world," says Davis, in one of his many musings on the importance of manufacturing to the UK economy. He argues his case well throughout, providing a sensible level of optimism on the role of manufacturing working alongside other industries.

Made in Britain is enjoyably upbeat and serves as a sound introduction to how Britain makes money. However, if you are looking for in-depth analysis of the products we make and the people who make them you might want to look elsewhere. It will be interesting to see how the forthcoming TV series works alongside the book.

Reviews of Made in Britain can also be found on the Financial Times and The Independent

Evan Davis is appearing at Foyles on Charing Cross Road on 21st June. Tickets are free and available here.

Photo of Brompton bicycle frame parts from M&I's Facebook album of the visit in March 2011

NEW 'MADE IN BRITAIN' SEAL OF APPROVAL?

According to the Financial Times, a new 'Made in Britain' seal is being designed to help consumers identify products that are genuinely manufactured in the UK.

The campaign is spearheaded by Stoves, a Merseyside cooker manufacturer. The FT article states that Stoves has found '40 per cent of Britons erroneously believe that HP Sauce is still made in the UK. In fact, HP Sauce abandoned manufacturing in Birmingham after more than a century in favour of the Netherlands five years ago.'

M&I agrees that there is a need for an official 'stamp of approval' for UK goods. There is a distinct lack of promotion and protection for UK manufacturers. On a luxury level members of Savile Row created a Bespoke Association in 2004, similar to the Chambre Synidcale de la Haute Couture in Paris (founded in 1973.) If UK products are to help the country grow once again, this new logo needs proper consideration.

A quick search however, provides some concerning evidence that this new logo is destined to fail. Stoves has outsourced design to student competitions and the entries are predictably poor. The prize money of £200 indicates that design is being seen as superfluous to the process, an additional bit of polish to an ill-thought through attempt that needs consideration and consultation across a larger body of manufacturers and craftspeople.

POSTSCRIPT: Following the publication of this article we received an email from the PR for Stoves, wanting to clarify the competition. In it they explained that the logos 'will be judged by a panel of experts including Designer Magazine, a director of a creative agency and Stoves' marketing director. There will also be consultation via Facebook with the public and businesses free to put their thoughts forward. The winner will work closely with a creative agency to hone the final concept.'

Image of Retail Trading Standards Association stamp from the Sunspel archive