The very best of brands (and indeed the most valuable) are those that not only stand out from the crowd, but those that make a real difference to people’s lives and have real “meaning”.

The meaning of a brand usually comes from the functional attributes of its products or service (cleaning products that work, reliable cars, safe banking services etc. – in other words, it does a good job fulfilling a customers’ needs), but for a brand to truly have longevity and to “lead the pack”, a brand needs to have emotional meaning, too.

It is this layer of emotional meaning that creates a lasting bond and affinity between the brand and the consumer.

When a brand combines both its functional and emotional meaning with strong point of difference, it becomes a brand that is highly salient and recognised for the right reasons. Amplification of these attributes can be a real catalyst for growth.

Unfortunately, many brands in the UK lack real differentiation. Being different is not just about the service or product being offered, but also how consumers experience using the brand and increasingly, how the brand responds to cultural, social and ecological issues.

BRAND PURPOSE
In this fast-changing world, consumers will be looking out for brands that they can trust: brands that show that they value staff, customers, shareholders, the community and the planet alike.

It is the brands that have a purpose, beyond making money, and are able to translate that purpose from intent into the experience that they offer their customers that will thrive.

BRAND AUTHENTICITY
In a world of over-choice and globalisation, people are also looking for brands with a genuine history and authenticity. They are seeking out brands that have a local or national provenance rather than those with a global blandness: again, they look for brands with a history and sense of quirkiness... brands with a meaningful story.

The Japanese perceive British brands as leading-edge, innovative and forward thinking, whilst the Americans see the tradition and history. It is this dichotomy of quirkiness and history that makes British brands so interesting.

What I love about British brands is the smart design, sense of humour, forward thinking, individuality, clever invention, compassion and the colourful fusion of Britain’s cultural mix.

Here are some new British brands to watch out for.

1. COMMUNITY CLOTHING
Community Clothing is a social enterprise which creates employment and pathways to employment in the UK’s textile manufacturing regions, working with partner factories in six of the UK’s most deprived areas. The business works with these partner factories, filling capacity during their significant quiet periods, creating a virtuous circle of rising volumes, rising efficiency and rising employment. To date they have created over 140,000 hours of skilled work.

Whilst Community Clothing’s work’s capacity has been reduced, they have continued to operate throughout 2020, delivering positive impact in Covid-hit areas and creating over 10,000 hours of work.

Community Clothing’s model is simple: the things you buy create well-paid work. Whilst vaccines give us hope of a route to ending the health effects of this pandemic, the lasting legacy of economic hardship will not be so easily erased in those regions worst affected.

2. HINDQUARTERS
Ten years ago, frustrated by the lack of choice and quality in the dog product market, the founders of Hindquarters decided to make their own. Initially, they

started making prototypes using their own sewing machines, but now collaborate with workshops and small factories across the UK.

Today, they have a full collection of collars, harnesses, leads, dog beds and bowls made to their own high standards, tested and approved by their own five dogs.

Living in a home where dogs outnumber people, they recognised the special bond between dog and human, that each dog is unique and deserves the best. Every product that they make starts by watching and understanding their dogs’ needs, observing their behaviour and quirks, which in turn informs everything they create.

Hindquarters’ collars, lead and harnesses tick all boxes: made from thick cotton weave that’s comfy to wear and use, reliable, durable and washable. They combine this with marine grade steel for fixings which is lightweight, durable and corrosion-proof.

Hindquarters use natural materials where possible, which are kinder, more comfortable and built to last. These are products that wear nicely with age.

3. SHACKLETON
Shackleton is a modern British brand inspired by the courage and leadership of polar titan Sir Ernest Shackleton a century ago.

Shackleton expedition-grade apparel is engineered for extremes, combining world-class high performance with luxury refinement.

Driven by exploration and innovation, the brand aims to inspire and equip the new age of pioneers, from record-breaking explorers to ultra-travellers to weekend adventurers. The range of outerwear, knitwear and accessories is designed in London and made in Britain and Italy using the latest breakthrough performance materials and production techniques. Shackleton is a fur-free brand, and all down is RDS-certified.

4. CHAPEL DOWN
Chapel Down is England’s leading winemaker with a desire to change the way the world thinks about English wine forever by making the coolest, cool climate wines on the planet accessible and contemporary.

Truly world-class sparkling and still wines are produced from grapes grown on over 700 acres of excellent terroir in the southeast of England.

Widely regarded as the market leader in English wine, Chapel Down continually strives to innovate and has recently added a hugely successful range of premium spirits to their portfolio.

Regularly receiving international accolades, Chapel Down is also an official wine supplier to 10 Downing Street and the first English winery to ever feature in the London Stock Exchange’s 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain. Their multi award-winning drinks are sold direct to consumers online and to major stores and supermarkets, as well as leading bars, restaurants and hotels in the UK and internationally.

The Chapel Down winery welcomes over 60,000 visitors each year and offers guided tours of the vineyards, tutored wine tastings, a two AA Rosette and Michelin Bib Gourmet restaurant, and a shop stocking high-quality English produce.

5. BREMONT
Great Britain has a wonderful history when it comes to watch making and has probably been the home to more advances in horology than any other nation. The Bremont brand is determined to play a pivotal role in the reinvigoration of this industry on British shores.

Bremont started in 2002 with the first watches launched in 2007, and since this time, the brand has progressively built the necessary horological skillset in its facility in the UK. The first drive was to train-up watchmakers by putting an apprenticeship scheme in place and also hire watchmakers capable of developing, servicing and assembling mechanical watches. These activities now happen at Bremont’s workshop in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

The second was the desire to start manufacturing watch parts and bring all the technical design in-house. Bremont now manufactures its own case and some movement parts at its facility in Henley-on-Thames, UK. It is an investment that the brand is immensely proud of, in an industry so dependent on Switzerland. Bremont is currently the only watch brand in the UK manufacturing cases and selected watch parts in the UK on any scale.

6. NOBLE ISLE
A distinctive and exquisite modern bath and body brand, Noble Isle is made in the UK and inspired by the natural and cultural riches of the British Isles.

The creators of Noble Isle have travelled the length and breadth of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to source authentic, quintessentially British ingredients worthy of the Noble Isle crest: The Coat of Balms. Noble Isle’s sumptuous lotions and washes feature extracts sourced from some of the most celebrated local producers, including rhubarb from England, sea oak from Ireland, barley from Scotland and beetroot from Wales.

The efflorescent emblem of Noble Isle, The Coat of Balms, is the work of a Cornish artist, created from a series of bespoke hand drawings to represent the great flowers of the British Isles – daffodil, rose, shamrock and thistle – arranged in the iconic British roll-top bath.

Noble Isle have worked with a top nose in the industry to create evocative fragrances with distinct top, heart and base notes that leave a unique and lasting sensory impression, creating The New Tradition in Luxury Bathing. Noble Isle launched in 2012 and can be found in retailers and hotels across the British Isles.

7. SAVERNAKE
Wiltshire-based knifemaker Savernake started in 2016 with just one aim – to make perfect, entirely customisable and bespoke kitchen knives. Today, founder Laurie Timpson and his small Savernake team supply knives to professional chefs and enthusiastic amateur cooks the world over.

In tests by CATRA (the Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association) Savernake blades scored in the top 2.5% of knives tested and were rated ‘Excellent’ for both initial sharpness and durability.

Customers can use the Savernake online knife configurator to customise their own perfect knife from 44,380 possible options – or work with Laurie to design a bespoke knife from scratch, with complimentary personalised engraving.

Knives are crafted using state-of-the-art engineering and time-honoured hand techniques, with each knife taking 50-plus hours to make. The signature concave blade geometry results in knives that cut better, weigh less and sharpen more easily and which are guaranteed for life.

Previous high-profile chef collaborations have seen Savernake work with Michelin-starred chefs Tom Aikens, Mark Sergeant and Daniel Gamache; whilst collaborations with G.F Smith and leading design duo 2LG Studios have resulted in paper and recycled materials being used to create colourful knife handles and chopping boards.

8. FFERN
In 1884, a maverick French chemist called Joseph Robert discovered a way to extract 100% pure fragrance oils from plants, and in doing so transformed perfumery. With Robert’s discovery, a new breed of master ‘noses’ emerged, capable of bottling up nature’s most brilliant ideas.

Ffern’s vision is simple: restore perfumery to its artisan roots in the days of Joseph Robert. Helping to make this vision a reality is their head nose, Francois – 4th generation master perfumer and Joseph’s great grandson.

Together, they’ve developed a new model for perfumery; putting craft, ingredients, and creativity at the centre of the practice.

They will release four seasonal fragrances per year, each of which will be available for three months at a time, to be reimagined the following year.

Their production volumes are tightly controlled to ensure that their commitment to process and ingredient quality is not compromised. Each season, they will blend just one bottle for each of the names on their production ledger. No more.