What you might call the original celebrity endorsement, Royal Warrants of Appointment have been around in Britain since the 15th-century and are given to people or companies who regularly supply goods or services to a royal household. Currently, there are over 800 warrant holders, including quintessential British brands like Burberry, Aston Martin and Fortnum & Mason, as well as a range of lesser-known craftspeople and suppliers— from fishmongers to stationers to broom makers. Surprisingly, in an age where influence normally equals free swag, these items are never gifted – the relationship between the warrant giver and receiver is strictly commercial–ensuring these stamps of approval remain the ultimate mark of quality and heritage. (In fact, royal warrants can also only be issued to businesses that have supplied a product to the royal household for at least five of the most recent seven years.) Here’s a guide to some of the most traditional.
The Wren Press
Many a bride and groom have walked through the doors of the Wren Press In Mayfair in search of the perfect wedding invitation. Established in 1985, the stationer combines traditional techniques and modern technology, working with the best typographers and calligraphers. What sets them apart is a highly bespoke service – they can create a lifelike depiction of your country house or pet on paper or a very personal thank you card. Whether planning a birthday party or celebrating a milestone anniversary, the artisans turn your ideas into unique creations. There’s also monogrammed writing paper, hand-engraved compliment slips and the smartest of business cards. (They also have shops in Hong Kong, Dublin and New York.)
Rachel Trevor-Morgan Millinery
Over the past 32 years, Rachel Trevor-Morgan has established a loyal client base that includes Her Majesty the Queen, who has worn the British hatmaker’s sculptural designs on many occasions including Royal Ascot. Working out of a 17th -century atelier in St. James, her small but skilled team continue to design hats using the traditional methods, such as wooden blocks for molding fabric and metal tools for making decorative silk flowers. Hats can be dyed to a specific color to match the rest of the ensemble. By appointment only.
A. Nash
As royal broomsquire, Bradley Nash makes about 120 besom brooms annually for Buckingham Palace and the other royal households— which are used to sweep leaves from gravel driveways and tidy up grass lawns. Bradley inherited the Royal Warrant from his late father, Arthur, and works with over 100-year-old tools to hand cut birch twigs, roll them into bundles and bind them together with wire – no machinery is used in the process. Although the craft is a dying art, A. Nash has also supplied brooms for the Harry Potter films and pagan weddings, used for the jump the broomstick tradition.
Paxton & Whitfield
Cheesemonger by royal appointment since 1850, Paxton & Whitfield has been regularly feeding royals and notables since Queen Victoria. ( As Winston Churchill once observed "a gentleman buys his cheese at Paxton & Whitfield.") The counter at their Jermyn Street shop is piled high with a selection of hard, soft and blue cheese. The knowledgeable team are on hand to recommend complementary crackers, chutneys, quinces and ports, and don’t miss the aging room.
Cole & Son
Some of the most historic wallpaper designs in the world can be found at Cole & Son, which was established in 1875 in Islington, which at the time was the headquarters for many hand-block printing companies. While staying true to its heritage, the company has always kept up with innovations from the original exclusive use of hand-block printing, re-introducing flocking (textured paper), to becoming one of the first screen printing studios in Europe. Their decorative papers have been used to embellish the walls of stately homes such as Chatsworth House, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
Heywood Hill
The wonderfully atmospheric Heywood Hill bookshop is located in a two-story townhouse in Mayfair with wood paneled walls, a fireplace, and piles and piles of tomes heaving from the red lacquered shelves to the antique tables. Owned by Peregrine Cavendish, the 12th Duke of Devonshire, the store has had its fair share of famous visitors, including ‘bright young thing’ Nancy Mitford who worked there during World War II. You’ll be in equally good hands with today’s employees who offer highly-customized book advice and library building (including new, second-hand and antiquarian on a wide range of topics from aviation to running to Modernism) among their services.
A. S. Handover
Hidden down a cobbled street in Hackney, A. S. Handover is the go-to place for artists, decorators and a wide range of craftsmen working in stained glass, theatrical make-up, marbling and a range of other disciplines. Inside, you’ll find an astonishing assortment of brushes, fountain pens and paints, and super knowledgeable sales staff who can advise on, say, gold leaf that has been used in museums, the Houses of Parliament and stately homes across the country. There’s also in-store demonstrations in which you can learn skills including brush lettering and chalkboard illustration.
