Meet the Makers at Smythson

In Walpole’s special portfolio of essays and images for the Book of British Luxury 2025/2026, we celebrate the people behind the design of the products and services that have become a global calling card for British luxury excellence. From sparkling jewels and diaries of delicate blue paper to world- class whisky getaways, we speak with the highly skilled individuals who pour their passion into their respective crafts to create new British icons.

Asked what they themselves take pride in, the team, almost to a person, cite their ability to work with the gossamer-thin, 50-gram, Featherweight watermarked paper – something that many auto-fed commercial presses would struggle to handle without a considerable degree of wastage from creasing (“Someone said it’s like folding mist!” says Bateman).

Running the traditional press is a highly skilled – and dying – art (given the dominance of digital presses). The thinness of the paper requires the machines to run slower than standard – but economics dictate that speed and efficiency are never compromised too much. It’s a fine balancing act that requires meticulous planning, teamwork and trust that each individual department does their job to perfection. The printing, trimming, glueing and gilding all have to be spot-on before moving on to the next stage.

Watching the dedicated teams in action, it’s clear that the decades of experience on display at Smythson extend to numerous little tricks that have been passed down over the years. For instance, the glue must be watered down on hotter days, when it tends to thicken – a particular hazard for bench work (where the paper book and leather casing are assembled) and book binding. With so much that can potentially go wrong, Bateman describes how co-ordinating the many processes can be “like spinning plates” – particularly as they offer an array of variable bespoke options. But by far his biggest challenge is to find people with the right aptitude to fill roles when skilled staff leave or retire. In fact, he finds a degree of lateral thinking often pays dividends when it comes to employment. “We’ve taken on a few former chefs, because they’re good with their hands and they’re hard workers.”

Although many of the staff refer to the relaxed atmosphere and supportive, family feeling throughout the workshop, there is no question that the standards they achieve are paramount. “It’s about being challenged to produce perfection, because that’s what’s expected,” says Pearce. “That’s what the minimum requirement is. It doesn’t matter how long the process takes or what you have to do, it has to be perfect. And anything less than that won’t do… I’ve stolen this motto from my football team: nil satis nisi optimum. Which means nothing but the best is good enough.”

As well as the ongoing strive for perfection, Smythson is always keen to embrace new ideas, constantly evolving its systems to ensure it can meet the demands of its customers and offer as bespoke a service as possible – always while keeping the design timeless. After all, it’s served the brand well for nearly 140 years, combining craftsmanship with cutting-edge expertise – and that is the reason the brand has built a hugely loyal customer base who return for the products year after year.

When the diaries are finally assembled, with their trademark gilt-edged pages sat within their leather covers, the team can finally allow themselves a moment of quiet satisfaction. High-class character guaranteed, as Frank Smythson would have said.