After 2.5 years, it finally happened on June 20, 2022; we could go on a press trip to the UK again! Our client, the British paint and wallpaper manufacturer The Little Greene Paint Company, along with its brands Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library, wanted to showcase the family business to the Dutch press. For this, we traveled with a wonderful group of journalists to England and North Wales.
On this press trip, well-known and new faces joined us. The magazines Ariadne at Home, Eigen Huis & Interieur, ELLE Decoration, LINDA., Residence, Seasons, Stek Magazine, Vogue Living, and Wonen Landelijke Stijl were well represented. The group had to gather early at Schiphol. Despite the busy atmosphere, the journey to Manchester went smoothly. We kicked off the press trip with a delightful lunch at the pub The Aspinall Arms in the picturesque surroundings of Clitheroe.
After filling our stomachs and catching up with Ruth Mottershead, the daughter of founder David and Creative Director of The Little Greene Paint Company, we traveled to the wallpaper factory Surface Print in Lancashire. Here, the wallpaper for Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library is printed using either traditional printing methods or high-tech digital printing, depending on the design and the desired look. We witnessed beautiful wallpaper patterns coming off modern digital printers, but the most impressive were the robust, very old printing machines that are over 100 years old. It is said that there are only 10 left in the world, four of which are in the factory in Lancashire. These machines still print wallpaper using real paint and authentic methods. True artisans carefully mix the paint colors for each specific wallpaper—believe it or not, not based on a recipe, but by eye! We experienced the entire production process. What craftsmanship! After this extraordinary tour of the wallpaper factory, we boarded the bus heading toward North Wales.
By Conwy Bay, we stayed at the Quay Hotel & Spa, overlooking Conwy Castle and many bobbing sailing boats. During the sunny drinks by the water, David Mottershead (founder and CEO) and Ben Mottershead (David’s son and Operational Director of the company) joined us. The sea air makes one hungry, so everyone enjoyed a cozy and delicious private three-course dinner. David, Ben, and Ruth concluded the dinner with the unique story of how their family business, The Little Greene Paint Company, came to be. There’s no better or more entertaining speaker than David, so the spontaneous and informal narrative, filled with a good dose of English humor and lively interaction among father, daughter, and son, was a perfect way to wrap up the dinner. We ended the evening (of course!) with a nice drink in the hotel bar.
After a hearty breakfast, we set off the next morning to the paint factory, tucked away in the beautiful foothills of Snowdonia National Park. It was the perfect place to give the accompanying press a preview of the new Paint & Paper Library color chart, including new colors to be launched in September 2022. David did this with great enthusiasm ;-). Although one might expect a factory to be large, the Little Greene paint factory is small-scale, where paint is still made as hand-crafted as possible. Both Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library paints are produced here in an eco-friendly and artisanal manner. During the tour led by Ben, we witnessed the craftsmanship and discovered the paint production process. The laboratory, where various quality tests are conducted, was a favorite!
After a cup of coffee in the sun, we set off towards our final stop in North Wales, the Anglesey Arms restaurant. The weather gods were on our side, as we had two beautiful, sunny days that allowed us to enjoy our three-course lunch outside, sitting at a long table. And then, it was time to go home!
It was two full days, but so incredibly enjoyable to give this lovely, friendly, and inspiring group a glimpse ‘behind the scenes’ of the fantastic family business The Little Greene Paint Company. Everyone gained new knowledge, found inspiration, and had a great time! When can we do it again?!
