Daler-Rowney: A Factory Tour
Happy Friday Folks,
A little while ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to do a factory tour at Daler-Rowney in Bracknell, Berkshire (UK). I did this tour yesterday and couldn’t wait to share the experience I had, with you.
Quick sketch of the Daler-Rowney building I did while in the artist studio session.
Myself and three other artists arrived at headquarters at 9.50am and were welcomed in by the wonderful Stephanie, who organises these tours (alongside her usual job role as a Digital Marketing Manager). We received our badges and high-vis jackets, and were joined by a very knowledgeable colleague John (a Process Chemist), for our introduction in the Reception area. We had a look at the current brands and supplies under the Daler-Rowney umbrella, and also had a look at some of their historic supplies which was great. I had brought in my own historic Rowney’s item (some Percy Pastels circa. 1940-1950) that I wished to find out about, and they were more than happy to discuss it with me. In fact, they had never seen it before and it was an interesting talking point for us all as a group. We finished our introduction with a brief history of the company itself and the building they’re now in.
From here, we went on to the shop floor to see how some of the oil, acrylic and watercolour paint products are mixed, made and packaged. It was wonderful to the machines in their paint splattered glory, doing the job they have been doing for decades. It was even better to see how many lovely humans are still involved in what many may presume is a very machine-oriented process. Here at least, it’s not, it’s all about the people. The Daler-Rowney factory is in fact, the last factory in the UK to be producing artist’s paint. Other British brands produce their paints in Europe and China these days. Quite an achievement. We also stopped off in the Quality Control department to see their processes for ensuring that each batch made, is up to scratch. That the colours and viscosity are exactly right, every time. We even got to have a peek at some historic pigments such as ‘Dragon’s Blood’ and ‘Mummy’ and I honestly found this part of the tour, and the staff’s expertise, fascinating. You could tell everyone enjoyed sharing their knowledge, and questions were very well received.
On our way to the paper processing part of the factory, we saw all the different pigments from all around the world stored in their boxes, bags and barrels, shelves so high. It was awesome. The paper storage that came next was even more impressive! If, like me, you love the smell of a good book, the smells in this area were to die for. The sound of the giant guillotines cutting through huge amounts of paper were pretty darned good too.
Next up, we swung through the box-fitting department where all the pretty things are packaged up ready to be sent out to the stores for us to buy. Here we saw mounds of paint tubes in crates, organised by colour and awaiting their boxes. All those shiny, colourful things, it was an artist’s paradise! It was also at this point of the tour that I realised how much bigger the building is than it appears from the outside. We exited this area through a marvellous corridor of labels, I do love a sticker!
The penultimate stop on our tour was a visit to the ‘Mini Factory’ where small batches of niche items are made up and little half pans of watercolour are wrapped - by none other than a machine that was originally used to wrap sweeties. That’s exactly how we feel when we open them isn’t it? Like we’re unwrapping little sweeties. Perfection.
Finally, we popped into John's domain, the lab. We learned how products can be tested, compared and formulated. We saw up close, the raw materials used to create the different paint types, and had insightful discussions with John regarding the ingredient ratios and how we can tinker with our own paints using different mediums.
Following on from our tour, we entered the studio area for a nibbles and water break which was so generously laid out for us. It was a great opportunity for us to chat and get to know a bit more about each other ahead of our artist session with the lovely Jenny Muncaster, who joined us. We swapped our high-vis jackets for aprons and got stuck in exploring all the different media that Daler-Rowney produce under Jenny’s experienced eyes. Jenny led us through some ideas and techniques and then away we went with whatever took our fancy. It was a really enjoyable and inspiring couple of hours (or more). We all learned something and got excited enough about something, that we were all quiet for the first time as we busied away on our little projects.
At the end of the session we came together for a group photo, and were blown away when we were then told that we could now help ourselves to any of the items that had been beautifully set out on the table behind us. We were given some carrier bags and could fill them to our hearts content. So generous and such a nice surprise at the end of our already incredible day! We headed home at around 3.30pm.
I can’t tell you what a fabulous time we all had. Our group was just great; there were so many questions and discussions amongst us, and lots of laughter too. The staff were so kind to share their place of work, their time (away from usual duties), and their expertise with us all. You could tell they were very passionate about the Daler-Rowney brand and the quality of their products, it was such a nice atmosphere to be in. We were all so grateful for the opportunity just to be there, let alone to fill our tummies with some yummy snacks, to have time to play in the studio with an artist and to receive some wonderful supplies to take home.
Thanks to the group - Barbs, Tracey and Hal, and most importantly, thanks to Stephanie, John and Jenny, and all the other staff who let us share their spaces. It was such a unique experience which gave us all a new perspective on the products we love so much.
If you ever get the chance to join one of these limited tours, I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
Rebecca x
