ABOUT BEAN AND BEMBLE
Bean and Bemble was founded in 2020 by Michelle Dodds, a surface pattern and print designer from Yorkshire, England. The business and this website officially launched in May 2021 when Michelle held a very successful pop up shop in John Lewis, Leeds.
With a love for beautifully designed interiors and everyday objects, Michelle's unique style blends intricate hand drawn illustrations and a passion for clean and precise digital graphics to create bright, uplifting and modern design collections, all lovingly created in her Brighouse studio.
At Bean and Bemble, our mission is to inspire unique interiors and allow you to bring the joyful colour that we believe can make a house a home. We are proud that the vast majority of our products are handmade in the UK, sourced from suppliers who share our values for meticulous attention to detail, high quality craftsmanship and materials, and sustainable processes.
MEET THE DESIGNER
Hi! I’m Michelle, I live in Brighouse, West Yorkshire with my equally creative husband, our two lovely children (whose nicknames just happen to be Bean and Bemble) and our crazy rescue dog we brought to the UK from Qatar. My illustrations and designs are inspired by my love of animals, nature, striking products and gorgeous packaging. I love interior design and enjoy creating a beautiful yet practical family home.
As the proud owner of a First Class Honours degree in Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design, this new venture was founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdowns. It represents the culmination of months of hard work, combined with years of frustration and a strong desire to (finally!) use my degree and experience to create something truly fabulous. My design collections blend intricate hand-drawn illustrations with a passion for clean, precise digital graphics to create bright, colourful, uplifting designs, applied to beautiful yet useful household products.
After returning home from seven years living in the Middle East and previously working for several multi-national companies, I realised how passionate I felt about producing items that are of the highest quality, use the finest materials, and are made with care. The majority of Bean and Bemble products are designed in Yorkshire and manufactured in British factories, with a strong focus on sustainability and craftsmanship. Some pieces, such as our bespoke dining tables, are produced in Portugal to achieve the highest standard, and a handful of items are printed here in the UK before being ethically made overseas.
I have always been a firm believer that you really do “get what you pay for”. With this in mind, all Bean and Bemble products are intended to be treasured and last a lifetime.
BRITISH MANUFACTURE
WE PROUDLY SUPPORT BRITISH MANUFACTURING
We are proud to work with UK manufacturers for the majority of our products. Supporting British manufacturing is at the heart of what we do, and the finish and quality truly speak for themselves. Every piece is made ethically, using premium materials, with sustainability always in mind.
WHY BUY BRITISH?
Choosing British-made goods supports skilled craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations, while also helping to secure the future of UK manufacturing. Buying something made in Britain means investing in a product that has been built to last with care and attention to detail.
Although British-made products can be more expensive than imported alternatives, we believe the quality, craftsmanship, and longevity make them worth the investment. Where possible, our manufacturers also use materials sourced close to home, reducing their carbon footprint and environmental impact.
At Bean and Bemble, we are committed to being completely transparent. Every product clearly tells you where in the world it has been made, so you always know the story behind what you’re buying.
OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
WHAT’S A CARBON FOOTPRINT?
A carbon footprint is defined as “The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organisation, or community”
UK manufacturing laws are in line with saving the environment, and goods manufactured on home soil often have a significantly lower carbon footprint than those mass produced in countries abroad such as China and India. Although we might not see much of a difference now, our grandchildren will certainly be glad we all invested in British made goods in the years to come. After all, UK made goods do not need to be transported half way across the world!
OUR MELAMINE PRODUCTS
For our melamine range of products; which currently includes coasters, placemats and cutting boards, our manufacturers use a sustainably forested Eucalyptus Board which is 100% PEFC certified and 100% formaldehyde free. This ensures we provide the needs of the present, without compromising the needs of the future. The cork used on the back of our placemats and coasters is also sustainably farmed in Portugal. All of our materials are sourced as close to the UK as possible, aiming to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible.
Rejects and off cuts are used to fuel a local power station, instead of using coal power. Wood dust goes towards compost. The backing paper on the cork is used in packing goods for despatch.
OUR TEXTILE PRODUCTS
Our UK based textile manufacturer take their environmental responsibility very seriously and do everything they can to reduce waste and keep production clean. The reactive inks used not only allow us to achieve vibrant colours that jump off the shelf, they also boast superior rub and wash fastness and conform to Oeko-Tex standard 100, meaning they contain no harmful chemicals. Additionally, we are certain that all of the materials used in the production of these inks are synthetic; they do not contain any animal products and have not been tested on animals.
Our 100% cotton fabrics are sourced direct from a BCI registered mill in Pakistan. BCI stands for "Better Cotton Initiative" promoting sustainability, environmental and ethical practices as well as soil sustainability. As part of the digital printing process, fabrics are washed at up to 70 degrees to remove any preparation solution and unfixed dyes. The waste water is then processed through an effluent plant and released back to public water treatment processing plants.
You may notice that some, but not all of our products are Organic Cotton. We are making the switch to all Organic textiles, this may take some time but we feel it is an excellent choice and something our customers will appreciate.
PAPER PRODUCTS AND OUR PACKAGING
Our greeting card manufacturer are proud to be a zero to landfill site. 95% of waste is manufactured back into recycled products and the remaining 5% is converted into Refuse Derived Fuel.
Bean and Bemble products will be supplied to you beautifully packaged with our branded belly band, swing tags, label or box, ready for your customers to purchase. We ensure packaging is kept to a minimum without compromising on style, and always use recyclable paper and card for our postal packing materials.
All our branded packaging is manufactured right here in the UK too, including the compostable cellophane sleeves we use for our greeting cards to offer protection from fingerprints. If you would prefer your cards to be supplied without sleeves, please just let us know. We always try to source our packaging as close to home as possible. Orders will usually be sent out in plain brown packaging - yes it isn't as glamorous as we'd like, but it's much easier to recycle! We even use brown paper parcel tape instead of plastic to seal the package!
As a small business, we look for innovative solutions to help us reduce waste, like reusing supplier shipping boxes for wholesale or larger orders - so we're sorry if your order arrives looking a little battered ;) we promise the contents will be totally gorgeous!
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