It’s not every day that your local Dry Cleaner receives a Royal Warrant!
It turns out that Barker Group are not just your local Dry Cleaner. From supplying Downton Abbey with Gentleman’s Accessories and manufacturing Superior Quality Bed Linens, we wanted to learn more about this dynamic company so we interviewed Managing Director and avid Rugby Fan Matthew Barker!
Matthew – How long have you been sponsoring Bournemouth Rugby?
Barker Group have been proud to sponsor Bournemouth Rugby for the past few years but it is only recently, with the arrival of a great management team at the club, that we have decided to become more actively involved. It is the only sport I am really passionate about having played in my youth. I scored some tries in my time but when I discovered girls it seemed to me there were better things to do on a Saturday! Of course I was wrong! More recently I have enjoyed the sport with my Son who was a junior player at Bournemouth and now through sponsorship.
Matthew - How has your business evolved during this period?
Wow, where do I start! We are known locally as Dry Cleaners but, in fact, dry cleaning and our retail division actually account for less than 20% of our revenue. At our core is our laundry business which specialises in high quality domestic services to private individuals. But in more recent years we have expanded the business adding gentleman’s collars and accessories and a new line of luxury hotel quality bed linens to complement our core services.
We are now a Textile Services & Products Group with a growing online presence as well as our own delivery fleet covering central southern England and Greater London. In 2015 I was thrilled that the business had been awarded a Royal Warrant for services to HRH The Prince of Wales. I believe this is an awesome achievement as it recognises my teams’ commitment to provide a truly high quality of service.
Dry Cleaning is in net decline nationally, however, we have experienced steady growth over the last few years and are about to invest in our retail sites to come in line with our new brand and image. We pride ourselves on providing a fantastic service and our staff members are very friendly, building a great rapport with our customers.
A service we are about to concentrate more on is the Cleaning and storage of Bridal Gowns. Over the years, the number we care for has grown dramatically; I believe this is because of our expertise and door-to-door collection and delivery service. If a bride invests a considerable sum of money in the wedding dress of her dreams, they require not just a fantastic cleaning service, but a trusted pair of hands. Often this level of expertise is not found locally plus postal/delivery services cannot be trusted and most don’t cover the value of the dress in insurance. All our hand finished bridal gowns are supplied in acid free boxes ready for storing.
The latest addition to the group is The Barker Collection. As you can imagine, by being part of the laundering process, I have become increasingly aware of the need and demand for superior quality bedding that’s simply not provided for in the current market place. We also know that the consumer launders the new product before sleeping in it. They say they are washing out the residue of the manufacturing process!
If Barker can provide the customer with new, superior quality bed linen that’s going to perform well, that is then freshly laundered, saving them valuable time then
Barker are ultimately adding real value that’s unique to the market.
Following several years of research, I found the best source of quality cotton in India where we are now manufacturing. All our cotton products can be sourced back to the field where the cotton bud was picked and we are in control of the quality standards at every stage of the spinning, weaving and tailoring process. No other supplier is able to guarantee this.
The Barker Collection launched in Autumn 2016 and our online bed linen store is gaining momentum with customers especially loving the fact that their new bed linen arrives freshly laundered, nicely presented in a luxurious gift box and bed ready. Our collection makes the ideal gift, for weddings and new homeowners. Our bespoke sizing has been especially popular, it’s ideal for boats and overly large beds which seem to be on trend. I anticipate this unique service will be great for the avid
Bachelor too because it’s already laundered.
Barker Collars evolved naturally. We were laundering and starching stiff detachable collars for many years, experts in the whole process, and now we have started manufacturing them as well. We are now the largest supplier of detachable collars in the world, exporting our products to Australia, Japan, The Caribbean, Trump World and beyond. Not many people are aware, but we have been providing a service to the Film, TV and Theatre industries for many years. If you see it on TV then you can be sure that we are involved. Downton Abbey, Mr. Selfridge, Inspector Poirot, Titanic, The Netflix production of The Crown, to name a few.
We also supply collars for the Military and Legal profession. Our Gentleman’s accessories are extremely popular, because the quality is so good. We sell Cufflinks, braces and ties but our biggest seller is our range of Fun Back Dress Shirts; they are ideal for anyone with a larger than life personality that’s attending a formal event.
Look out for a rugby themed FunBack shirt next autumn.
Matthew, you must be exhausted with so much going on, I am surprised you can find time for Rugby? You are match sponsors, with the big day on Saturday 11th March, we look forward to seeing you then, do you have any closing comment?
I’ll be on the sideline with some friends, eagerly supporting a club that I believe has an amazing future, I hope it’s an exciting game and good luck to both teams.
Site Links
Barker Group
Door-to-Door, Fully Hand Finished Domestic Laundry Service throughout Central and Southern England
Finest Hotel Quality Bed Linens and Soft Furnishings
Superior Quality Gentleman’s Collars and Accessories
Door-to-Door Bridal Gown Service, throughout Central and Southern England www.BarkerBridal.co.uk
Dry Cleaning Service, with Branches across Central and Southern England www.BarkerDryCleaning.co.uk
