Last month I had a chance to go on a factory tour at Bristol Blue Glass. It was a fascinating evening, seeing skilled craftsmen at work in what is a complex & dying art. If you like shopping or glass or both, please go & have a look at their online shop & support this great business.
Before we hit the factory floor we were treated to a talk about the origins of the glass industry. The famed Bristol blue colour comes from adding cobalt to the glass. In the 1700s an enterprising Bristol merchant gained the exclusive rights to import cobalt from the Royal Works in Saxony, Germany & launched the Bristol glass industry as a result.
With all the focus on social media and the internet in general in business, it was really interesting to realise that the basics of business haven't really changed much over the last thousand years. Find a great product/raw materials, secure the rights to distribute/manufacture & bring it to market!
In that vein, here's a neat combination of the old & the new: a youtube clip of a ship's decanter being handmade using traditional methods from Bristol blue glass. Enjoy!
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