02/04/2026
Forty-three years ago, yesterday (1st April 1983), I started my long journey into the Sussex Trug industry. My late brother, Peter, his wife, Angela, and I started South Down Trugs & Crafts Limited in Bexhill. I had recently left Crawley College of Technology with a Certificate in Management Studies, and we won a factory free of rent and rates for a year. Peter had previously worked with Dudley Hide—his father-in-law and Angela’s stepfather—making his Dicker Trugs. Dudley helped us with making our formers and boxes, and we wired up the factory ourselves with help from Peter’s neighbour, Brian, an electrician who checked our work and hooked everything up. We also made our own benches, all from wood.
In 1986, with help from Frank Odell and Anna Piper, we bought Thomas Smith’s Trug Shop, which was due to close down. By doing so, we saved the traditional Sussex Trug from eventual extinction. It has been a long journey for me; I have travelled widely in Europe and the U.K. to find and visit customers, attending as many as twelve shows in Europe and up to eight in the UK in a single year. We supplied many well-known companies around the world, and it has been fun.
Now, life is more difficult following Brexit and the various issues affecting our company, such as the war in Ukraine and the recent tariff challenges. I am looking forward to July when the current tariffs—unless Congress supports an extension—are set to cease. This will make life easier for us and less expensive for our U.S. customers. All of these issues bring experience to the table, and we have learned a lot over the past few years. Most importantly, we have adapted.
Raw material supplies have been impacted by political and economic issues, but we have found a way through them all and will soon be recommencing the making of our Royal Sussex Traditional Trugs. Over the years, we have made many thousands of trugs, sent them to many thousands of customers worldwide, and have, during those 43 years, employed over 130 people in total. It is thanks to those customers, employees and, of course, our suppliers, that Sussex Trug making has survived so long. As we approach our 200th anniversary in 2029, we have a firm plan for the revival of our craft and for its safeguarding for another 200 years.
I am delighted to tell you all that we have received strong letters of support for our National Lottery Heritage Fund grant application from the Basketmakers’ Association, the Heritage Crafts Association, the Crafts Council, and the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers. It is also heartwarming to see how many local people have given us their support, as have a great many from overseas. We thank each and every customer, supplier, staff member, and supporter for your interest in the future of our Sussex Trug industry.
