British Wool 1950-2025:

Working on behalf of our members for 75 years:

This year marks 75 years since British Wool was established to support UK farmers and promote the industry globally.

Many things will have changed during that time, but the one thing that remains is the support British Wool offers its membership from the organising of shearing courses, a UK network of over 100 collection sites, engaging with consumers on the unique benefits and characteristics of British wool to working with over 170 manufacturers using the fibre.

Originally located in London, British Wool relocated to Bradford, West Yorkshire, in 1967, which was, and remains, the heart of the textile and wool trade in the UK.

As the interest in wool and British wool grew, in 1972 the Shepherd’s Crook mark was trademarked and launched.  The logo to this day reassures consumers of the provenance of wool within a product, and currently, British Wool has over 170 manufacturers as part of the brand licensee scheme.

Due to a shortage of shearers during the 90s, to support the next generation and ensure the UK maintained its long history and tradition of this vital rural skill, in 1999, British Wool committed to providing shearing courses and a training programme.  Over the years, this grew, and this year over 100 courses will take place. British Wool is very proud of the quantity and quality of shearers we have in the UK, and also to have the World Shearing Champion and World Wool Handling Champion, Gwion Lloyd Evans and Rosie Keenan, respectively, based here in the UK.

Selling products off the farm by auction is a tried and tested method, with wool no exception. In 2003, a significant change in the selling of wool took place with the first electronic wool auction, replacing the traditional open-cry format.  This improved the efficiency of selling wool, and it was 18 years later that the British Wool auctions became fully remote and online during the 2020 Covid pandemic.

2010 saw the launch of the Campaign for Wool, a global initiative to promote wool to consumers and launched by HM King Charles III when he was HRH The Prince of Wales.  This campaign continues to this day with many wool-producing nations across the world collaborating to promote wool’s versatility and environmental benefits.

Two key developments in recent years for British Wool were the online marketplace launched in 2021, which provided consumers with a one-stop shop for authentic British wool products, and in 2022, the British Wool Traceability Scheme was introduced to promote the origin of end products.

Keep an eye out for more on the 75th anniversary over the coming weeks and months, including a series of Depot Open Days taking place during September and October.