Quality & sourcing
Where the goods come from, what we check, and what we will not claim.
We buy at source where we can
The point of an export house is not to be an extra layer. It is to do the parts a foreign buyer cannot do from abroad: find the producer, agree the specification, check the goods before they are packed, and handle the paperwork.
Where we buy from an intermediary — which happens, particularly in agricultural lines during a short season — we will tell you if you ask.
What gets checked before a consignment leaves
- Count and weight against the packing list, carton by carton on smaller orders, sampled on large ones.
- Moisture content on tea, spices and dried produce. It drives both keeping quality and what you are paying per kilo of actual goods.
- Fibre composition on textiles, by lab analysis on the first shipment from any new supplier.
- Visual grading against the agreed sample. On handwork this is a judgement call, which is why we send the sample first.
What we will not do
We will not describe a spun bowl as hand-beaten. We will not call a blend a garden-level lot. We will not put a fibre percentage on a label we have not verified. We will not certify organic, fair-trade or anything else unless the certificate exists and we can send you a copy of it.
We would rather lose an order than write something on an invoice that is not true, because an invoice that is not true is the buyer's problem at the port and their reputation's problem afterwards.
Handwork varies
Everything hand-made differs piece to piece. Colour, grain, tool marks, dimensions within tolerance — these are characteristics, not defects, and we will not accept a claim that treats them as defects.
What *is* a defect: a crack, a failed joint, a fibre content that does not match the label, a weight short of the packing list, water damage, a missing certificate. Those we replace or credit. See [Returns & claims](page.php?slug=returns-and-claims).
Samples
Samples are available on every line and we recommend them on anything you intend to reorder. Sample cost is credited against your first full order.