How one family’s steely determination in the face of adversity has made The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company a great British success story
The road to success rarely runs smoothly, an adage the Oldfield family know only too well, but one which has made the success of their business, The Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company, all the more sweet. Today, they sell an impressive array of designs – available in nickel, brass and iron – alongside mattresses, bed bases and bedside tables. The company even earned a Royal Warrant from Her Late Majesty The Queen along the way. But things did not always look so rosy. “Sometimes I can’t believe how far weve come,” says Harry Oldfield, head of marketing and product development. He and his brother, Jack, (who heads up the production side) now run the business, having taken over the reins from their parents, Stephen and Amanda.
The company’s story began in 2003, when, following a stress-related health scare, Stephen and Amanda decided to quit the rat race and return to their beloved Norfolk, where they both grew up. Having moved into their new home, Amanda invested in two wrought-iron beds for her sons, but when they arrived, she was shocked by their poor quality. Spurred on by the disappointment, she surprised herself by suggesting to Stephen that perhaps they should make wrought-iron beds themselves. Despite no experience whatsoever, they decided to give it a go.
Amanda sketched two designs, then reached out to the local blacksmith. He sourced some iron from a nearby merchant and, before long, two simple, solid, powder-coated beds arrived that were exactly what Amanda had in mind. Feeling buoyed by their small triumph, the couple took on a modest industrial unit near Hunstanton, Norfolk and started selling their beds locally.
Having bigger plans in mind, Amanda contacted the chief bed buyer at a major high street retailer and sent him some pictures of the beds, named Isaac and Emily. Her determination paid off. She and Stephen were asked to London for a meeting, taking their samples with them. It was to prove a worthwhile trip, as they left that day with a contract to make wrought-iron beds for the retailer’s store
