A Wiltshire manufacturer of handcrafted glamping domes has joined Made in Britain, with its founder arguing that stronger collaboration between UK manufacturers is essential to sustaining British industry.
Unidome, which designs and builds timber geodesic domes from its workshop in Wiltshire, has become one of more than 2,250 manufacturers represented by the Made in Britain membership organisation. The accreditation verifies that member products are genuinely manufactured in the UK and meet standards covering quality, sustainability and social responsibility.
Founded 14 years ago by James Towner Coston, Unidome employs a team of four and produces up to 35 domes each year. Its structures have been installed at locations including the Eden Project, Battersea Power Station and Glastonbury Festival, as well as campsites in France, Portugal and the US.
Coston said joining Made in Britain was about more than certification, describing it as a way of recognising and supporting manufacturers committed to producing in the UK.
“We joined Made in Britain because it’s good to be part of a community and because it proves that we handmake our domes in Britain,” he said. “Getting Made in Britain membership is like someone giving you a little step up and saying ‘we see what you’re doing and we support you’ – it’s good for the soul, because we all need to help each other.”
He added that British manufacturers should take greater pride in making products domestically and supporting one another.
“We’ve had some extraordinary brands that have made Britain stand out in the world, and there’s magic in making things ourselves, making things for our own community and supporting our community as we do it.”
Made in Britain, established in 2011, is a not-for-profit trade organisation whose trademark can only be used on products that satisfy its code of conduct. Membership requires businesses to manufacture products in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, with the organisation verifying that all labour involved in producing trademarked goods takes place in the UK.
John Pearce, chief executive of Made in Britain, said the organisation represents manufacturers ranging from traditional craftspeople to advanced engineering businesses.
“Britain is a nation of innovators, creators, problem-solvers and manufacturers,” he said. “From advanced engineering to clean energy solutions and handcrafted glamping domes, what distinguishes British businesses is not simply what they make, but how they make it.”
Alongside its membership announcement, Unidome has also introduced a partnership model designed to reduce the upfront investment required for new glamping businesses. Rather than selling its domes outright, the company is providing structures to selected sites in return for a share of future revenues.
Edwards Farm near Shaftesbury has become the first business to adopt the model, with Unidome planning to roll it out to additional sites if successful.
The company also plans to expand its workshop, increase headcount, invest in on-site solar power and launch a separate modular food-growing business under the WeGrow brand.
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