The spirit of enterprise that inspired my great-grandfather to establish Arthur Price over 100 years ago is still alive and well today – I’m pleased to say.

This ‘can do’ attitude goes hand in hand with a family tradition that prizes quality design and craftsmanship above all else. These values have always endured, as our illustrious heritage goes to show.

There’s over a century's worth of fascinating history that has seen the company’s fortunes fluctuate. Here’s a taster of how Arthur Price came to be as we know it...

Just as Sheffield was home to knife and blade manufacturing in the UK, turn-of-the-century Birmingham was the home of spoon and fork making. The two trades used different materials and processes, and it wasn’t until after WWII that the two elements came together.

In the later part of the 19th century, my great-grandfather spent 20 years working for flatware companies in the Birmingham area before setting up his own business. During this time, he mastered every skill required for the flatware trade and slowly accumulated second-hand machinery to start his own enterprise. A dedicated, ambitious man, he made his own tools and dies at home once he’d finished his 12-hour factory shifts. The Price family’s front room became Arthur’s workshop.

His very first factory was at 16 ½ Gem Street in the Aston area of Birmingham. He employed 12 people, including his eldest daughter and my great aunt Maud, who was the company's secretary from 1905 until the outbreak of the Great War. The factory had no electricity, and used a small gas engine to cast the nickel silver ingots used for making the cutlery.