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Canterbury Bears
Canterbury
All our creations are designed and made in our workshops, situated in a small village close to the historic Cathedral City of Canterbury in Kent. The unwavering ethos of our family business is that we are and always will be 100% designed and handmade in England.
In 1987 we were granted the privilege of using the City of Canterbury coat of arms as our logo; this ancient marque is registered by the Garter King of Arms and dates from the 11th Century.
Proudly independent
A few favourite PIECEs
The story behind the business
Meet Canterbury Bears
Canterbury Bears was founded in 1979 the late Modern British painter John Blackburn.
The company was created in response to a friend searching for a traditional bear for his grandmother's 80th birthday, she had lost her childhood bear and had always missed him. John was commissioned to design and recreate him especially for her and Canterbury Bears was born.
In 2016 John Blackburn was awarded an MBE for services to manufacturing and export in The Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.
John's legacy is one of art & artistry and we continue to honour his memory in all aspects of our family business.
Today, the business is run by John's daughter Kerstin and her mother Maude. Together with a truly dedicated team they design and create beautiful hand-made English bears, while other animals also add to the magic of what they do.
founder Credentials
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