Presentation Packaging

Annie’s Ibiza

November 24, 2021

by Toucan Publishing Box Making Christmas Design Presentation Packaging

In late 2019 I received a call (and later a visit) here at GWD Towers from an old school friend. Adrian Doble, a well known business mentor was doing a bit of investigative work into potential packaging suppliers for his daughter’s burgeoning fashion business.

The daughter in question is Annie Doble, the founder and owner of Annie’s Ibiza who specializes in ‘a mix of eclectic and rare, one-of-a-kind pieces. Each and every piece is handpicked by Annie herself and is a reflection of her own wardrobe, with a majority of the pieces being exclusively available to Annie’s Ibiza.’

Annie originally just had the one shop in Ibiza, which was opened in 2018 but early on it attracted a very famous clientele, including the likes of Kate Moss. The shop was incredibly successful and attracted a huge amount of press interest in magazines such as Tatler, Vogue and Marie Claire. Subsequently, Annie has opened a new outlet in Carnaby Street, London . Here is an excellent article with Annie that appeared in the London Times.

At the start of the pandemic in early 2020, Annie had already established a strong online presence and recognised the need in her business (and with her pedigree of client) for a more ‘presentational’ box for her online sales. She was already buying good quality carrier bags and had established a branding which was a fairly bright orange with her logo in gold foil, so our task was to match it and produce a high quality presentation box. We managed to find an uncoated orange paper that was an excellent match to Annie’s house colour. The quality of the paper further enhances the quality and feel of the box.

Thus far we have made just the one (style of) box for her for, she has ordered it on three occasions, however we are currently developing two other boxes for her. Annie is said to be delighted with them. At GWD we are proud to be one of her valued suppliers and hope to continue to be part of her growing success!

-Noel.

Noel Greenwood is the Managing Director of GWD Ltd, the designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging. You can reach him on (01279) 416093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

Fluent Wines – GWD and the Napa Valley

May 28, 2021

by Toucan Publishing Presentation Packaging

Now….it would be fair to say that we love a glass of wine here at GWD Particularly the crisp and fruity wines that come from the Napa Valley. Imagine our pleasure then when we were contacted by the marvellous Fluent Wine Company from California.

Fluent Wines specialise in high-quality rosés, sauvignon blancs and pinot noirs. The brainchild of Rob Harrison, who moved to the Napa Valley in his late 20’s, their mission statement is to ‘achieve the full potential of grapes selected from the finest California vineyards to create wine that truly inspires a profound moment on your palate.’

Last summer (when we were still reeling from the first lockdown), we were first contacted by the wine company, who had found us online and told us they were interested in placing on order with us for a presentation box for three bottles of wine.

Without wanting to appear hubristic this is a good example of the niched (and quality) nature of our work here at GWD Ltd. The client didn’t want to import from China to the States and had been impressed with what he had seen of our work on our website and after an extensive search through the United States and Europe, they chose GWD Ltd for our quality and service over any other company.

The packaging was created to hold three bottles of wine. Initial thoughts were to manufacture an internal cardboard fitment which would secure the bottles in transit, however the client settled on a foam insert when he came across a US company that manufacture a totally biodegradable foam which actually dissolves in water.

After the box and lid design had been finalised and sampled (so that transit tests could be carried out), and the graphics had been confirmed (Fluent Wines work with a graphic designer in New York so on more than one occasion we were on a Zoom call across three time zones!), the quoted price was confirmed. Mr Harrison then placed an order for 2900 boxes, with 1400 to be shipped in Dec/Jan and the balance to be called off later in 2021. The first 1400 were shipped in the first week of Jan and although the ship arrived in San Francisco bay five weeks later it took another 2-3 weeks before they were unloaded and delivered to the client’s warehouse.

The foam ‘base’ is another example of the huge shift towards environmentally friendly packaging solutions that we have touched on elsewhere in this blog. Below is a short video or the completed product:

Interestingly, all of these boxes are to be used for online sales. In our blog recently we have spoken in various articles about this ‘sea-change’ in sales avenues. This has been necessitated predominantly, of course, by the Global pandemic of the past 15 months or so but as CoVid continues to ease there seems to be little change in the demand for packaging for online products. It’s almost as though peoples’ purchasing habits have been changed fundamentally and permanently. We shall see.

We are greatly enjoying our on-going work with the chaps at Fluent Wines long may it continue. Oh, and if you haven’t tried wines from the Napa Valley we wholeheartedly recommend that you do!

-Noel.

Quality Boxes for Quality Chocolatiers at Easter

March 20, 2020

by Toucan Publishing Easter Presentation Packaging Valentines Day

If you’ve read any of our blog before, you’ll be well aware that Easter is a major event for us. Let’s be honest if, as UK manufacturers of presentation packaging, we weren’t busy in the run-up to Easter something would be very wrong!

This year Easter falls of April 12^th, which is a little later than normal, and so we are still creating Easter egg packaging here at the end of February. Throughout this post you can see some of boxes we’ve made this year thus far.

The first three images in this blog post show packaging that has been made for the wonderful Rococo Chocolates. The company had previously gone overseas for their Easter packaging but due to previous poor experiences (and with Easter also being such an important season for them), they decided to reduce their risks and place the order with us this year. In employing GWD, Rococo Chocolates knew that they would get exactly what they asked for, delivered when specified and that the product would be of exceptionally high quality. In reality we delivered the order ahead of time despite a number of changes to the original brief.

This is possible for us as we manufacture the products here in the UK and are in control of both production and transportation. We are conveniently placed just outside the M25 on the ‘London-Stansted-Cambridge’ corridor.

Rococo Chocolates were delighted with the service and the products.

The boxes shown in the images are wrapped/covered in their ‘branding’ of distinctive blue ‘toile’ patterning which features line drawings of antiquated chocolate molds. The children’s range (in orange and turquoise) features rabbit molds with lids in different colours and gold foiling. The different colours being for the different chocolate and fillings.

The eggs are held in position with a cardboard fitment and have a clear window to show off the colourful foil wrapped egg. Both the box and fitments/trays are totally recyclable.

Packaging for rococo chocolates and other chocolatiers

Rococo also commissioned us to make ‘egg-shaped’ boxes for Easter to contain a selection of their high quality truffles (see above). These were made in three different colours, lined on the inside and ‘foil blocked’ on the lid in gold with seasonal graphics. This was a first for GWD as we had never made a box of precisely this shape before. However we do like a challenge and our in-house team of ‘cardboard engineers’ and designers have the ability to tackle almost any problem set before them. Their experience and ability sets us apart from other box makers in the UK. Again, Rococo were delighted with the high quality handmade products (which compliment their artisan image) and our ability to deliver on time.

We have made a many other high-quality packaging products for Rococo (both all the year round and seasonal). The image below shows heart shaped boxes we manufactured for them this year for Valentine’s Day.

Heart shaped boxes for Valentine's day — Heart shaped boxes for Valentine’s day

Whilst we have been making boxes for Rococo for many years, this year was the first time we have worked with Slatterys who are an award winning patissier and chocolatier founded in 1967 and located near Manchester.

The image below shows an unusual round Easter egg box we made for them incorporating a ribbon handle. The lid was printed on a coated paper (in Slatterys branding) whereas in contrast the box was covered in an uncoated brown paper.

A round box such as this obviously compliments the shape of an Easter Egg and GWD are one of very few companies in the UK that can manufacture round ‘hat’ boxes such as this, or indeed such a quality handmade piece of packaging in general.

Easter egg box made for Statterys of Whitefield

Here’s another image of the box(es) made for Slatterys – please head over to their website to see more of their marvellous products!

As we mentioned, Easter is a very important time for us here at GWD, but we are always interested in making contact with other chocolatiers, or indeed any firm with products that could benefit from the highest quality presentation packaging available in the UK today.

Noel Greenwood is the Managing Director of GWD Ltd, the designers and manufacturers of presentation and promotional packaging.  You can reach him on (01279) 416093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

Eden Grass – The Paper of The Future?

January 14, 2020

by Toucan Publishing Presentation Packaging Promotional Packaging

Recently, a supplier – Vision Paper and Board introduced us to a marvelous new product called ‘Eden Grass Paper.’

Here at GWD ltd we have always taken environmental issues extremely seriously. As you can imagine, as premier presentation packaging manufacturers we see an awful lot of paper and cardboard throughout the year and we are very conscious of waste, recycling and the environmental processes used in the creation of the paper and board that we use. As we move into the 2020s, environmental issues are becoming a progressively important issue.

Eden Grass Paper is produced with up to 40% natural grass fibres meaning that it not only has a scent of grass but it’s also 100% recyclable and biodegradable. Its production is considerably more environmentally friendly than ‘normal’ paper and board, using only 3% of the standard energy required to produce standard paper. The production process also creates only 25% of the usual CO2, and also can boast a 99.9% reduction in the amount of water required against standard wood pulp.

Eden Grass is ISEGA certified for direct contact with food and has an FSC certificate – which shows that the wood pulp used to create the product originates from well-managed and sustainable forests. These high environmental credentials mean that it is a perfect choice for companies who take sustainability and green issues seriously.

Eden Grass isn’t just a paper it is also available in a light card, or boxboard weight, suitable for cartons and internal box fitments. The paper is suitable for wrapping rigid boxes, which is our specialty here at GWD, and we have already tested it making a few samples, a round and a rectangular box and lid as well as a ‘drawer’ box and a tray and a binder with a ribbon closure, as you can see from the images throughout this article. Eden Grass has a very distinctive finish and can be ‘litho’ printed and ‘foil blocked’ if required.

Environmentally friendly paper and board for packaging

At present we have introduced it to a few of our more ‘green conscious’ customers such as Lush, Bettys of Harrogate and Rococo by sending them box samples and the tech sheet. We believe that this is an excellent product and very exciting for any company that uses presentation or promotional packaging and takes green issues seriously.

If you would like to find out more about Eden Grass, or any of our services please do get in touch.

A Luxury Advent Calendar for ‘Lush’

September 27, 2019

by Toucan Publishing Advent Calendar Box Making Christmas Manufacturing Presentation Packaging Specialist Packaging

We realise it’s only September and this might seem a little early to be talking about Advent calendars, but for the brands creating them for the festive season this is probably a bit late in the year!

Advent calendars have evolved and changed over the past decade. Being of a err, certain age, it’s easy to remember the examples we were given back in the 70s and 80s: tiny little things, poorly manufactured with cheap glittery ‘windows’ which always broke off and contained one mysterious lump of cheap chocolate.

Advent calendars are no longer just a gift for children. Nowadays, couples buy each other advent calendars containing miniatures of craft gin, whiskeys and even beauty products! A case in point is this stunning 24 day creation made for the high street brand ‘Lush’

We have worked with Lush on several occasions before as detailed in this blog. Lush, as you may well know are an environmentally friendly company, who invest only in organic produce. They are carbon neutral and against animal testing. They were, not surprisingly, insistent that the packaging for their advent calendar met with their strict environmental policies (which was certainly not an issue with us). This meant that the product was entirely biodegradable and even forbade the use of magnetic closures – a recyclable, UK produced ribbon was sourced and used in their stead.

Please take a look at the video below – shot by Lush at our factory in Harlow, Essex, which shows some of the techniques we used in the construction of the packaging.

GWD Ltd are one of a very few companies in the UK who can carry out this standard of work. This project was in development for several months. Whilst the idea was conceived by Lush, it was GWD who developed it through a number of sampling phases. Taking their design and concept, GWD created a final product that not only looks fabulous, but works in a practical sense too.

One of the objectives was to create a product that could have a additional function too. Once Christmas has passed and all 24 of the gifts have been opened, the customer is left with a beautiful and functional box which can be used to store keepsakes or beauty products. We have touched on this in our blog before, notably ‘Primary and Secondary Packaging Functions’ . The recipient of the advent calendar is unlikely to throw away such a stylish item, particularly as it was constructed so as the internal boxes and dividers could be easily removed, making it simple to re-use.

The fact that the item is hence displayed prominently in the customer’s household for a number of years, is a very subtle form of marketing – a reminder of the brand and the quality of their products.

Only 500 Lush 2019 Advent calendars were created. We’re unsure when they eventually sold out but after being launched online 92 were sold within the first 18minutes!!

Special ‘Centenary’ Packaging for Bettys of Harrogate

August 9, 2019

by Toucan Publishing Presentation Packaging Specialist Packaging

Here at GWD Ltd we’ve had a great relationship with the famous cake makers and chocolatiers, Bettys of Harrogate for many years. Indeed, we have discussed our work with them in this blog on a number of occasions, notably here.

Rather fabulously, 2019 marks the centenary of Betty’s and their website details a fascinating and often dramatic history. To mark this auspicious date the company have had (and are continuing to have) a number of special events including lectures, classes, courses and tastings. They have also decided to release a special centenary teapot and recreate some of their historic packaging – which is where we come in!

The above image shows the final box for the teapot, which externally looks particularly classy with it’s gold foiling. In itself it appears quite a simple construct, the difficulty was internal, as you can see in the image below….

supporting trays in packaging — Supporting trays in packaging

The teapot, made in Stoke-On-Trent, is naturally very fragile, so we needed to create a sturdy internal ‘tray’ or ‘under platform’ with additional elastics to support it in transit. This was relatively complex but we like to boast about the skill and experience of the ‘cardboard engineers’ we have employed here, and for them, a problematic job like this is run of the mill. Thus far more than 500 of these boxes have been created.

commemorative gift boxes for special dates — Commemorative gift boxes for Special Dates

Furthermore, Bettys asked us to produce two other boxes based on originals – some of which can still be seen on display in Betty’s archives.

linen and foil retro packaging — Linen and Foil Retro Packaging

These new boxes were created to replicate the style of some of their earlier, pre WWII, ‘Golden Age’’, packaging, These ‘taster’ boxes created by GWD, were to mimic the originals for the special centenary launch and to be exhibited in their stores. They consist of a ‘cocoa bean’ shaped box and lid (above) and a hinged-lid box, wrapped in a linen paper, a printed fabric and gold braiding (below), both based closely on the originals. I think you’d agree that the replicas above, look incredibly convincing!

The longer box is to be used (in a simpler form) to present a special centenary collection of chocolates which will be available this Christmas on the website and in their retail outlets. We are delighted to have such a strong, constructive and friendly relationship with Betty’s with whom we have worked for many years.

Long may it continue!

GWD Ltd and ‘The Apprentice’

July 24, 2019

by Toucan Publishing Chocolate box Presentation Packaging

Towards the end of last year we were very happy to be involved with BBC One’s successful television show ‘The Apprentice’. For those of you who have not seen the show (where have you been?!), 16 young entrepreneurs compete in a number of business-related challenges culminating with the winner being given the opportunity to work with Lord Alan Sugar.

Towards the end (episode 10 of 14) of the last series the contestants, now whittled down to six, were given the following task (and this is from the official BBC ‘teaser’: “…teams must produce and brand a new chocolate range to pitch to buyers. They are to concoct three unique chocolate flavours, come up with a brand name and design the packaging for their range.”

A chocolate company with whom we have worked for many years (creating all of their packaging) was chosen by the shows’ directors. Given the extremely quick turn around required – in this case 24 hours – the task could only be fulfilled with the help of GWD Ltd, due to proximity, knowledge of the chocolate company involved and our experience in manufacturing quality packaging for the confectionery industry.

The teams of contestants concocted their chocolate flavours, created the final products, came up with their branding and design and chose their box from the five or six options available (drawings of which we had provided the design agency in advance). The boxes were created that evening and packed by the chocolate company to be presented the following morning. As mentioned, the whole process took less than 24 hours. 25 boxes were created for each team.

chocolate boxes for the apprentice — Chocolate boxes for the apprentice

As you can see one of the boxes is acceptable…..

confectionery packaging essex and UK — Confectionery packaging essex and UK

Whilst the other is, er, perhaps less so, and was roundly castigated by Lord Sugar in the boardroom at the completion of the task….

packaging solutions or chocolates — Packaging solutions or chocolates

….and you can probably see why. The teams pitched their chocolates to retailers with the losing team receiving a fair amount of disdain and zero uptakes. The former however, had some successes including an order of 7000 units from the Co-op.

The whole experience was highly enjoyable and was a good indicator of how quickly we can work here at GWD and how well our systems work under extremely tight deadlines.

Flowers, Chocolates and Quality Presentation Packaging

March 20, 2019

by Toucan Publishing Chocolate box Easter Flowers Hat shaped boxes Mothers' Day Presentation Packaging

For good or ill the national obsession with chocolates and flowers continues – particularly at this time of the year.

According to recent figures – In the UK, 10% of all chocolate is consumed in the form of Eggs over Easter, with the country being the fourth largest consumer of chocolate (per head of capita) in the World, behind Switzerland, Germany and Austria. On average, each person in Britain eats approx. 9.5 kg of chocolate each year. When it comes to flowers, according to aboutflowers.com a staggering 26% of ALL flowers are purchased from florists on Mother’s Day, surpassed only by Valentines Day.

Naturally as the UK’s premier manufacturer of presentation packaging this period is extremely important to us here at GWD Ltd . Indeed we have a substantial number of florists and chocolatiers amongst our clients. Here are a few examples of products we have made over the past year.

This heart-shaped box with a window was manufactured here in Essex for flowers, specifically preserved flowers and rose heads. These have a life of 3 years or more and are used as table decorations, centrepieces and other ornamental uses. The packaging therefore, has to be robust as well as stylish.

The two photos above show round hatboxes that were produced for different flower growers/importers: Exprezzion and MM Flowers . They were used in the sale of their flowers at two leading supermarket chains and for their online sales. Hat boxes, with or without lids, are widely recognised as a very up-market way of presenting flowers for that special gift or loved one, and GWD Ltd make them in a range of sizes, from 150mm diameter to 150mm high (and smaller if required) up to 300mm diameter x 300mm high (and bigger if required).

Packaging for chocolates and Easter eggs

The Easter egg boxes in the picture above show two high-end, bespoke, rigid Easter egg boxes (with separate box and lid) that were made for The Secret Truffletier who create handmade champagne truffles, Swiss Chocolates and luxurious dark chocolate truffle gifts. At the other end of the scale the image also shows a small fold-up carton for a much smaller egg. This was personalised for Claridges , the luxury hotel in Mayfair. It is an equally high-end product.

Whatever product your have, you can be assured that GWD can help you with the perfect presentation packaging to help it sell, online or in the shops. We’ve been creating packaging for florists and chocolatiers for over 30 years. Please get in touch.

GWD, The Emirates FA Cup and Soccer AM

February 8, 2019

by Toucan Publishing Presentation Packaging Specialist Packaging Sport

On Saturday January 5^th Soccer AM, Sky1 and Sky Sports Football, featured presenter John Fendley discussing our presentation packaging on live television!

For licensing reasons we’re unable to show the clip here, but in true Soccer AM style, John and his co-presenters and guests discussed the launch of the new soccer ball for the Emirates FA Cup, complete with packaging designed by GWD Ltd! What was that quote again: ”Lovely box, great bit of design.” Thanks very much, John!

presentation box for Mitre football — Presentation box for Mitre football

So how did we come to be here? Well, you may recall from our blog that in March 2017 we were commissioned by Mercieca Ltd a UK-based integrated agency, who wished us to create presentation packaging for Mitre – who were re-launching their Mitre Delta football, in that instance for the Sky Bet Championship and the Scottish Premier League. This launch was for The Emirates FA Cup (from the third round onwards – which coincides with sides from the top two divisions entering the competition and was held over the weekend of the 4th – 7th of January) for Mitre to promote its partnership with The FA.

presentation packaging for soccer — Presentation packaging for soccer

Mercieca were briefed to come up with an integrated campaign to promote the launch. The packaging was an important part of this activity which culminated with a showcase of the ball on Soccer AM, It was also included in the BBC FA Cup opening titles and across all televised matches and Match of the Day.

highest quality gift boxes UK — Highest quality gift boxes UK

The clever structural design, which we first created two years ago for Mercieca, creates an angled plinth for the ball to rest in that also doubles up as a display plinth. This also creates a closure for the lid, which can be lifted off easily to reveal the ball in all its glory. This construct is ideal for presenting the product in its best possible light, creating a ‘wow’ factor amongst clients and audiences.

GWD created 75 of these boxes for the client. Chris Ward, Creative Services Manager at Mercieca said: “Another good job from you guys, the client is very happy with the boxes, they looked great.”
If you work for a design agency or have a prestige product that would benefit from the highest quality presentation packaging, please get in touch with GWD Ltd via the details below. It is possible to work alongside our designers to come up with a unique box that is perfectly tailored to your product. We are not wholesalers but a manufacturer of presentation and promotional packaging; you are at source when you come to GWD. We design and make the vast majority of our boxes here in the UK, meaning we have no minimum order requirement and total control over lead times.

Christmas packaging from GWD Ltd

December 8, 2017

by Simon Thomas Box Making Christmas Presentation Packaging Uncategorized

We are certainly getting into the Christmas spirit here at GWD

Christmas is always a busy time for us here at GWD and is a period which we start early on in the year (sometimes as early as May!). We have been receiving orders thick and fast for our luxury and bespoke packaging services for quite a few months now, so in order for us to fulfil these orders planning and preparation is key!

As you will see in this blog, we are able to give those all-important corporate and personal gifts a bit of Christmas sparkle each and every year. This week we have been working on Bettys of Harrogate’s packaging.

‘Bettys’ opened in 1919 by Swiss confectioner Frederick Belmont. He mistakenly travelled to Yorkshire and the rest is history! Bettys has grown from strength to strength and is now classed as one of the UK’s top confectioners!

Bettys have chosen a range of shapes and sizes so that their products are delivered and displayed in style this festive period (and ‘style’ they will receive!). One of our favourites is the simple yet sophisticated round hat box which they are taking in 2 different sizes.

AT GWD Ltd, we remain one of the very few firms in the UK who can manufacture circular or semi-circular boxes in-house with the help of our ‘know how’ and bespoke machinery. It’s not only the artwork, or the company name which can help attract attention… it can be as simple as the shape of the box! So be different, be unique and get creative with us. We love a challenge!

Bettys Christmas design this year is based around the idea of an ‘Enchanted Forest’ which captures Christmas perfectly. Bettys believe in and encourage the use of local produce from dairy products to vegetables so where is best to set the scene…? Yorkshire, of course! Locally sourced produce has been a fundamental element at Bettys since day one which is something that we were keen to convey in the packaging design.

Excerpt of ‘The Enchanted Forest’ – full version can be seen in Bettys Christmas catalogue

It’s Christmas Eve in a Yorkshire town

A blanket of snow lies on the ground

Two children in Bettys choosing some treats

Gifts for the family and cakes for a feast…

It is often said that people ‘eat with their eyes’ so we knew that we wanted the appearance of the box to be just as impressive as the treats inside. A simplistic shape with the quality and feel of something that screams out luxury was the objective.

Christmas Packaging from GWD

Bettys hat boxes will hold a range of deliciousness including Fruit Jellies, Classic Onion Chutney, The Swiss Chocolate Shortbread Box, a Christmas Fruitcake Portion and SO MUCH MORE! Getting peckish? Us too! Due to their purpose, the round hat boxes had to have depth and a sturdy structure which has been crafted using the best quality materials along with our outstanding attention to detail.

The workmanship that goes into our products, especially these round hat boxes, can be very complex and time-consuming. That said, our talented and experienced team of in-house designers and cardboard engineers have become extremely well versed in addressing the complexities in packaging.

LIFT THE LID ON DELICIOUSNESS

Please don’t sit there and think that the feasibility of your design is ‘out of the question’ without speaking to GWD Ltd first, because you won’t know until you’ve tried! Call us with your ideas and I’m sure we can create packaging which is perfect for your business and your product.

Christmas is extremely important to us here at GWD Ltd. So if you are looking to stand out amongst the already-crowded retail shelves next Christmas, give us a call and we can help pack your gifts with creativity and finesse!

Merry Christmas to you all! GWD Ltd. Team

GWD Ltd are designers and manufacturers of
presentation and promotional packaging.
You can reach then on (01279) 416 093 or at the company’s website: www.gwd.ltd.uk

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Posts in category: Presentation Packaging