Here at Silver Mushroom Ltd, we are thrilled to be able to introduce another brand to our collection, the classic and reputable, Viners. Viners have been designing and manufacturing quality cutlery since 1901, and are known for their top quality products, manufactured using home grown Sheffield steel, and their classic meets contemporary designs, which have seen incredible success and popularity over the last century.
Founded in 1901 by Adolphe Viener and his sons in Sheffield, England the company, which soon became known as Viners Ltd, grew to be the biggest cutlery manufacturer in England shortly after the 2nd World War. The Viener family were silversmiths by trade and initially worked in small workshops. When Adolphe Viener passed away, one of his sons, Rubens took up the reins of the family business and the role of driving force, bringing the company firmly into the 20th Century. Under Rubens’ guidance, the firm grew and expanded rapidly, manufacturing quality stainless steel cutlery and other kitchen products. In the 1960’s, Viners had prospered and become a strong market leader, with a modern factory in Sheffield and subsidiaries in Ireland, France and Australia.
However, as with most 20th century industries, the path to success did not run smoothly. Post war Britain had seen a collapse of steel and other heavy industries and this eventually had a knock on effect on England’s cutlery market, and it began to go into slow decline. East Asian imports began to flood into the UK factories, and Viners did the only thing it could do and imported cutlery to be finished in the UK and stamped “Made in Sheffield”. This brought with it huge debts, and loans for expansion were crippling the firm. In 1980 Rubens Viener had retired and in 1985, Viners went bust.
The brand name was later purchased by Oneida, one of the world’s largest designers and sellers of stainless steel and silver plated cutlery and tableware. Oneida kept the much loved brand alive for several decades before it was purchased by The Rayware Group in 2014.
The Rayware Group is a family owned business, which started up in 1975. They are now one of the leading housewares suppliers and currently own some of the UK’s best loved brands. Over the years, Rayware have done a fantastic job of reviving old British brands and bringing them into the 21st Century, introducing more contemporary ranges, whilst still maintaining the quintessential English charm and keeping a firm grip on the traditional values and ethos of the brands. Their brands currently include Mason Cash, Kilner, Ravenhead, Arthur Wood, Price and Kensington, Typhoon, and most recently Viners.
We have worked with Rayware since we began in 2011, and we cannot deny they have been instrumental in helping us get to where we are now. We, and our customers have a love affair with certain brands such as Kilner and Mason Cash, that will last a lifetime and beyond, and we hope to soon add Viners to this list.
Whilst maintaining the quality associated with the Viners name, The Rayware Group have designed new pieces and new sets and re packaged the products to bring Viners up to date and have truly breathed life back into the brand. The range on offer is growing and we are excited by every new piece that is introduced to us. So far, we have seen the classic designs being revisited, as well as some more contemporary sets, all available in a range of set sizes from 16 piece to a 44 piece fine dining set. We are particularly looking forward to seeing stock of the 44 piece canteen sets in wooden cases, and the must have product for the summer, the Viners BBQ set in a metal case.
We are thrilled to be welcoming Viners on board, and confident that The Rayware Group can revitalise this fantastic brand and see great success with their fine cutlery in 2015.