In May 2025, we were honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise, for our work on sustainable textile production. The King’s Awards for Enterprise recognises outstanding UK businesses and is the most prestigious business award in the country.
The sustainable development category demonstrates a company’s commitment to conducting business in a way that benefits the environment, society, and the economy, and have achieved outstanding sustainable development practices over at least two years. We are proud to be recognised for pioneering sustainable development in our industry and wider community.
Humphries Weaving has built a reputation over the last 53 years for being renowned for our historic recreation work, for projects for heritage sites and luxury interior designers. Our team is specially equipped with knowledge of historic textiles, designs, colour and periods to ensure the fabric we produce is in keeping for the interior. We are trusted to advise, create and weave fabric.
Humphries Weaving is one of the last remaining silk mills in the U.K. part of Sudbury Silk Mills which has vertical capabilities meaning the entire process, from design concept and development, yarn dyeing, warping, weaving to finished fabric can be followed through the factory, we are proudly the last remaining vertical mill in Suffolk. Sudbury Silk Mills is OEKO-TEX STeP® accredited, operating to the highest industry standard. The company credits their highly skilled and passionate staff for this success, by reducing their carbon footprint and environmental impact, sourcing responsibly and eliminating waste; including recycling 100% of all textile by-products.” The company goals of keeping weaving within Suffolk of not only employing local people but investing in our team is at the heart of our business. Our full responsibility brochure can be found HERE.
We specialise in the meticulous recreation of historic fabrics. Our on-site dye works allow us to develop custom colours matching historical documents, yarn wraps or specific colour references. We have a wonderful archive of period colour and design references. Hand-drawing designs enables us to recreate authentic fabric combined with traditional woven fabric constructions such as satin, damask, and brocatelle. We offer expertise in textile research and consultancy, ensuring the most accurate recreations for clients.
Sustainability at Humphries Weaving
We set demanding goals regarding environmental protection, social responsibility and our commitment in the field of sustainable production conditions. We are proud to be the first UK Textile Manufacturer to be awarded OEKO-TEX® STeP certification. Achieving the highest level 3, which demonstrates ideal implementation of best practice.
OEKO-TEX ® STeP is an independent certification system that allows us to communicate our environmental measures externally in a credible and transparent way. STeP stands for Sustainable Textile & Leather Production and certifies the manufacturing process for environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities.
Through OEKO-TEX ® STeP we are actively contributing to UN SDG’s, Good health & wellbeing, Gender Equality, Clean Water & Sanitation, Reduced Inequalities, Responsible consumption and production and Climate Action.
The requirements and criteria for STeP certification are specially adapted to the significant challenges of the textile, leather, and clothing industry.
- Chemical management
- Environmental performance
- Environmental management
- Social responsibility
- Quality management
- Health protection and safety at work
Chemical Management
Our on-site dyeworks is an incredibly important and unique element to our vertical mill. As well as dyeing ‘off the shelf’ colours, we regularly custom dye bespoke shades for projects where colour is of the upmost importance. This might be used to recreate the exact shade of a historic textile which is hundreds of years old, or to meticulously match an interior design scheme.
OEKO-TEX® DETOX TO ZERO strives to eliminate hazardous chemicals from textile and leather production. It is not a certification, but a management system determining and analysing Manufacturing Restricted Substances List compliance of chemicals used in textile and leather production, reporting the conformity status, and outlining improvements. DETOX TO ZERO helps manufacturers and purchasers, as well as brands and retailers, monitor and fulfil the Greenpeace Detox Campaign objectives. The system targets wet facilities in the textile and leather industry supply chains.
Energy use awareness and sustainable sources
Installation of solar panels at the mill formed part of our continuing commitment to environmental responsibility. we remain dedicated to continuing improvements to our manufacturing processes. Small incremental changes are having a big impact on our business – the solar panels is a larger and more glamorous project towards a more sustainable future!
