CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
This year in 2024 we celebrate our 40th Birthday. ANTA was founded in 1984 by Annie and Lachie Stewart with this principle: Timeless homeware made by hand in Scotland using natural materials sourced from the British Isles by skilled craftsmen and women. This is the same principle that is central to the company today. We believe in good quality design, manufacturing and materials. Making products that last a lifetime. From its very beginnings, ANTA has been a family affair. Annie and Lachlan Stewart first met at art college in Edinburgh. One a painter, one an architect, they soon realised they shared the same design philosophy, preferring to working with natural materials wherever possible and using methods of production that involve a high level of craft.
After starting the company in Plockton, in the north west of Scotland, the couple moved to London where they restored an 18th Century town house in Spitalfields which was their home, studio and shop. ANTA could be spotted in windows across the city and on front pages of magazines from World of Interiors to the new Elle Decoration.
CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
From London they moved to the Highlands to bring up their family. Ballone Castle, a 15th Century castle on a cliff on Tarbatness peninsula, was purchased as a ruin. It was then that they started manufacturing in house on a site in Fearn. A pottery was created and the warehouses held the weaving and textile departments. A factory shop was started and ANTA as we know it now was created.
CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
In the early 2000s the online shop was launched and distribution of ANTA from the Highlands was added to the current retail shops which at the time were in London and Edinburgh. In Edinburgh an 18th Century town house, Crocket’s Land, was restored to house the ANTA Collection and remains an interior showroom today.
CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
In 2016 we outgrew the old farm sheds in Fearn and a new purpose built factory was built on site. This building transformed the ANTA production and allowed us to upscale, increasing the capability of the facility. We remain dedicated to our team at ANTA and this building allowed us to start training more young local people in the area. The then Prince of Wales opened the factory and we began manufacturing on a large scale.
CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
In 2022 we launched The Highland Clip project. The Highland Clip is a collaborative project between farmers, manufacturers and customers to produce a premium product with the uniting common purposes of sustainability, traceability and fair trade. Our first goal is to give farmers a fair price for their wool which is fixed over multiple years giving them reassurance in their business. Secondly, for us the Highland Clip allows for a shorter supply chain, which brings the final customer closer to the raw material. It connects this customer with the process of manufacturing and allows for a more sustainable approach.
CRAFTED WITH CARE IN SCOTLAND
In 2023 we added a casting and clay making facility to the new factory building. This has dramatically changed the process in the ceramics department and again allows us to continue to train young people in the area in new areas of manufacturing. It has also allowed us to deliver much larger international trade orders. We have grown from the 1984 ANTA with our ability to deliver Timeless Style and Enduring Quality repeatedly. The ethos of the company has remained, from our hands to yours today and always.
