Stop by and say hello to our Toye, Kenning & Spencer representatives at this years Security & Policing Exhibition at the FIVE, Farnborough, Aerospace Boulevard GU14 6XL. We are on stand C6, see you there!

From 31/01/2012 - 02/02/2012 Toye, Kenning & Spencer will be returning to the Security & Policing exhibition at Farnborough, showing medals & medal ribbons, uniform accoutrements, including our ground-breaking infrared badges, hats and caps and identity wallets.  Find us on stand C6.

After clearing out a lot of old information in the office we came across these Spitfire badges. They date back to the 1930’s and 1940’s and wondered if there was anybody out there that could provide us with some historical information?

Please take a look and leave us a comment with any information you might have about the badges.

http://toye-kenning-and-spencer.blogspot.com/2012/01/spitfire-badges.html

If anybody is interested in finding out what is going on with LBB London Collections, where abouts in the world we are and what we are doing. Take a look at http://www.lbblondon.wordpress.com/

Why not come and see us in Florence the next few days

This is what our stand looks like, pop by and say Hi!

Click to Enlarge.

Take a look at KJD Jewellers Website

A beautiful silver and silver gilt spiral Christmas tree designed and manufactured by the Jewellery Quarter’s own Toye Kenning & Spencer has been selected for inclusion in The Goldsmiths’ Company Christmas decoration catalogue.

The eye-catching tree was designed by Gary Hiley; he is a member of Toye Kenning & Spencer’s design team and is to celebrate 25 years with the company in 2012.

Each year The Goldsmiths’ Company produces a catalogue of Christmas decorations to showcase the talent of Britain’s leading designers in hallmarked precious metal. The spiral Christmas tree, which retails at £180, was one of 15 decorations that have been included, selected by The Goldsmiths’ Company of experts from around 100 entrants. It can be purchased from The Goldsmiths’ Company or directly from Toye Kenning & Spencer.

The Goldsmiths’ Company buys one of every featured decoration to keep in its collection of silverware.

Full size Diamond Jubilee Medal with box.

A £7million contract to produce the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal has been awarded to a consortium of small businesses led by Worcestershire Medal Service, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today.

The consortium is made up of a group of Royal Warrant holders and the contract was awarded following a full tender process in accordance with EU procurement rules.

Ribbon being made on Toye Kenning & Spencer looms in Bedworth, England.

Jeremy Hunt said:

“I’m delighted that not only will the Diamond Jubilee medal be made in the UK but that it will support the growth of a number of small businesses in the West Midlands at a time when we need to do all we can to boost economic growth.

“These medals are being awarded as a mark of thanks to those who give so much in the name of society and public service, and I’m sure they will be made with as much care and pride as is shown by those who will go on to wear them.”

It’s expected that the medals will start to be delivered from February next year.

Worcestershire Medal Service, which owns the Gladman and Norman factory in Birmingham, joined forces with two other Jewellery Quarter companies - Toye, Kenning and Spencer, and Thomas Fattorini - to compete for the business.

“We thought rather than fight against one another it would be better to try and tender for work together,” Mr McDermott said.

Mr McDermott said the contract would also benefit the wider regional economy.

“The ribbon is woven in Bedworth and we’ve bought metal in from Northampton. The boxes are also made in the Midlands,” he said.

All three companies involved hold Royal warrants and it is not the first time WMS has produced state medals.

Diamond Jubilee Ribbon ready to go.

LBB London will exhibiting their range of fine cufflinks, buttons and men’s accessories at the below exhibitions in 2012:

Photography: Jas Sans

Toye Kenning and Spencer were proud to be one of the sponsors of the annual Best Bar None awards at the ICC Birmingham on October 16, 2011. As well as being a sponsor of this years event we were official provider of all the awards that were received by winners.

A popular 80’s themed bar at the heart of Birmingham’s entertainment industry has been judged the city’s best licensed establishment, in the city council’s annual Best Bar None awards.
Reflex Bar, in The arcadian, Hurst Street, had won both the nightclub category, and the overall award at the annual event.
Other category winners were: Holiday Inn Express, Lionel St (Best Hotel Bar), Mono, The Arcadian (Best Independent Bar), Fighting Cocks, Moseley (Best Suburban Bar), Red Lion, Kings Heath (Best Suburban Pub), Square Peg (Best City Centre pub), Grosvenor G Casino (Best City Centre Bar).
Joes Bar at Birmingham University meanwhile won the best student venue award for the fourth year running.
The scheme, supported by the Home Office, the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) assesses Birmingham’s pubs, clubs and bars on criteria such as; door and security policies, drugs issues, under-age drinking and how to deal with abusive customers, as well as what systems are in place to deal with alcohol related crime.

Photography: Jas Sansi

Jacqui Kennedy, Director of Regulation and Enforcement at Birmingham City Council, said: “Each shortlisted venue was visited to assess its merits, before the winners were selected for meeting a wide range of factors, including the quality of their food and drink, service levels, staff training, security and ambience.
“The judges had no idea which establishment they were selecting, as all the information from the assessments was presented to them without identifying the particular venue.
“This event is like the Oscars of pub management in the city. It has been a very hard job to pick the winners, as the standard of the entrants has been extremely high.”
Risa Bar in Broad Street, was another venue with particular reason to celebrate after it was chosen by the public as their favourite bar in a public vote run in conjunction with BRMB.
A special award was also given to the Toby Carvery in Sutton Park by the Community Safety Partnership.

Photography: Jas Sansi

Small Heath pupils see their murals unveiled at Toye Kenning & Spencer

Year 9 pupils from Small Heath School watched their creations unveiled in Toye Kenning & Spencer’s new foyer and showroom, by chief executive, Fiona Toye.

The brief for the pupils was to design and create large-scale murals that would celebrate the heritage of the Jewellery Quarter and Toye Kenning & Spencer’s place at its heart.

Jabar Kahn explained: “This was an amazing project to be part of; we’ve worked on every stage from the first piece of background research to the last element of its creation. First we had to investigate both the Quarter and Toye Kenning & Spencer to get inspiration and then we were able to really let our imaginations take hold and come up with some exciting designs. Bringing our ideas to life as we created the murals was amazing; we’re incredibly proud to see them displayed in this way.”

“These murals are incredible,” explained Fiona Toye, chief executive of Toye Kenning & Spencer. “We are a company with creativity in design at our heart and a heritage of superb craft skills. These murals echo our approach and ethos, combining the ideas of the young people in a school that values their creativity and combines it with skill. They are the perfect backdrop to our stylish new foyer and show room.”

Also attending the unveiling, at 77 Warstone Lane, were head Peter Slough and Jenny Green [Art Teacher] of the school, the pupils’ teachers and Richard Riley [Head of Work Related Learning].

Toye Kenning & Spencer is working with Small Heath School as one of its partners in industry. The murals were the first collaboration between the two and other projects are now being planned.

Toye Kenning & Spencer attended DSEi (Defence & Security Equipment International) the premier defence trade show at Excel in London from 13 -16 Sept 2011. We were very pleased to meet with many of our customers and were very honoured to greet on the stand, Lt Gen Prince Feisal of Jordan and Rear Admiral Rees Ward of ADS.

Toye Kenning & Spencer, manufacturer of military identity products for over 320 years, is exhibiting ground-breaking infrared badges at DSEi 2011.

For more information click here

Toyes Director International and Military Sales Clive Lunn meeting HRH Prince Feisal.

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Special thanks to Supercool based in Birminghams Jewellery Quarter.

JCK Toronto is an incredible marketplace dedicated to your passion – Jewellery. With more than 150 designers and manufacturers you can discover the products that define and excite the industry.

Come and visit Booth 929 at JCK Toronto and see what we have to offer!

Come and visit our stand at the JA Summer Show in New York. Booth 2415 at the Javits Centre, New York.

Gold and other threads, crafted by a division of Bedworth-based Toye Kenning & Spencer, Benton & Johnson, have been used in a stunning new full set of vestments embroidered by the congregation of The Church of the Holy Innocents, Hammersmith.

Benton & Johnson, which has its origins in the eighteenth century, has a worldwide reputation for the manufacture and supply of a wide range of embroidery, purls and threads.  It became a division of Toye Kenning & Spencer in 1990. 

Neil Halford, production manager for the weaving department and Benton & Johnson at Toye Kenning & Spencer, said: “It was an honour to be able to contribute to this project.  The vestments are incredibly important to the church and its congregation and so it was essential they used the very best materials.  We were delighted they chose to use our gold threads and wires; it’s a testament to the expertise of our craftspeople and the care and attention they take in the production of the wires and threads.”

The Parish lacked a celebration set of vestments for the Principal Feasts because previous parish clergy had their own or used heirloom vestments that either left with the clergy or entered the collection of The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.  The decision was taken to employ a skilled needleworker to create a full set of vestments in time for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.  The dedication of the vestments has begun and will be completed over coming months.

The artistic process involved so many questions and different skills: silk weaving; colour matching; cord making; tassel making; braid making; theological reflection; tailoring of the actual body of the garments; architectural awareness; an appreciation of the different styles of vestments throughout the history; knowledge of fabric and materials; prayer; and the embroidery work itself.  It was a collaborative process, watched over by Ruth Chamberlin, Britain’s acknowledged exponent of gold-thread embroidery and advisor to The Diocese of Peterborough. 

Toye Kenning & Spencer produces the gold wire and thread using traditional methods and machinery, thus giving it the flexibility to manufacture even very small quantities. 

The gold wire is produced by coating copper wire in silver and then plating it with gold.  There are two common forms of gold wire.  The first, which is 2% gold, is, naturally enough called gold 2% and the second is gilt which is 0.5% gold. 

Toye Kenning & Spencer produces different thicknesses, drawing it down to the required diameter by repeatedly stretching it very gently through a diamond die.   The wire is converted into a flat form using a plating mill in which the wire is drawn between two rollers, up to 30 times, while gold thread is produced by spinning the wire around a cotton or silk core, with the thickness depending on the number of threads used.

Local MP Dan Byles, who has joined the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for family business, which is sponsored by the Institute for Family Business, has visited Toye Kenning & Spencer.

He toured the company’s Newtown Road manufacturing facility and viewed its brand new School Shop, which retails embroidered uniform and kit to schools and sports clubs in the North Warwickshire and Coventry areas. Toye Kenning & Spencer is also supplying fundraising gifts through the shop as part of its broad product portfolio.

“We are pleased Dan has backed us and joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for family businesses. Companies like ours are key contributors to both our communities and the local economy,” explained chief executive Fiona Toye. “I am the current custodian of Toye Kenning & Spencer; my job is to continue the evolution of the business, making sure it is robust and able to withstand the challenges of the future. It is good to have our local MPs on our side, giving voice to our concerns and campaigning on our behalf.”

“We are also pleased to be able to show him our new ‘Toye Shop’. It gives us a platform to highlight the talents of the craftspeople in our Bedworth factory, where we have experts in weaving, embroidery and lace making. We manufacture a broad range of products from men’s accessories to civil and military identity products and regalia as well as uniforms for clubs and schools and this new space is the ideal showcase for our products.”

The Director of Town Hall & Symphony Hall, Andrew Jowett, has been honoured by the Birmingham Civic Society, with the award of Gold Medal.

Given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to life in Birmingham and who typically have not otherwise been formally recognised, only 37 Gold Medals have been awarded in the 93 years since the Society’s formation. The Gold Medal has often been the first of many honours to be heaped on these remarkable individuals and Andrew is now joining in company with Sir Simon Rattle, the architect WH Bidlake, founder of the Birmingham Rep Sir Barry Jackson and relief worker and promoter of improved housing Florence Barrow.

Andrew Jowett is receiving it for ‘his significant contribution to Birmingham’s artistic reputation’, having worked in the arts for over 30 years. On graduation from the University of Salford, he was appointed Assistant General Manager at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. From 1979-1981 Andrew was Director of Darlington Civic Theatre and from 1982-1988 he was Director of the Arts Centre, University of Warwick. He took up the role of director of Symphony Hall in 1989.

David Clarke, chair of Birmingham Civic Society explained: “Having opened in 1991 Symphony Hall is acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest concert halls and the source of great civic pride. From the outset, Andrew has been responsible for its artistic programming, operation, and management and, with his team, is credited with having created an outstanding programme of activity at Symphony Hall that appeals to a wide audience – the classical programme being complemented by jazz, world music, folk, rock, pop and stand-up comedy – together with a community engagement programme that reaches 10,000 people each year. In 2007 Andrew oversaw the successful re-opening of Town Hall, which has immediately regained its place at the cultural heart of Birmingham. It is in recognition of his contribution that the Trustees of the Civic Society have chosen to recognize Andrew in this way.”

Andrew was awarded the Gold Medal following a ceremony during which Birmingham Symphony Hall itself was awarded the Birmingham Civic Society’s prestigious Forward Prize for the breadth of its programme combined with its proactive engagement with the local community.

This is the first Gold Medal to be awarded since the Society was granted its Coat of Arms and so it has taken the opportunity to redesign the Medals. The new design has been created by Birmingham’s own Toye, Kenning & Spencer. Based in the Jewellery Quarter, the company is a long standing supporter of the Birmingham Civic Society and also hand crafted the Medal that was awarded. The company’s senior die sinker, Jim Baker, who cut the dies for the medal, was present at the ceremony.

“I was thrilled to see the medal being awarded and the pride with which Andrew Jowett received it,” explained Jim. “We take great care over the manufacture of this and other medals and rarely get to see them in the hands of the recipients and so this was a particular pleasure.”

Julian Hawkes wore his military uniform with pride at Toye Kenning and Spencer’s Bedworth factory on Wednesday 22 June, Armed Forces’ Uniform to Work Day.

Part of the build up to Armed Forces Day, which is scheduled for 25 June, is the Uniform to Work Day which has been designed to highlight the important role the Reserves play in serving their country. Julian is just one of many members of the Armed Forces all over the country who left their suits at home and donned their Forces uniform instead.

“Our firm has a long association with the Armed Forces,” explained Toye Kenning & Spencer chief executive, Fiona Toye. “We have manufactured uniforms and regalia for many years and so are delighted to support Julian as he highlights the contribution our Armed Forces make to our country.”

After 22 years service in the Army, Julian left and joined Toye Kenning & Spencer as Military Sales Executive. He has held the voluntary post of Sergeant Instructor of the Coventry based Westfield House Platoon Army Cadet Force for two years.

“Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to signal my membership of the Army Cadet Force as an Adult Instructor” said Julian Hawkes. “Uniform to Work Day celebrates the value of one arm of the Armed Forces and I was proud to have the opportunity to signal my membership of the Reserves.”

As Sergeant Instructor of the Westfield House Detachment of Cadets Julian gives two nights a week, and, on average, one weekend a month to drill cadets, aged between 12 and 18, and instruct them in weapon handling and field craft. He also leads them during the residential camp for one week each August. There are 40 cadets in Julian’s Detachment and a total of over 400 in the County.

Julian is currently planning to host his cadets on a tour of the Bedworth factory, showing them how military uniforms, medals and regalia are manufactured.

Toye Kenning & Spencer is imbued with a culture of continual reinvestment and values highly the talent within the business, its designers inspiring its craftsmen and women, who are experts in weaving, lace-making, embroidery and gold and silver wire making and enamelling.

“The Fellowship visit of Warwick Rotary Club to Bedworth was most enjoyable. The food was delicious, the venue stately and the fellowship was just about everything it should be.

The visit to Toye Kenning was a real eye opener. Some of the plant was really state of the art and the automatic embroidery was a perfect example.
Such a contrast with some machines having wooden frames which looked as if they went back to the 1600’s when the business was founded.

One of our best Fellowship visits I can remember.”

Fellowship Officer

Ron Flint

On 25th May 2011, The Rotary Club of Worcester Vigornia visited the Toye Kenning & Spencer factory in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

 
The reason for the visit was to act as part of the focus group for the product developments of Rotary Jewellery and Giftware, the factory tour organised by Christine Cushing (Marketing Manager) and the development presentation put on by Nick Ellwood (Business Development Director) and Louisa Taylor (Jewellery Designer) went down a storm with the party.

According to the group, it  was a highly successful tour and they have recommended it to others in their zone to do the same.

Click on image to enlarge.

Taken from the Nuneaton Tribune

Click on image to enlarge.

Toye Kenning & Spencer on Central News

Click on the link above.

Birmingham & Bedworth’s own Toye Kenning & Spencer has been selected to take part in Fortnum & Mason’s exclusive summer exhibition in London, ‘From Teapots to Tapestries’. 

Opening on 16 May, ‘From Teapots to Tapestries’, which has been designed to celebrate craft skills, runs until the end of July. 

Amongst a range of other products, Toye Kenning & Spencer will exhibit a range of enamelled items as well as its Benton & Johnson gold thread embroidery kits.  The company’s skilled artisans will also be in store on 2 and 3 June to provide demonstrations of and answer questions on both and enamelling and embroidery. 

Chief executive of the family run firm that was founded in 1685, Fiona Toye said: “We are delighted to have been selected for the exhibition and would like to thank Fortnum & Mason for the opportunity.  Craft skills are the life blood of our business; every product we manufacture goes through the hands of our experienced craftspeople, whether they be enamellers, silver-smiths, engravers, weavers, lace-makers, embroiderers, die makers, stampers, polishers or mounters.  Each of these individuals has spent years, often decades, learning and then honing their craft and it is exciting to be celebrating their hard work and talent as part of the exhibition.”

Benton & Johnson has its origins in the eighteenth century and has built a worldwide reputation for the manufacture and supply of a wide range of embroidery purls and threads in a variety of qualities.  In 1990 it became a division of Toye Kenning & Spencer. 

Birmingham and Bedworth-based Toye Kenning & Spencer is going to be celebrating with every garden designer and grower who receives a gold medal at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show (24-28 May 2011).  The family run company’s craftspeople have hand produced each medal being presented. 

“Every winner of a Royal Horticultural Society Medal has worked hard over many months or even years,” explained chief executive Fiona Toye.  “They treasure the medal they are awarded, whether it is gold, silver or bronze, and so we make sure each one is manufactured with care and attention.”

The medals, which are manufactured from a range of metals, from base metal to 9 ct gold, are stamped from hand engraved dies.  Each one then moves through the hands of craftspeople in the mounting, polishing and finally plating shop.  Some medals are even enamelled by hand or have intricate images painted onto their surface. 

Toye Kenning & Spencer has been manufacturing medals for the Royal Horticultural Society for 34 years. 

Toye Kenning & Spencer is imbued with a culture of continual reinvestment and values highly the talent within the business, its designers inspiring its craftsmen and women, who are experts in weaving, lace-making, embroidery and gold and silver wire making and enamelling. 

The company produces a wide range of differing products incorporating ribbon, cords, laces, regalia, badges, buttons, medals and trophies.  These products are brought together to produce for example, state insignia, civil and military uniforms, medals for the Chelsea Flower Show and the FA Cup Final and international Honours Caps for the England Football Team. 

Hello all, we’re finally getting into the technological world that is out there, and you can now follow us on Twitter at

http://www.twitter.com/toyekennings

Happy Tweeting!

A man who has beaten unemployment has got that winning feeling after finding work through a pilot pre-apprenticeship project, supported by Birmingham City Council’s Working Neighbourhoods Innovation Fund.

Khush Sidhu is training as a craftsman at internationally renowned Toye, Kenning and Spencer - one of the UK’s leading producers of medals, state insignia and corporate gifts based in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter.

His unemployment ordeal ended when he clinched the golden opportunity thanks to his own hard work and dedication, and support provided through the pilot pre-apprenticeship project and assistance from Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG).

Khush, aged 23, from Handsworth, had been out of work for around 12 months when he was approached by PPDG to see whether he would be interested in the pre-apprenticeship opportunity.

He was given training through the government-funded Work Focused Training initiative and sent on a course to develop his interview technique, CV and customer services skills in preparation for future employment. Work Focused Training provides vocational training opportunities and employability skills to 18 to 24-year-olds.

The initiative is part of the Government’s Backing Young Britain campaign, in partnership with the Future Jobs Fund and the Community Taskforce, which encourages organisations to provide young people with the opportunities they need to get into work.

When PPDG employment coach Greg Crookendale suggested the pre-apprenticeship scheme Khush jumped at the chance. After successfully completing an extensive recruitment process he is now working as a full time apprentice die sinker at Toye, Kenning and Spencer in Warstone Lane. He is enjoying every minute of his training in the highly skilled role under the expert eye of experienced die sinker Jim Baker.

Khush, who has studied graphic illustration and communications, said: “It is amazing to be working here and it has turned my life around. I have got something to look forward to each day and I am learning new skills all the time. Before getting this opportunity I was job-hunting 24/7. I really enjoy my new role and especially the creative work I’m involved in.

“It is a highly skilled job and there is so much to learn. Being unemployed is so frustrating but now things are definitely looking a lot brighter. I’ve got a new flat and a career to look forward to - I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.”

PPDG’s team of employment experts provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Working Neighbourhoods Fund, Learndirect and many ESF funded programmes. More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began.  It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.

14th-17th June 2011

http://www.pittimmagine.com

Founded in 1685 and still family-run, Toye Kenning & Spencer is joining the campaign to support and promote the family business sector.  It is calling on local MPs, Shabana Mahmood [Birmingham, Ladywood], Dan Byles [North Warwickshire] and the Rt. Hon Frank Dobson [Holborn & St. Pancras] to join the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for family business, the inauguration of which is taking place on 28 March. 

The new All-Party group will undertake a number of activities to truly understand the issues facing family firms including site visits, briefings with the owner managers and an annual reception at the House of Commons.  

“Family businesses are key contributors to the economy and our communities, generating income, creating employment and showing a commitment to local areas,” explained Fiona Toye, chief executive of Toye Kenning & Spencer.  “Seeing ourselves as custodians of the business we value highly the talent within the company, our imaginative designers inspiring our craftsmen and women, who are experts in weaving, gold and silver wire and lace making, embroidery and enamelling.  We have also sustained the culture of reinvestment, recently having renovated the front of our Jewellery Quarter / Bedworth-based manufacturing facility to create a stylish display and retail area.”

Toye Kenning & Spencer is also urging it’s local MPs to sign an Early Day Motion recognising the role of family businesses in supporting employment and economic growth and their value in terms of corporate stewardship and a commitment to social responsibility.  The family business sector accounts for one in three jobs in the UK and contributes 30% of GDP.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group is to be sponsored by the Institute for Family Business, the independent, not-for-profit membership association supporting the UK family-owned business sector.  The association has a membership of 200 family businesses, with a combined turnover of more than £40bn.

Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Len Gregory, and the Lady Mayoress, visited Toye Kenning & Spencer in the city’s Jewellery Quarter to find out more about the skills of the company’s craftspeople and the training and development opportunities it provides. 

The couple toured the factory seeing stampers, silver smiths, gold smiths, enamellers and finishers.

They were told that attracting young people in particular to the trade crafts is vital but not easy.  Chief executive of Toye Kenning & Spencer, Fiona Toye, explained: “Every product we manufacture goes through the hands of our experienced craftspeople; more than ten are needed to produce a Jewel for a Lord Mayor.  So it’s easy to see that encouraging the craft skills is essential to our long term success and that of other manufacturers in the Quarter. 

“We took the opportunity of the visit to explain the work we are doing with the School of Jewellery and The Goldsmiths’ Company to create high quality training and development programmes.  We are putting in place a new apprenticeship scheme that we hope will lead to an industry specific qualification.”

Founded in 1685, Toye Kenning & Spencer is still family run.

Nominations for the Vitalise Businesswoman of the Year were being encouraged by Fiona Toye, chief executive of Toye Kenning & Spencer at a reception held to celebrate the opening of the company’s new display and retail facility. 

“The Jewellery Quarter is home to many talented women who manufacture in the widest sense, generating ideas and producing physical goods as well as developing and leading their businesses,” explained Fiona Toye.  “I want to see these individuals nominated for Businesswoman of the Year; it’s a platform for recognising their achievements and will help raise the profile of the talent within the Jewellery Quarter.” 

Toye Kenning & Spencer has invested significantly, renovating the front of its Warstone Lane-based manufacturing facility to create a stylish display and retail area.  The renovation is sympathetic to the original Victorian factory behind it, in which the company’s talented workforce handcrafts its exquisite products. 

Fiona Toye continued: “This space allows us to highlight the breadth of our product range, which encompasses everything from men’s designer accessories through to military regalia, at the same time as showcasing the talents of our craftspeople.”

On Monday 14th February 2011 we had our very first School Trip organised to come and take a look behind the scenes at Toye Kenning & Spencer.

It was a very successful day for the visitors, aswell as their Teacher. The children from Small Heath School are working with Toye Kenning & Spencer are going to be designing a mural in conjunction with ther studies. The mural will be mounted next to our brand new showroom in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham.

The Children were amazed with what actually goes on, the Boys amazed with the medals and girls in love with the jewels.

Members of The Royal Victorian Order and holders of the Royal Victorian Medal can now wear a representation of their honour with pride in their everyday life. This follows the introduction in January 2011 of the emblem, which is manufactured exclusively by Toye Kenning & Spencer.

The Royal Victorian Order is awarded by the Monarch for extraordinary, important or personal services to the Sovereign or Royal Family. King George VI awarded it to his speech therapist, Lionel Logue, who is brought to life by Geoffrey Rush in his Oscar nominated performance in ‘The King’s Speech’.

The emblem is a beautifully woven blue, red and white buttonhole with the arms of the Royal Victorian Order on the front. Unlike the full insignia, which could only be worn on state occasions, the emblem can be worn at all times.

“It is clearly a great personal honour to be appointed a member of the Royal Victorian Order,” said Fiona Toye, chief executive of Toye Kenning & Spencer. “We are delighted to be crafting the emblem and do so with the same care and attention that we dedicate to everything we manufacture. Our weavers and metal smiths are using the skills they have honed over many years to create this mark of an individual’s extraordinary contribution.”

There are currently 5,500 living members and medallists of the Royal Victorian Order, based throughout the country.