Desser & Co

Like many new family businesses it had humble beginnings, at first being run from the front parlour of Issac's mother-in-law's terraced house in Whitfield Street, Manchester where his wife Annie and her family helped to pack the goods for despatch to customers. Realising the commercial potential, on his return home and de-mob from the Army, he quickly set to work on putting into action his plan to import these baskets from Belgium for sale to retail outlets in Britain.

Desser & Company has a proud heritage stretching back over four generations of the same family. The fascinating story starts in the dark days of WWI when Issac Desser, as a young British soldier, was posted to serve on the front line in Belgium. It was here that he came into contact with Flemish craftsman who were producing various types of basketware... and an idea was born.