About Us

Search Press is the leading art and craft publisher in the UK, specialising in fine art, textiles, general crafts and children’s crafts. The company was founded in 1970, when Charlotte de la Bedoyere published her first book – Basket Weaving in an attic room in Kensington. Translated from a German book, this was to be the first of many titles. The format was good. The books were small, reasonably priced and packed with information, offering crafters and needlecrafters new ideas and inspirational designs. Lotti, as she is known to everyone here at Search Press, went on include hot trends like pin and thread and candlemaking. The market loved them and she so she continued, introducing full colour and a successful series of practical art books – the Leisure Arts.

In the early 1980’s, Lotti moved to Tunbridge Wells, establishing a warehouse and offices in a quiet corner of the North Farm Industrial Estate – where we are today. She continued to publish an increasing range of popular books, developing new series and commissioning larger titles. Then, in 1997 following her decision to retire, her son, Martin de la Bedoyere, took over as Managing Director, with his wife Caroline, our Sales and Marketing Director. Both directors from Heinemann publishing, they have continued with the strong traditions that Lotti had built up over 27 years.

With a team of 26 people, most of them long term employees, Search Press now publishes up to 100 of its own titles each year, as well as distributing titles for other publishers. From the commissioning of an original idea to the final delivery of books into the warehouse, the publishing process is carried out ‘in-house’. A few books are bought in from other sources and labelled with the Search Press ‘stamp’, but they are always checked by us before they are printed, so that they fit in with our style and publishing policies. We have a strong and dedicated team, with everyone playing their part in the process, from the warehouse staff to the sales and marketing team, production department, accounts and designers and editors.

Recently, the offices and warehouse have been extended and we now have a craft room which can be used for workshops or demonstrations by customers, authors or organisations. Having also established ourselves with offices in Australia and the USA we continue to expand and develop our list with new exciting new ideas. The biggest development to date is this website. We will be keeping you up to date with our books, news and happenings on a regular basis and you will be able to place orders for all our latest titles.

The Team ...

Sales & Marketing:

Martin de la Bedoyere - Managing Director
Caroline de la Bedoyere - Marketing & Export Director
Mary Ellingham - Publicity Manager
Su Hearsey – Marketing Manager
Vanessa Ware – Sales & Marketing Co-Ordinator
Valerie Gurr – Rights & Bibliographic Manager
Jane Meechan – Head of Customer Services
Susan Hill - Trade Order Manager
Katrina Argent - Mail Order Manager
Paul Watkinson - Accounts
Bernie Grandison, Jeremy Meechan - Warehousing & Despatch

Editorial:

Rosalind Dace - Editorial Director
Sophie Kersey - Managing Editor
Katie Sparkes – Senior Editor
Edd Ralph – Editor
Juan Hayward – Art Director
Marrianne Mercer – Designer
Jeff Boatwright - Production
Inger Arthur - Production
Charlotte de la Bedoyere - Photography

If you wish to contact any member of staff, please email enquiries@searchpress.com and include the person’s name in the subject field.