What the “Wright Way” means to us
The Wright Way is more than a slogan; it is a philosophy of long-term stewardship, sustainability, and absolute dedication to the raw material. This commitment extends beyond the towers of carefully graded clefts and into the future of the entire English Willow trade, encompassing the unseen, difficult work we undertake across the country to secure the future of the game. Of course, these are fine words, so we thought we’d share some recent, real-world examples of this stewardship in practice, provided by our teams out and about on growers’ land that perfectly illustrate what doing it The Wright Way means to us.
Prioritising future supply over easy profit
We routinely take on challenging felling jobs competitors often refuse. This winter, we cleared monster trees (some over 130 inches round) that were known to be of lower quality. We also undertook felling on inaccessible sites, like trees growing on a canal island. This work slows down our factory process and requires complex logistics, but we do it not for immediate high-grade profit, but because clearing the site is necessary to make way for new plantings, safeguarding the supply for the future.
Honouring the material’s history
We recently processed exceptionally old and large trees, aged up to 80 years old (a very unusual find given how little rot they had in the centre). Trees grown among others in woodland, competing for light and water, can result in tight grains which are highly sought after. Processing these giants again slows the factory process, but it was important to clear the site for replanting, and we believe it is important to using as much of this genuine English Willow, ensuring we maximise the yield and honour the decades of slow growth that produced such high-quality timber.
Securing supply
We don’t just talk about sustainability; we invest in it at scale. This winter, our annual planting program demonstrates the “Wright Way” commitment to supply security. We aim to have thousands of trees ready to maintain full factory production all winter long. This planting season alone, we have secured 40,000 young trees (sets) and animal guards to be planted between December and March. This proactive, large-scale investment is the true definition of managing the lifecycle of the finest wood in the world.
