Tala is one of the oldest and best loved kitchenware brands. A trusted supplier, of baking and cake decorating equipment since 1899, Tala has grown to supply cooks and bakers all over the world. 

 

Taylor Law & Co Ltd was established in 1899, by Frederick Taylor and Thomas Law, to satisfy the developing Victorian kitchenware and hardware market across Britain. They produced a wide range of metal goods for the kitchen and garden which proved to be successful and the workforce grew. The factory created products that ranged from baking pans and icing syringes to make delicious homemade food, to galvanised tubs and travelers trunks.

 

 

1914-1918

During the First World War, Tala carried on creating their baking and cooking products, in addition to numerous munitions and even ration books too. 

1920s

After the war, Thomas Law’s son, Frank took over. He combined the founders’ names to create the ‘Tala’ brand as we know it today. Continuing to supply Britain with a developing range of kitchenware gadgets and icing equipment, Tala was quickly becoming a household name.

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It is during the 1920s that we can find the first records of the Tala Dry Cook's Measure, an iconic symbol of British baking, which is now approaching 100 successful years of production in the UK! 

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1930s & 40s

 

In our 1933 product catalogue, the 1690 Tala Icing Syringe is already described as ‘an old favourite’, which is a testament to Tala’s influence on baking trends and cake decorating during the first half of the 20^th Century.

It is during the 1930s that Tala becomes well established as a leading kitchenware supplier in the international market, with representatives in over 21 countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Palestine, supplying high quality cooking and baking supplies that included egg racks, peelers, serving utensils and steamers. 

 

 

Then throughout the Second World War, the Tala factory was again engaged in producing munitions in addition to its kitchenware and household products.

1950s & 60s

During the post-war optimism of the 50s and 60s, a growing importance was placed on taking pride in cooking and housekeeping at home. Families increased their spending on kitchenware and homeware products, placing wholesome, homemade food at the centre of household activities.

Tala introduced “Matched Colourware”, a beautifully bright and coordinated kitchenware collection aimed at the successful housewife and hostess. They supported this range with advertising and display packages for retailers across the world. The growth of the Tala baking brand during this period resulted in a move to Stourbridge and Birmingham to accommodate the growing demand for Tala products.

 

During this time Tala also collaborated with baking and icing expert, Anne Anson, to engage their customers with specialist cake decorating ideas aimed at both novice and experienced cooks. We still have some of the original ‘How to Decorate a Cake’ booklets, which contain some spectacular recipes and cake decorating ideas which still are pertinent today.

1970s Onwards

Frank Law relinquished ownership of Tala to a large French company, and frozen ready meals became an increasingly popular trend. Both of these contributed to a short-term decline in Tala’s home and kitchenware products as less people were eager to cook good, old fashioned homemade meals.

1999

Tala celebrated its 100 year anniversary! With a century of trading under its belt, Tala became a truly heritage kitchenware brand.  

2000s

Tala came back to the UK! Now owned by British Company George East Housewares Ltd which is based in Suffolk, with an additional Marketing Office in Bath, the new owners were determined to make Tala great again. Now known as Dayes Ltd.

Additionally coupled with a determination to manufacture as many Tala products in Great Britain as possible, the company redirected its product development and sourcing strategy to place more importance on British manufacturing.

During the 2000s, the British public started to want more than convenience meals, and turned back to nutritious, homemade food, cooked lovingly at home by hand. This was accompanied by a desire to cook with high quality, British-made kitchenware tools. So, the new Tala owners set out to produce as many superior quality kitchenware products as possible in the UK, leading to a resurgence of this favourite UK kitchenware brand. 

Tala Products Today

Best known for our baking and cake decorating products, Tala is a market leading, well-loved British kitchenware brand that strives to manufacture in the UK as much as possible. Today, Tala manufactures products in numerous sites across the UK including Liverpool, Accrington, Norfolk, Suffolk and Burnley. Traditional methods are still used to manufacture most Tala products. 

 

Take our Tala Cook’s Measure for example; each measure is hand made in Liverpool, England, on the same machinery that has been used since the 1920s. The design and production methods remain largely unchanged, involving over 20 hand processes, and most importantly each cook’s measure is made by one of a small group of highly skilled people; be it Graham, Maureen or one of their team. 

When treated with care, our kitchenware products last longer than a lifetime. We delight in reading many positive letters sent from customers who still own Tala products that have been passed down through generations of their family; especially our iconic Cook’s Measures and Icing Syringe sets! 

Another fantastic example of our quality British made kitchenware is the Tala Icing Syringe for cake decorating. Each syringe involves 48 hand processes, and we guarantee that a vintage Tala icing nozzle manufactured in the 1920s will still fit a Tala icing syringe made today; we really are being honest when we say that you are still buying the same high quality products that your mothers and grandmothers have always used. A Tala icing syringe is a product that you can invest in for a lifetime and perhaps even longer.