About us

Orchard Toys is a leading manufacturer of educational puzzles and games for children aged between 18 months and 12 years, with a reputation for excellence of design, manufacture and service.

We have been designing and manufacturing award-winning educational games, jigsaw puzzles and activities since 1971 when the company was founded by Keith Harvey, who remains a director today. In 2004, the company was bought by Hugh Beevor who had been involved for 10 years in his capacity as Export Sales Director. Hugh now fills the role of Chairman.

Originally producing in Nottingham, we relocated to a new purpose-built factory and office complex in Wymondham, Norfolk early in 2006. This exciting move has allowed us to achieve even higher levels of customer service through a restructure of both personnel and systems. These systems are under constant review as part of a commitment to continued improvement.

Products

All the board used for games, puzzles and product packaging is 100% recycled. The paper used for printed covers is sourced from sustainable forests and coated with a water-based varnish and all are manufactured in the UK.

Orchard Toys products are designed with the ethos of “learning made fun” and combine bright, innovative design, durability and quality with sound educational principles. With the latter in mind, and to further endorse our green credentials, we have designed and manufactured such products as What’s Rubbish and Flower Pot Game two examples of our commitment to help children learn about recycling, composting and green issues. Customers who buy Orchard Toys tend to be very loyal to the brand. Many of them are now second generation Orchard Toys customers.

We create new products from our own ideas using our team of in-house designers and illustrators all of whom have studied graphic design and illustration at university or college. All products are extensively tested in homes, local schools and nurseries throughout their development, to ensure that they are educationally sound and that they are aimed at the correct age group, but are also great fun to play/use.

We have an educational adviser who has had many years experience at reception and key stage 1 and 2. She works closely with our design team to ensure that skills necessary in the various National Curriculum key stages are built into the design of a jigsaw puzzle or into the gameplay of a game.

Over the years we have regularly been awarded toy industry awards with over 50 won in recent years, for both the quality of our products and customer service.

In addition to the Orchard Toys brand, we have the facility to produce products for customers under their own label products. In the past, own label products have been designed and manufactured for a number of major UK and overseas retailers.

Operations

The manufacture of components is subcontracted to a UK supplier base, some of whom have supplied the company throughout our period of trading. Maintaining strong and close working relationships with the supplier base is a key focus in maintaining a growing reputation for producing a premium quality product.

Assembly, warehousing, order picking and despatch are carried out from our Norfolk base, from where all the cardboard and paper waste products are recycled by a local business.

Tight quality controls ensure that all production exceeds the required standard and our quality standards are under constant review. All products conform to EN71 toy safety regulations (see Product Safety) as a minimum requirement.

The company has recently received ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (see Environmental Policy) accreditation.