Lakeland in Windermere, the kitchenware firm that grew from a family garage

Plenty of British kitchens contain something from Lakeland, whether it is a baking tin, a clever storage box or a gadget nobody knew they needed. Fewer people know that the business behind them started life in a garage in Windermere, and that it has never left the town where it began.

The idea came from Alan Rayner, an agricultural feed salesman who spotted that local farmers needed polythene bags for packing poultry. Together with his wife, Dorothy, he set up a mail order business supplying agricultural plastics and home-freezing products, run from the garage of the couple's Windermere home.

Demand grew steadily as households discovered home freezing, and according to the company's own history, Lakeland was born in 1964. It was a modest, practical start, rooted in listening to what customers actually needed, and that instinct has stayed with the business ever since.

In 1974 Alan retired, leaving Martin, Sam and Julian to run the company. Over the following years the range moved beyond agricultural plastics, and in 1997 Lakeland Plastics changed its name to Lakeland Limited to reflect how far its product lines had travelled.

Windermere remains at the centre of it all. The flagship store sits at Alexandra Buildings, next to the head office, and Lakeland describes it as having a bright and modern interior with all products available on one easily accessible level. For many visitors to the Lakes, a browse here is as much a part of the trip as a boat on the lake.

Upstairs, The Café at Lakeland occupies the first floor of the store. It reopened in 2021 under new management and has since picked up recognition including a Good Food Award blue ribbon and a Lux Life award as a vegetarian-friendly café for 2023.

The business entered a new chapter in April 2025, when it was sold to Hilco Capital. Through the change, Lakeland has remained based where it was founded, a reminder that a small family idea from a Windermere garage can grow into a name recognised across the country.

The Windermere store and café are easy to combine with a walk into the village or down to the lake, and current opening times and the full range can be found on Lakeland's website before you visit.