Wicker baskets have a timeless appeal due to their combination of practicality and style, but there are few truly skilled artisans specialising in the field. One exception is basket weaver David Hembrow, who has turned his passion for panniers into a successful business, catering to cyclists with a taste for times past.
An Englishman now living in Assen, The Netherlands, Hembrow makes every basket he sells himself and by hand. Basket-making is a skill that goes back at least four generations in his family, and his grandfather sold wicker panniers on the roadside in Somerset, so there are very few remaining experts of such heritage left in the world today. A video of Hembrow working in his studio can be found here.
With designs in all shapes and sizes, and a bespoke service for vintage bicycles, there’s something for almost all models here. Hembrow even makes specially-sized baskets for recumbent bicycles and Brompton folding bikes. He has also undertaken some unusual and inventive commissions, including heart-shaped wreathes for weddings, a custom-made cat basket and even a wicker trunk for storing monks’ robes.
Considering the fact that everything is made by hand and with an obvious amount of care and attention, prices are extremely reasonable: a standard D-shaped basket costs just €55 (approximately £45 or $72). The baskets themselves are made from 100% natural willow, grown by Hembrow’s supplier in Somerset.
Many of Hembrow’s customers live in the UK and US, and delivery times to both countries is less than a week and two weeks respectively. One charming detail of Hembrow’s business is that all products begin the journey to their final destination by bike!
