Have you ever wondered about the origins of those massive, sturdy umbrellas that shade beer gardens and restaurant patios across the UK? Well, the story behind Sunbrella, one of the leading manufacturers of these iconic giant parasols, is quite an interesting one.
The Accidental First Order
It all started back in 1987 with a chance encounter and a bit of fortuitous timing. Our founder, Malcolm Robertson, was helping out a friend named Gordon, who ran a catering unit at the former W.H. Smith’s Do It All Centre (for those of you too young to remember, it was the predecessor to B&Q). Gordon had imported some giant umbrellas from Germany for his catering units but was constantly moaning about the exorbitant prices the German manufacturers charged.
With a background tinkering with his own product designs, from can crushers to pedalo tricycles, Malcolm saw an opportunity in Gordon’s plight. He gave Gordon an “off the top of my head” quote for ten 4-metre square Sunbrella parasols – two for each of Gordon’s five units. And just like that, Sunbrella had their first client before they’d even made their first giant umbrella!
The Challenge of Design
The design process for creating the perfect, high-quality yet simple to operate giant Sunbrella umbrella was not so straightforward though. Malcolm quickly assembled a team of experts, including Ray, a former aerospace engineer, who alongside ex colleague Pat, also a former aerospace engineer, and spent countless evenings with a bottle of some or other, poring over sketches and design ideas, putting them down on paper each day.
Aluminium, the material used by those pricey German parasol makers, was soon rejected as too susceptible to permanent bending and weakening over time. After lots of research and head-scratching, fibreglass and nylon 6 plastic emerged as the ideal materials – strong but with just enough flexibility to bend and absorb wind pressure like a pole vault pole or a swaying bridge.
And that’s how the first super sturdy, sun-shading Sunbrella parasols were born from humble roots – a grumble about German imports, some engineering ingenuity, and an accidental first order! The rest, as they say, is history, as Sunbrella went from strength to strength, making their mark across the UK’s pub gardens, private homes, Royal palaces and a wide variety of al fresco dining scenes.
Find out more about Sunbrella hire
We’ve grown from humble roots. Sunbrella now not only offer a wide variety of giant umbrellas and parasols for hire, but also marquees and a selection of accessories – from heating, to lighting, seating and more.
Get in touch with a member of our super friendly team to find out how we can help you. Call 01483 210 142, by email: hire@sunbrella.co.uk or fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
