Vendor Biography

About us

Search Press is the publisher of the world’s finest art and craft books. We specialise in producing stunning, practical books on knitting, crocheting, sewing, needlecraft – including cross stitch and embroidery, textiles, practical art and general crafts, such as pottery and woodwork, for people of all skill levels.

With a team of around 40 people, Search Press publishes up to 100 of its own titles every year, as well as distributing books for other publishers. From the commissioning of an original idea to the final delivery of books into the warehouse, the publishing process is carried out ‘in-house’. We have a strong, dedicated team working together to publish a fantastic range of titles: from the warehouse staff to the sales and marketing team, production department, customer services, accounts and designers and editors. With offices in Australia and the USA, we continue to expand and develop our list with new and exciting ideas.

Over 50 years of Search Press

The company was founded in 1970, when Charlotte (Lotti) de la Bédoyère published her first book, Basket Weaving, in an attic room in Kensington, London. Translated from a German book, this was to be the first of many titles. The thinking behind them was simple: to publish small, reasonably-priced books that were packed with practical information, offering crafters and needlecrafters new ideas and inspirational designs. Lotti went on include hot trends like pin and thread and candlemaking and the market loved them, so she continued by introducing full colour and a successful series of practical art books – the Leisure Arts.

In the early 1980s, Lotti moved to Tunbridge Wells, Kent, establishing a warehouse and offices in a quiet corner of the North Farm Industrial Estate – where we are today. She continued to publish a range of popular books, developing and commissioning new series and titles. In 1997, following her decision to retire, her son, Martin de la Bédoyère, took over as Managing Director, with his wife Caroline. Both with extensive publishing experience gained as directors at Heinemann, they continue to build on the strong traditions that Lotti had developed over the first 27 years of the company’s life.