Hillbrush: Specialist Brushware and Hygienic Tools
“Founded in 1922, Hillbrush is one of the UK’s most important manufacturers of brushes and specialised cleaning tools. Operating from an advanced production facility in Mere, Wiltshire, the company serves a dual role: producing traditional wooden-back brushes for agricultural and domestic use alongside high-specification, colour-coded hygienic equipment for the global food manufacturing industry.”
1. The Heritage
Hillbrush was founded by Fred and Bill Coward and remains a fourth-generation family-owned business.
Historically, the business specialised in the manufacture of agricultural brushes and has retained its manufacturing base in the UK for over a century.
Hillbrush was granted a Royal Warrant in 1981, a distinction it has held continuously for their supply of brushware to the Royal Household.
2. The Location
The company is headquartered in a purpose-built, 100,000 square-foot facility in Mere, Wiltshire. This site integrates every stage of the manufacturing process, including wood milling, plastic injection moulding and high-speed brush filling. The Mere campus also includes a dedicated visitor centre (including wonderful restaurant) and museum that documents the history of brush-making in the region.
3. The Difference
In-House Technical Capabilities: Hillbrush manages its own plastic injection moulding and automated brush-filling lines, allowing for precise control over filament retention and tool durability.
Material Integrity: The company utiliSes FSC-certified timber for its wooden brush backs and high-grade, food-safe plastics for its industrial range, ensuring compliance with both environmental and safety standards.
Royal Household Standards: The "Finest" range used by the Royal Household is produced on the same lines as their standard consumer goods, applying industrial-grade durability to domestic tools.
Specialist Fibres: They maintain expertise in natural fibres, including bassine, cane and boar bristle, alongside modern synthetic filaments designed for specific surface textures.
4. The Hero Products
The 'Finest' Personal Care Range: High-specification nail, bath and hair brushes crafted from varnished hardwoods and natural bristles. These items are the domestic core of the collection supplied under the Royal Warrant.
The Tornado Modular Broom: A heavy-duty outdoor sweeping system featuring a telescopic handle and interchangeable heads, engineered specifically for residential driveways and garden paths.
Equestrian Grooming Brushes: A comprehensive range of specialised horse brushes, including 'Winner’s Circle' dandy brushes and soft body brushes, manufactured for stable use.
5. The Essentials
Royal Warrant Holder; ISO 9001 (Quality Management); FSC-certified timber.
Product Index: Commercial Cleaning: Industrial Brooms, Squeegees, Mops, Dustpans, Scrapers, Buckets, and Water-Fed Brushes. Hygienic Tools: Color-Coded Brushes, Antimicrobial Cleaning Tools, Metal Detectable Equipment, and Resin-Set Brushware for high-risk environments. Equestrian & Agricultural: Dandy Brushes, Body Brushes, Hoof Picks, Curry Combs, Stable Brooms, and Yard Scrapers. Traditional Heritage: Wooden-Stock Household Brushes, Hand-Drawn Specialist Brushes, and Natural Fibre Bannister Brushes. Grounds Maintenance: Heavy-Duty Outdoor Brooms, Leaf Rakes, and Shovels.
