Bagels, Blankets & Bubbly: An Industry Breakfast in London
A soft introduction to South African textiles in the heart of Mayfair.
At the tail end of April, we hosted our first industry breakfast in London – an intimate morning curated by Alice Wawrik (@by_alice_home), designed to introduce Mungo to a circle of editors, stylists, and creatives who share a love of beautiful, considered design.
Set in the cosy surrounds of Kleinsky’s, the beloved Cape Town deli’s new London outpost in Mayfair, the morning featured a relaxed spread of bagels, coffee, and a few glasses of Babylonstoren’s Sprankel (a nod to our South Africa roots) served alongside our signature homeware collection: flat-weave towels, textural cotton blankets, heirloom-quality table linens and natural fibre cushions.
South African Craft, Now Closer to Home
With the launch of our UK/EU store, the journey of Mungo comes full circle. What began in the mills of Yorkshire, and took shape in South Africa, has now returned to the UK – our textiles are now available with local distribution and fast, flat-rate shipping – no surprise duties, no long waits, just South African textiles at your door.
Thank you to all those who joined us for this first London moment.
Photographed by @morganelay
From UK to South Africa – and Back: The Story of Mungo
The story of Mungo begins long before the first flat-weave towel was woven or the mill doors opened.
Born in High Bentham – a hamlet with three textile mills – our founder and Master Weaver, Stuart Holding, was immersed in the world of weaving from a young age. In the 1960s, he undertook a five-year apprenticeship in the Yorkshire silk mills, a formative journey that would spark a lifelong passion for textile making.
From there, the story unfolds with adventure, family (and love). Stuart travelled the world, eventually settling in South Africa’s Garden Route, where he met his wife, Janet, and laid down roots.
In 1998, working from an old barn at Old Nick Village (a historic homestead that now houses our mill and flagship store), he began weaving short runs of natural fibre textiles on two carefully restored Lancashire looms. His vision was to make quality, considered, natural fibre homeware – and to make the process of visible to all who wished to see it.
Today, Mungo has grown from that barn into Mungo Mill, and is now home to a team of nearly 100. And yet, those original looms still run, and many of Stuart’s earliest designs remain part of the range. Our mill doors are open to the public – so if you ever find yourself in the area, please pay us a visit, and see the process in action.
