Our Reputation
We are a long established, family run business that upholds an unrivalled reputation in the fabric care industry and more importantly, amongst our loyal customers. We have recently used our knowledge and credibility to create product lines that are barker endorsed. Superior quality and care goes into sourcing and creating the collections and all our accessories that we represent – and that’s why our customers adore them.
Our Services
Our mission has always been to create, nurture and sustain the finest fabrics through confidence, integrity and unique service delivery – and we believe that standing by this mantra is what has contributed to building our superb reputation and loyal customer base today. Our workmanship and ability to innovate, provide value for money and simply deliver an unrivalled service offering is what stands us apart.
Our Customers
Because our customers remain our advocates – we re-pay them by ensuring we always deliver the best possible results. We abide by our traditional values and current approach by combining good old fashion methods, with the latest cutting edge technology to deliver unrivalled quality and service. We are thrilled that so many of our barker community, not only come back time and again, but go on to tell their friends, family and associates what a great experience they have had with barker.
Our Reputation
We are a long established, family run business that upholds an unrivalled reputation in the fabric care industry and more importantly, amongst our loyal customers. We have recently used our knowledge and credibility to create product lines that are barker endorsed. Superior quality and care goes into sourcing and creating the collections and all our accessories that we represent – and that’s why our customers adore them.
Our Services
Our mission has always been to create, nurture and sustain the finest fabrics through confidence, integrity and unique service delivery – and we believe that standing by this mantra is what has contributed to building our superb reputation and loyal customer base today. Our workmanship and ability to innovate, provide value for money and simply deliver an unrivalled service offering is what stands us apart.
Our Customers
Because our customers remain our advocates – we re-pay them by ensuring we always deliver the best possible results. We abide by our traditional values and current approach by combining good old fashion methods, with the latest cutting edge technology to deliver unrivalled quality and service. We are thrilled that so many of our barker community, not only come back time and again, but go on to tell their friends, family and associates what a great experience they have had with barker.
1940s
The Beginnings
Ken Barker starts up the company
1947
Company bought
Ken buys Collins Cleaners outright
1972
Founding
Ken’s son Anthony founded Anthony A. Barker Ltd, taking on 3 locations
2000
Re-brand
Anthony's son buys the company and rebrands to become Barker Group
2018
Simply barker
A company providing a consistently high quality service with an unrivalled reputation for excellence.
Heritage
Barker have a heritage that spans decades. Read on to see how barker began, and how we have become the most successful launderers in the UK.
The Barker family has been involved in dry cleaning for three generations. Ken Barker started up in the 1940s and it’s fair to say that without him, the industry would be very different today. Ken started work for an acquaintance in the business called Walter Knight. Over the years Ken and Walter built up the ‘Collins Cleaners’ business until in 1947 Ken decided to buy the company outright. He continued to grow the business and by 1958 Collins Cleaners had over forty shops and three factories. In 1959 Ken became president of the National Federation of Dyers and Cleaners. In 1960 Ken sold the business and became Deputy Chairman of Quality Cleaners of Worcester. He was responsible for the merger of this company with Sketchley’s making it the biggest dry cleaning company in the country. At that time more than half Sketchley’s branches had been set up by Ken Barker.
Ken’s son Anthony followed in his father’s footsteps and, with three friends, opened Harlequin Cleaners and later Commodore Cleaners. In 1972 Anthony took on three shops: Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, founding Anthony A. Barker Ltd. Anthony and his wife Valerie decided the future of the business lay in the provision of high quality domestic laundry services, both to the public and dry cleaners themselves. The business thrived and Anthony’s son, Matthew entered the business. Matthew’s tenacity, vision and hard work over the past fifteen years, has been the driving force behind the growth of the barker brand, which has gone from strength to strength. In 2000 Matthew bought the company from his father, re-branding to become Barker Group.
Today, it’s simply barker – a company providing a consistently high quality service with an unrivalled reputation for excellence. As for Matthew Barker, he is still dedicated to building and improving on the skills and traditions passed down through the family. His vision is to make barker’s a byword in quality laundry throughout the world.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Integrity is at the heart of the barker brand DNA, and that’s why we are wholly committed to ensuring that we are reducing our carbon footprint and are focused on becoming one of the country’s greenest and ethical laundries and retailers.
Why?
• To minimise waste by reviewing our operations; ensuring they are as efficient as possible.
• To minimise carbon emissions through our fleet selection and power supply.
• To actively promote recycling throughout our organisation.
• To source and promote a product range minimising environmental impact of both our production and distribution.
• To meet exceed environmental legislation relating to our organisation and its activities.
• To offset, and where possible, eliminate greenhouse gas emissions generated by our activities.
Community Engagement
Supporting My Time charity
Part of our brand promise is to make a difference to people’s lives by relieving them from doing their mundane duties and providing beautiful home products so that they can live life to the full and love their home.
Sadly for over 250,000 young carers in the UK, they do not get the luxury of being relieved from their day to day duties due to taking care of sick loved ones. Their home is certainly no haven, for most it is a place where they have the weight of responsibility, and suffer from anxiety and tiredness.
MD Matt Barker decided to take action and set up a charity called My Time.
My Time focuses on giving young carers a well-deserved weekend break in the Purbecks. The young carers benefit from the simple break away from their responsibilities – a chance to reboot. They spend time with other young carers recognising that they are not alone – often forging lasting friendships. They take part in activities that young people should. Most importantly they have time to be themselves.
For more information on this wonderful project or to donate please visit My Time Charity
Sponsors of Bournemouth Rugby
Supporting our local community is of paramount important to us, for this reason, we have been involved with Bournemouth Rugby for a number of years working with the team and Ripper Rugby. More recently we have joined forces to support a community programme, which we are delighted to be a part of. Bournemouth and Ripper Rugby teamed up to drive a new initiative that entailed bringing rugby into Schools and reaching areas where rugby might have missed.
We are delighted to continue to support the programme that shares our company values of integrity and respect for one another – a game that brings the community together from all walks of life and allows you to forget the stresses of life and have some good old fashioned fun.
For more information on Bournemouth Rugby’s community programme visit Bournemouth Rugby