TD Tom Davies (www.tdtomdavies.com), a British brand of hand-made premium eyewear, has opened a new factory in Brentford, following an £800,000 investment and a decision to move production to the UK from China.

Mr Davies has boosted his profile considerably over the past two years, not just by creating glasses for personalities such as Heston Blumenthal and Ed Sheeran but also by launching five mono-brand opticians in central London locations, including Knightsbridge and Covent Garden.

He is continually innovating with new collections and materials, and this year’s sales of his ready-to-wear and bespoke frames are projected to reach £8 million.

Production by the 37-strong team at his new Brentford facility has already started, with experts flying in from China to train 10 local school-leavers and graduate apprentices.

By the end of the year, 30% of his frames will be made in Britain, increasing to 70% over the next three years. As manufacturing moves here, he will scale down his Shenzhen facility, but it will operate as a sales office for his increased distribution across Asia.

Mr Davies recognised the potential of the ‘Made in Britain’ manufacturing model back in 2014. It seemed the logical next step for his business — not just economically, with rising freight and wages costs in China, but for personal reasons too.

“I have a young family, and travelling to China nine times a year was really taking its toll. I want to focus here, and it’s more efficient to develop and design product at home rather than abroad.”

His career began in China 20 years ago, when he moved to Hong Kong after graduating in Art and Design from the University of East Anglia.

He spent several years working as chief designer for an eyewear start-up, creating frames for a number of international brands before returning home to establish his own company.

Five years later, his business was booming enough for him to open his own production facility in Shenzhen.