OUR STORY EST. 1970

Established in 1970 by Charlotte de la Bédoyère, Search Press is an independent family-run and owned 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 creative, 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, as well as our homebase in the UK, we continue to expand and develop our list with new and exciting ideas.

OVER 50 YEARS OF
SEARCH PRESS

Search Press was founded in 1970, when Charlotte (Lotti) de la Bédoyère published her first book, Basket Weaving, in an attic room in Kensington, London.

Lotti

1970

Translated from a German book, this was to be the first of many titles. The thought process was simple: to publish small, reasonably-priced books that were packed with practical information, offering crafters and needlecrafters new ideas and inspirational designs.

Books

1971

Lotti went on to include hot trends like pin and thread, and candle making which the market loved, so she continued by introducing full-colour and a successful series of practical art books called the Leisure Arts.

Needle and thread

1973

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 continue to thrive today.

Tunbridge Wells

1981

She went on to publish many popular books, developing new series and titles. After 27 years, Lotti retired, passing the ever-growing publishing house to her son Martin de la Bédoyère, who became Managing Director alongside his wife, Caroline.

Lotti and Martin

1990

Both Caroline and Martin had extensive publishing experience gained as directors at Heinemann, which supported them as they continued to build on the strong traditions that Lotti had developed over the first 27 years of Search Press’s life.

Warehouse

1997

Nearly 30 years on, Search Press continues to create high‑quality books for the growing arts and crafts community. In 2025, Caroline and Martin’s daughter, Charlie de la Bedoyere, joined as Sales and Marketing Director, representing the third generation of the family.

Charlie de la Bédoyère

Today

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