Bruton Street Banter
There are few people more qualified to chat about the opportunities and vicissitudes facing British luxury. Away from the office, William Asprey is also chomping at the bit for grouse’s Glorious 12th to mark the start of his beloved shooting season
Article by Rupert Watkins
William & Son is a premises that makes any lover of the finer things in life go weak at the knees. An elegant temple to supple English leather, seductive shotguns and sumptuous timepieces, its move from Mount Street to Bruton Street has certainly been a success. As founder William Asprey comments, “we see more passing trade. We have more window space to show off our wares.” The move, with its proximity to Bond Street, has seen many new customers attracted to the store.
With the Asprey history in purveying luxury stretching back seven generations, few are better qualified to run an eye over the luxury world in 2016. “British luxury has always been appreciated more abroad than at home” William says. In the 16 years William & Son has stood independently, he has however seen an increase in the businesses setting up under the “Made in England” auspices – pointing to the much-publicised renaissance of British watchmaking and brands such as Bremont and Graham. “A lot of credibility is given to companies that are British,” he comments. More pertinently, that element of service, of listening to the customer, understanding their needs and concerns and giving them exactly what they want has traditionally been a huge aspect of how the best British companies have innately gone about their business. In a world of large conglomerates, the intimate, “family business” feel of the best British luxury companies has been a constant selling point.
That said, the very nature of modern commerce means those stuck in their ways will not survive, “there is a tremendous process of continual adaptation,” William remarks. He points to those large firms who invested early in the Chinese market who, though they enjoyed a torrid period when the Beijing government stamped down on conspicuous consumption, have reaped the benefits of their initial bold move. Given the lack of financial firepower (compared to the predominant luxury conglomerates) for many British companies, much of their reach has been through their networks and friendships around the world. The discreet reach which William mentions is key to driving customer loyalty and having the flexibility to respond in innovative and agile ways to fresh opportunity.
“Luxury” itself is an idea under constant debate, “it is not about the price point, it is about the thought,” stresses William. It is about more than just giving the customer what they want: it is about solving their dilemma and giving them an experience through flawless service. William takes great pride in the fact that, “there is no average William & Son client.” Everyone is treated the same way whether they have saved for many months to afford just one small leather item or they are a regular customer. As he points out, no company can afford not to nurture these small customers and see them returning as and when they are able to. From Royalty to recently naturalised UK citizens seeking a leather passport cover, the shop welcomes many.
Like other British luxury firms, William & Son has suffered from the UK’s lack of investment in training and apprenticeships. It is ever more difficult to get young people into apprentice programmes – especially those lasting six or seven years - in an era of instant gratification. Even those who get most of the way through and, in William’s words, “can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” frequently believe they can go it alone. William remarks the gunsmith arena loses many people in this way, with many attempting to see if the grass is greener as independent gun makers at about the three to four year point. Given this is very rarely the case, the industry loses many people who, dispirited, leave the artisan world completely thus wasting their initial training and exacerbating shortfalls.
Away from the office, befitting the founder of a firm selling immaculate shotguns, William is a keen and well known shot. He loves the challenge of shooting grouse. Despite its expense it is a much cherished part of his shooting year. Having shot extensively throughout the UK as well as in Spain, South Africa, Cuba and the US, he is well placed to comment on the current issues facing country sports. The ongoing debate over lead shot leaves him concerned for the viability of some shoots, “a move to non-toxic shot would certainly be more expensive in the short term and that does mean the price of shooting will rise and smaller shoots will suffer. High bird shoots may even suffer more as non-toxic shot is currently not as powerful.” Given the number of countryside lobbying groups that have grown up over the past decade, William believes the countryside and its way of life is better represented than ever before, though sees some occasions where issues are not addressed coherently and simply differing agendas dilute a simple message, “when needed everyone must pull together to support shooting.”
One area that perturbs him is that the decreasing level of moderation in people’s thinking – often fuelled by a lack of countryside knowledge – actually ends up damaging biodiversity. William points as an example to the various campaigns that have grown up to defend birds of prey against limited culling, forgetting that they in turn have eviscerated songbird numbers. If people wish to enjoy all aspects of the British countryside, certain checks and balances have to be maintained. Like many shooters he praises the dedication of gamekeepers in ensuring their domains remain remarkable for their diversity and balance between various species of animal.
Given the seemingly never ending global stream of gun related news, William remains unperturbed by shadow of further gun legislation, “we are closely monitored in this country,” with strict and precise licensing laws that should preclude further extreme clampdowns. Given both his firms’s US patronage and his own shooting expeditions across the pond, while he concedes the paperwork to travel has become ever more burdensome, it is not insurmountable and he has been able to take a variety of his guns there and around the world. Whilst this country does not have the formalised hunting exams of say Germany and its schützen prüfung, William points to the introduction of a deer-stalking exam here in aiding the shooting development and environmental understanding of newcomers to the sport.
Above all though, shooting is a social and convivial sport, a pastime where the friendships made are more important than mere tallies in a sporting book. William will not be shooting on the Glorious 12th itself this year though a spot of grouse shooting is most certainly in the diary for the urbane purveyor of the nicer British things in life. 
Enquiries: William & Son, 34-36 Bruton Street, Mayfair, London W1J 6QX / 0207 4938385 / www.williamandson.com/