The Tabletop Group is just one of the companies selected to take part in a pilot scheme which is administered by the Design Council and receives funding of £7m a year from the Department of Trade & Industry.

The aim of the programme is not to teach companies how to be better designers but rather to challenge the participants decision making processes in areas such as manufacturing, supply chain management, product development and product and brand communications.

The Tabletop Group is delighted to be participating in the programme as it gives them the opportunity to discover the opinion of industry experts on their operations and initiatives. As part of the project, the Group has already undertaken a Design Immersion Day. This involved design and marketing experts spending the day with the company in order to undertake a full review of our current operations, thoughts and strategies. The findings will then be used to form the basis of the Design Immersion Programme activities that The Tabletop Group will undertake.

Claire Martin, The Tabletop Group's Marketing Manager says, "We have come a long way since our acquisition of Mason Cash and TG Green. We have successfully merged the companies, adopting a new Group identity, thereby securing the future of these brands. However, we are aware that there remains untapped potential in the business and The Design Council is helping us to think strategically about how we can capitalise on the tremendous assets we have at our disposal such as our brand names and the highly recognisable and successful products we produce."

Led by Gavin Pryke from The Design Council, the project is a pilot scheme before, potentially, being expanded to other sectors and companies later this year.

For more on The Tabletop Group's products and ranges take a look at: http://www.tabletopgroup.com/