Cole & Mason

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources

British brand selling salt and pepper mills and herb tools.

There's no proof Cole & Mason pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 of 6

Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Met: High-risk raw materials (timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: timber

Red flags 2

Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Where it's made

From product labels; Cole & Mason doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
VietnamUsual for the industry	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
IndiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
PolandUsual for the industry	Regular violations	Close to a living wage	Moderate
IndonesiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
MalaysiaUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate

Evidence

What we found

Uses timber in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its timber comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.

Research notes Cole & Mason mills are designed in the UK and made in China, according to product listings and a US recall notice. Its owner, DK Household Brands (formerly DKB Household), does not name its factories or publish audit results, wage information or a modern slavery statement. Some mills use beech wood that the brand calls sustainably sourced, without naming a certification or origin. No labour abuse reports involving Cole & Mason were found, and no independent rating covers the brand.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Australian Modern Slavery Register	Not listed	No DK Household Brands (DKB Household) statement appears on the Australian Modern Slavery Register. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Not covered	Baptist World Aid does not rate kitchen tool brands. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources

Cole & Mason 505WEG pepper mills recall (US CPSC, 2023) · search the archive · Cole & Mason mills imported by DKB Household USA; manufactured in China
Modern Slavery Register search: dkb · search the archive · No DKB Household statement on the Australian register
Cole & Mason Lincoln salt and pepper mill (Minimax) · search the archive · Designed in the UK, made in China; sold by Minimax, which has stores in Australia
DKB Household UK Ltd (BIRA) · search the archive · DKB Household is part of the Swiss Diethelm Keller Group; brands include Cole & Mason and Zyliss
DK Household Brands announces new era of growth (Housewares News) · search the archive · DK Household Brands, a Diethelm Keller Group subsidiary, combines its housewares labels including Cole & Mason and Zyliss
Cole & Mason 105 beech wood gift set (DKSH Australia) · search the archive · Some mills made of acrylic and beech wood from a stated 'sustainable source'; no certification named

Company details

Owned by: DK Household Brands (formerly DKB Household), part of the Swiss Diethelm Keller Group
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Cole & Mason ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/cole-and-mason, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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