The Barbour story began in 1894 in the Market Place of South Shields, near Newcastle Upon Tyne in Englands North East. Today the 5th generation family owned business remains on Tyneside, with Barbour's headquarters located in Simonside, South Shields.

Although it sources products from around the globe, Barbour's classic wax jackets are still manufactured by hand in the factory in Simonside and each year over 100,000 jackets are processed. Barbour remains true to its core values as a family business which incorporates the unique attributes of the British Countryside and brings the qualities of wit, grit and glamour to its beautifully functional clothing.