In 1842 the first Pepper Mill with its grinding mechanism was invented in France. Cole & Mason was founded in the City of London in 1919 by Julian Cowan and was a family run business. The company traded initially in gift wares, but over 20 years moved into general house wares. Cole & Mason produced their first wood mill in Park Green, Uxbridge in 1946. In 1975 David Cowan designed the worlds first acrylic pepper mill. The idea for the mill came when David was attending a dinner party at a friend’s house and noticed the round acrylic doorknobs, David thought they would make an attractive design for a mill and so the 505 Acrylic Mill was born and this has been the Best selling mill for over 35 years selling over 15 million. In November 1995 David Cowan sold the business as a result of the rapid growth of it and its need for a management restructure. The company was still called Cole & Mason when sold. 2001 saw the launch of the first electronic mill called ‘Manhattan’ which is still sold today.

In 2002 Cole & Mason was purchased by William Levene. In 2010 Cole & Mason’s major business is now salt and pepper mills and there are now wooden, acrylic and stainless steel mills in the range. Cole & Mason are market leaders in the UK and export to over 60 Countries worldwide with marketing companies in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and the USA. Cole & Mason develop and design all their quality mills in house in Farnborough, UK. All Cole & Mason mills are fitted with design registered mechanisms and have a lifetime guarantee.