A company who care

Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Premier) - a range of exquisitely made duvets and pillows which adorn the shelves of the UK's grandest stores. A range where quality and detail matter and are never compromised so that you are given the very best products which will serve you for many years to come.

The Ribeco group who produce this range have nearly 100 years experience of working within this industry and it is their undisputed knowledge and skills that combine to create such perfection. This family company have passed down their expertise from generation to generation, a solid foundation upon which to create, innovate and manufacture. Their reassuring manufacturer's 10 year guarantee confirms their trust in their products .

Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Premier) - sheer indulgence

Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Premier) is the epitome of complete and utter, sheer indulgence. A range which uses only the finest down and feathers from the finest producers in the world and then is stitched to the highest standards in Germany, where quality matters.

This range really is at the top end of the market and this is reflected in its high specification and minute attention to detail. All products within this range are made using goose down which provides the most luxurious warmth along with an exquisite softness that is light and airy, a winning combination for a perfect night’s sleep.

These products are not mass produced but sensitively and ecologically manufactured in Germany under strict and constant quality control.

Making Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Premier) duvets

Little has changed over the years when it comes to duvet manufacture, obviously new products are developed and research is paramount and yet the basics of manufacture remain the same.

The feather and down is collected from Europe or North America.

They are first cleaned together with natural soap in water and dried, the drying process is done immediately in a tumble dryer and must reach 120 c in order to sterilise the feathers and down and to dry them thoroughly.

The feathers and down are placed into a large machine in which they are simply thrown up using a spinner. They hit a continuous air stream which carries them across several chambers. The first chamber across will naturally collect the feathers which are the heaviest as they will fall down first, the next chamber will collect a mixture of feathers and down and the last chamber will collect the quality down as this, being the lightest, will travel the furthest. The number of chambers used varies according to the precision of qualities needed.

Once in their respective chambers, the feather and down are re-baled into their different categories, taken to the relevant filling machines where they are sucked up and blown into the duvet casing.

The duvet casing itself has received the most development over the years and its clever construction allows for the feather and down properties to be at their best.

Each square of the duvet has its own wall inside in between the two fabric layers, these walls are known as a cassette (or baffle) construction and are about 1-2cm high. They allow for the movement of the feathers and down within their own cassette and eliminate the problem of the filling collecting in one corner creating ‘cold spots’ when sleeping underneath.
Each cassette has a hole within its wall so that the pipe can be put through in order to fill it with the feather and down. A cleverly designed gauze gate is place over this so that when the pipe comes out of each cassette the gate closes, trapping the filling within its cassette.

All of Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Premier) duvet shells are manufactured to the highest standards using 100% cotton cambric which is combed and woven in the finest mills and has a 280 -310 thread count. Thread count simply means the amount of threads used to weave per square inch of the fabric. Cotton cambric originated in Cambrai in France during the 16th century and is one of the finest cotton fabrics. It is lightweight and is very closely woven which ensures that the filling will stay encased within the fabric. The closeness of the construction is also highly important in making the natural duvet a non allergenic product as there is no where for the mites to penetrate due to the tight construction.

Caring for the environment

In Germany and there are strict government regulations in place which dictate that all manufacturing is ecologically friendly. We can guarantee that your Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Premier) duvet is manufactured in a way that is conducive to a better environment and we pride ourselves in this.

The birds that we take our feathers and down from are raised in natural environments and fed on the best grains. We feel that this is important for both the well being of the goose and duck during its life, it also guarantees the best feather and down for our products.

Feather and down by their very nature are organic products, they are collected, washed with natural soap and dried at 120 c. They are then encased within a pure cotton fabric which is stitched using pure cotton thread. We have also invested in machinery which ensures that 70% of the water used in washing the feathers and down is then recycled and used again.

Most of our packaging is cardboard which is recyclable.

Die Zudecke (Surrey Down Company) certifications

NOMITE

The NOMITE mark is peace of mind for anyone who is allergic to the house dust mite. The feathers and down used are not habitable places for such mites due to their thermal and climatic conditions. The properties of this filling create a rapid heating up while the person is sleeping and a decrease in the bed’s humidity - not a place for a dust mite.

To conform to NOMITE standards the cotton cambric fabric must also be an extremely tight weave of at least 230 thread count, this means that there are 230 threads used per inch. The more threads, the denser the fabric. The very nature of a cambric weave means that there are very little gaps within the fabric. The combination of the cambric weave and the high thread count ensure a fabric which cannot be penetrated by the mites.

NOMITE trust in the properties of a natural filled duvet and believe that everyone deserves to have a perfect night’s sleep every night. They are campaigning hard to raise awareness of the fact that dust allergy sufferers are not affected by a natural duvet as most people believe. The NOMITE mark is there to reassure these allergy sufferers and prove to them that they too, deserve the best.

Oeko Tex

‘People are increasingly aware of the relationship between textile production and related environmental issues. The media feeds this concern, in particular with regards to topics addressing harmful substances historically present in many textiles and their effects on human health. Textile and clothing producers are working successfully to design products so that no harmful substances are present in any significant amounts and to achieve this, a significant technological effort is required by the industry. Manufacturers can work towards this goal by adopting recognised "environmentally friendly" working methods such as careful selection of dye-stuffs, optimisation of the dye baths, chlorine free bleaching techniques, low formaldehyde finishing methods and by selecting pesticide and heavy metal free materials. By employing these and other recognised methods, the results of these efforts are safe products, which pose no risk to the consumer’. Oeko Tex website January 2008

This company is concerned with the human ecological safety of textiles through every stage of production from the raw material to the finished article. Products carrying the OekoTex 100 standard label have been tested by independent test institutes throughout the world for harmful substances which may not be human friendly. It is guaranteed that every product showing this label is 100% eco friendly for both the consumer and the environment.

Daunasan and Downafresh

Daunasan® and Downafresh® are brands of the Association of the European Bedfeather and Bedding Industries. They emphasise that the filling material conforms to European Standard EN 12935. Companies displaying these brands are required to have their feather and down production tested regularly by independent hygiene laboratories and the processing of their filling material documented.

All the down used in our products is washed for at least 1 hour in order to ensure that it is thoroughly clean, it is then rinsed 6-8 times. The drying process which is used ensures that the down is sterilised as the temperature must reach 100 degrees.

A selection from each batch is tested in the laboratories to confirm that the process has been completed correctly and efficiently, leaving a filling which is hygienic and sanitised.

Call us

Should you have any questions or require further information regarding any of the information written above then please feel free to call us on 01257 270330. We will help you in any way that we can and, if we are unable to answer your question immediately then we shall ask someone who can and call you back.