Meet the Maker: Dock & Bay

Some brands catch your eye because of how they look. Dock & Bay caught ours because of how they think. A towel brand that is certified B Corp, makes every product from recycled plastic bottles, and has a colour palette that makes you want to immediately book a holiday. We have been stocking Dock & Bay towels in Ireland for a few years now, and we wanted to properly introduce you to the people behind them.

The Story Behind the Brand

Andy Jefferies and Ben Muller met while working together at a corporate bank in London. Two colleagues with wanderlust and a shared frustration. Every time they travelled, a towel would take up half the bag. The ones that packed small were too thin and too dull. The ones that looked good were bulky, slow to dry, and came back smelling terrible.

So in 2015, they left the bank behind and set out to build something better. The original idea came over drinks - they pulled a red curtain off the wall of Ben's living room and started pinning white strips across it to design their first towel. That is the kind of origin story that is either completely made up or absolutely true. In their case, it is true.

From a Living Room to Dragons' Den

The idea caught on quickly. By 2017, Andy and Ben were pitching on Dragons' Den, asking for £75,000 in exchange for a 5% stake in the business. They walked out with a deal from Deborah Meaden - the same money, but for a 10% stake. She later said she could see the business was in exactly the right hands and that the founders were their product.

That level of authenticity is still obvious today. Dock & Bay is not a corporate brand that stumbled into sustainability. It is a brand that was built by people who genuinely love travelling, being outdoors, and looking after the world they explore.

What Dock & Bay Actually Makes

The range has grown well beyond beach towels. Here is what you will find across the collection:

• Beach towels - the original, available in dozens of stripe and print designs
• Hair wraps - quick-dry and compact, ideal for travel or the gym
• Ponchos - for adults and kids, great after swimming or at the beach
• Dog towels - yes, really, and they are as good as the human ones
• Bath towels and tea towels - for bringing the same thinking home

Every product dries three times faster than a regular cotton towel, is sand-free, odour-resistant, and compact enough to pack without a second thought. They are available in a wide range of designs - bold stripes, seasonal prints, limited editions - so there is nearly always something that suits whoever you are buying for.

The Sustainability Side

This is where Dock & Bay stands apart from most lifestyle brands.

Every single product is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The material is shredded plastic, rewoven into the fabric that goes into every towel, poncho and hair wrap they sell. One towel uses the equivalent of 22 plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfill or the ocean.

The packaging is fully biodegradable. In 2023, Dock & Bay became a certified B Corp - one of the most rigorous independent sustainability standards a business can achieve, covering everything from supply chain to employee welfare to environmental impact.

Since they started, they have donated over £500,000 to charities with a focus on causes that protect the natural world - including WWF, The Red Cross, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and The Hunger Project.

Their tagline is "make the world brighter." It shows in the prints, the attitude and the way they talk about what they do. These are people who care but do not take themselves too seriously. That combination is harder to pull off than it looks.

Why We Stock Them at Quinlan's

We stock Dock & Bay because the products do exactly what they say they will, and they look great doing it. They come back into our bestsellers every summer without fail - particularly the striped beach towels - and we have never had a customer disappointed. They also work brilliantly as a  gift.

Practical enough that people actually use them, beautiful enough that they feel like a proper present. If you are buying for someone who travels, someone heading into a summer of beach days, or someone who just deserves something more considered than a standard cotton towel, this is a strong call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Dock and Bay towels available in Ireland?

Yes, we stock a full range of Dock & Bay towels, hairwraps, tote bags, dog towels, kids towels and ponchos here at Quinlans.ie, with quick delieveery across Ireland and beyond.

What are Dock and Bay towels made from?

Every Dock & Bay product is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The plastic is shredded and rewoven into a quick-dry fabric. The packaging is also fully biodegradable.

Are Dock and Bay towels good for the beach?

They are designed specifically for beach use - quick-dry, sand-free, odour-resistant and compact enough to fit in a bag without taking over. They are also a B Corp certified brand, so you can feel good about buying them.

Do Dock and Bay towels make a good gift?

They are one of our most gifted products. They work for almost anyone - beach lovers, gym-goers, travellers, families. The range of designs means you can find something that suits the person you are buying for.

Shop Dock & Bay at Quinlan's Gifts

Practical, beautiful and a little bit fun. That is Dock & Bay, and that is exactly why we stock them. Quinlan's Gifts has been bringing quality Irish and international gifts to customers since 1988.