Toast - Series 7: Paperchase
episodePreviously titled “Toast - Paperchase” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 27, 2026
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Why did Paperchase become a beloved stationery brand?
Hello and welcome to Toast, the BBC Radio 4 series which celebrates incredible brands, incredible products that reach dizzy heights, only somehow to still end up toast. I'm the BBC business journalist Sean Farrington, with me is entrepreneur Sam White, who honestly doesn't know what we're about to discuss. It means her response is... are the real deal. Her conclusions at the end are based on what she's just heard. And this time, we're checking out the place where Britain bought its notepads, its gift wrap, its birthday cards. Hello, Sam. Are you one of those that goes to the high street for a bit of a stationary purchase, a bit of a treat for somebody's birthday?
No, that is not my sort of Saturday afternoon activity, but I do understand that some people fondly do that.
Well, our topic today is paper chase. Design-led darling of the high street, known for its original and extensive range of greeting cards. But of course, there was all that stationery, the wrapping paper, the gifts, the art materials as well. The retail chain story began in 1968 when the first shop was opened in London by two former art students, Judith Cash and Edward or Eddie Pond. Eddie died in 2012, but we can hear from two of his children, Chris and Rebecca Pond. Join us now. Welcome to Toast You, Per. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Rebecca, I mean, he'd already launched a business, is that right, called Polypops Products?
Yeah, he'd worked for the Reed Group. He was like the design director. And he started this work of creating big cardboard toys and table chairs for kids and like pop art prints, wrapping papers. And I think Paper Chase was a vehicle for, for that product. And that was where this Polypops product was all going to be sold. And he went into partnership with Judith Cash. She was a great buyer and she had a fantastic eye for product from Denmark, from Italy, from all over and just put this whole thing together, the two of them. Yeah.
So back then, Chris, Paper Chase had three shops, all of them in London, and you worked in them as teenagers. What were they like, those stores?
I started working in the Tottenham Court Road one when I was 14 in 1974, doing summer holidays and weekends. And it was a great place to work. It was full of art students. It was just like an Aladdin's cave of art, really.
What do you remember about them, Rebecca?
I think the main thing that I remember were these fantastic windows. The window dressers created the most incredible windows that enticed people in. They had all these garlands, the sort of Danish paper garlands and huge round great paper sort of mobiles. And then you'd have a whole wall of wrapping papers. Just every type of print you can imagine. A lot of famous people used to come through the door. I mean, you went from Montblanc pens, you had to sort of pop art posters, art books, just a beautiful array of merchandise.
Which celebs stick in your mind?
Well, I do remember serving Elaine Page and her friend and somebody coming up and asking her for an autograph.
I remember serving Terry Wogan. He suddenly looked up and there he was with a big handful of wrapping paper at a pound each. Yeah, really expensive wrapping paper, but fantastic wrapping paper. You couldn't get it anywhere else. So that's why everyone used to turn up there.
Now, Chris, your dad sold the business before it became the international chain that so many people are aware of today. Do you think he'd have been proud to have seen where it got to?
Yeah, I'm sure he was proud to see it all and everything. You know, he didn't mention paper chase a lot. I think it was probably a sad chapter in his life when he actually had to sell it and just carried on with the rest of his design work. I mean, it was just a part of his life. He had other businesses and he just got on with it, really.
Rebecca?
Yeah, I think he would have been pleased with himself. You know, it became this huge brand that everybody knows. And one of his big things was like making beautiful design accessible for the general public.
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