A toy manufacturer is adding more than 100 new products to its range as it marks its 40th anniversary.

Folkestone-based Bigjigs Toys was founded in 1985 by teachers Peter and Liz Ireland. Initially a side project, they spent their spare time handcrafting wooden puzzles in their garden shed before selling them at markets and fairs across the country.

Pouring all profits back into the company, it today employs around 50 staff and, in its latest financial report, had a turnover of £14.7 million.

Liz Ireland, managing director of the firm based on the Shearway Business Park, said: “We didn’t have much at the start. For years, Peter and I slept on a mattress on the floor and our sons Sam and Tom slept in the bottom of our chest of drawers.

“It was hard work, but we believed in what we were doing and were driven by a love of making toys and the joy they brought to children.”

Their sons joined the company once graduating from university. Sam is now operations director.

He added: “Growing up alongside the business made me appreciate the effort and care that went into every toy we made. Mum and Dad worked tirelessly over the years to make Bigjigs what it is today, and it’s incredible to think about how far we’ve come.”

Among the 100-plus products it will add during its anniversary year, will be its Montessori range as well as plush toys from its Simply Scandi range and a bespoke London-themed collection.

Concludes Liz Ireland: “These new launches are a celebration of the creativity and innovation that has driven Bigjigs Toys for 40 years, and we can’t wait to share them with the world.”