Clarity about what sits behind the work

Roberts London publishes independent editorial work alongside commercial activity.

It may receive press invitations, hospitality, products, access or other benefits connected with its editorial work. It may also enter into paid partnerships, use affiliate links, sell products through the Roberts London Shop and publish material concerning businesses connected through common ownership or management.

These relationships do not all mean the same thing.

Our principle is simple:

Readers should be able to understand what relationship sits behind the work they are seeing.

Where a commercial, financial or organisational relationship could reasonably affect how a reader understands a piece of content, Roberts London will make that relationship clear.

Editorial and commercial activity

Roberts London operates as both:

• An editorial and media publication.
• A developing retail business through the Roberts London Shop.

The existence of commercial activity does not mean that every piece of Roberts London content is advertising.

Independent editorial work may coexist with:

• Advertising.
• Paid partnerships.
• Affiliate relationships.
• Hosted visits.
• Press invitations.
• Gifted products.
• Loaned products.
• Retail activity.
• Affiliated companies and projects.

The nature of the relationship determines how it is described.

Roberts London will not knowingly present paid commercial material as though it were independent editorial work.

Independent editorial work

Independent editorial work is selected and controlled by Roberts London rather than purchased by the subject.

A business, person or organisation may:

• Suggest a story.
• Send information.
• Invite Roberts London to visit.
• Provide access.
• Offer an interview.
• Send a press release.
• Provide factual clarification.

None of these actions alone gives that person or organisation editorial control.

Independent editorial work remains subject to Roberts London’s own:

• Subject selection.
• Research.
• Writing.
• Photography.
• Editing.
• Conclusions.
• Publication decision.

A subject does not ordinarily receive a right to approve an independent article before publication.

Read Editorial Standards →

Press invitations

Roberts London may be invited to:

• Exhibitions.
• Theatre performances.
• Restaurant openings.
• Hotel previews.
• Private views.
• Cultural events.
• Shop openings.
• Product launches.
• Press days.
• Other editorially relevant events.

Press admission or an invitation may provide access that assists the preparation of editorial work.

Where the invitation is relevant to a reader’s understanding of the resulting coverage, Roberts London may use a disclosure such as:

Press Invitation: Admission was provided for editorial consideration. No commitment to publish was made.

A press invitation does not guarantee:

• Publication.
• Positive coverage.
• A recommendation.
• Social-media coverage.
• Future commercial work.

The organisation providing access does not ordinarily control the final editorial conclusions.

Hosted visits

A hosted visit occurs where a meaningful part of an experience is provided without the ordinary charge.

Examples may include:

• A restaurant meal.
• A hotel stay.
• Travel.
• A tour.
• A ticketed experience.
• A treatment or service.
• Hospitality connected with an event.

Where relevant, Roberts London may use a disclosure such as:

Hosted Visit: Roberts London attended as a guest of the venue. The invitation did not determine the content or conclusions of this article.

The disclosure may be adapted to describe the actual arrangement accurately.

A hosted visit does not automatically make the resulting work an advertisement.

Where the host has paid for, commissioned, approved or exercised sufficient control over the content, the material will instead be identified as advertising or paid commercial content where appropriate.

Read Reviews & Recommendations →

Complimentary admission

Museums, galleries, theatres, exhibitions and other institutions may provide press admission to journalists, publishers and media organisations.

Where complimentary admission is routine press access and does not create editorial control, Roberts London may disclose it as a press invitation rather than an advertisement.

The circumstances will be considered individually.

The existence of free admission will not be concealed where knowledge of it would reasonably help the reader understand the conditions in which the work was prepared.

Gifts

Roberts London may receive:

• Books.
• Catalogues.
• Samples.
• Products.
• Food or drink.
• Press gifts.
• Promotional items.
• Other objects.

Receiving an unsolicited item does not create an obligation to publish.

Where Roberts London retains an item and that fact is material to the resulting content, the content may be marked:

Gifted

or with a fuller explanation appropriate to the circumstances.

A gift does not guarantee:

• A review.
• A recommendation.
• Positive coverage.
• Inclusion in photography.
• Social-media publication.

Roberts London may decline, return, donate, retain or otherwise deal with unsolicited items as reasonably appropriate unless a different arrangement has been agreed.

Products loaned for review

A business, maker, dealer or institution may lend an object temporarily for:

• Examination.
• Photography.
• Filming.
• Research.
• Review.
• Comparison.

Where the temporary loan is relevant, Roberts London may identify the item as:

Loaned for Review

The owner remains responsible for clearly communicating any special handling, insurance or return requirements before the loan is accepted.

The existence of a loan does not guarantee favourable editorial treatment.

Reduced rates and industry terms

Roberts London may sometimes receive:

• Press rates.
• Industry rates.
• Media discounts.
• Preferential access.
• Other reduced commercial terms.

Where the benefit is material to the reader’s understanding of the experience, it will be disclosed.

A reduced rate should not be described as though the ordinary public price had been paid.

Advertising

Roberts London may accept advertising that is suitable for the publication and its audience.

Advertising may appear as:

• Display advertising.
• Sponsored placement.
• Commercial photography or film.
• Paid editorial-style content.
• Social-media advertising.
• Newsletter advertising where such a service is introduced.
• Other clearly commercial formats.

Advertising should be recognisable as advertising.

Depending upon the format, Roberts London may use labels such as:

Advertisement

or:

Advertisement Feature

The disclosure should appear where the reader encounters the commercial content rather than relying solely upon this general policy page.

Payment does not entitle an advertiser to influence unrelated independent editorial work.

Paid partnerships

Roberts London may work with brands, venues, institutions and other organisations to create commissioned commercial content.

Such relationships may include:

• Paid articles.
• Sponsored films.
• Social-media campaigns.
• Commissioned photography.
• Brand partnerships.
• Commercial events.
• Paid travel or hospitality arrangements.
• Other commissioned creative work.

Where appropriate, this material may be identified as:

Paid Partnership

or:

Advertisement

The exact disclosure will depend upon the nature of the arrangement and the context in which the material appears.

A paid partnership may still be produced according to Roberts London’s visual and editorial standards. Its commercial nature must nevertheless remain clear.

Editorial-style advertising

Some commercial work may intentionally use the same photography, film, typography or storytelling quality as Roberts London’s independent editorial work.

Visual similarity must not conceal commercial status.

Where commercial content resembles surrounding editorial material, Roberts London will use an appropriately prominent disclosure so that the reader can distinguish it before or as they engage with the content.

Commercial control

The level of control exercised by a commercial partner matters.

Control may include requirements concerning:

• What must be said.
• Claims that must be included.
• Products that must appear.
• Images that must be used.
• Publication dates.
• Links.
• Calls to action.
• Approval before publication.

Where payment or another relevant commercial relationship combines with sufficient control over the content, Roberts London will treat the material as advertising where appropriate.

Editorial discussion of a business does not become independent merely because Roberts London agrees with the required message.

Affiliate links

Roberts London may use affiliate links.

An affiliate link is a link through which Roberts London may receive a commission or other commercial benefit if a reader:

• Makes a purchase.
• Makes a booking.
• Registers for a service.
• Completes another qualifying action.

Affiliate relationships will be disclosed where appropriate.

A disclosure may state:

Affiliate Link: Roberts London may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made through this link.

Where affiliate links form a substantial part of a piece or materially influence its commercial purpose, a broader and more prominent advertising disclosure may be used.

Affiliate commissions do not determine Roberts London’s independent editorial opinion.

Roberts London will not knowingly recommend an unsuitable product or service merely because a higher commission is available.

Affiliate prices

Unless specifically stated otherwise, Roberts London does not set prices charged by third-party affiliate merchants.

Prices, availability and promotional terms may change after publication.

Readers should confirm the current price and terms on the seller’s website before purchasing.

Where an affiliate arrangement changes the price paid by the customer, this should be made clear where required.

The Roberts London Shop

Roberts London sells or intends to sell selected products directly through the Roberts London Shop.

Product pages are commercial pages.

They are not presented as independent reviews of products sold by Roberts London.

A product page may contain:

• Editorial-quality photography.
• Historical information.
• Design analysis.
• Maker information.
• Provenance where known.
• Condition information.
• Related editorial context.

The quality or depth of that content does not alter the commercial purpose of the product page.

Where an editorial article discusses an object that Roberts London currently offers for sale, the commercial relationship will be disclosed where it is material.

A suitable disclosure may state:

Roberts London Shop: An item related to this article is currently offered for sale by Roberts London.

Editorial-commerce projects

Roberts London may develop projects in which editorial work and commercial activity arise from the same underlying subject.

For example, Roberts London may:

• Research a historic London collecting field.
• Visit dealers or specialists.
• Acquire objects.
• Document the buying process.
• Publish films and articles.
• Offer selected objects for sale.

Such projects can legitimately combine reporting, learning, collecting and commerce.

Where Roberts London owns, is selling or has another material financial interest in an object discussed editorially, that interest will be disclosed when it could reasonably affect how the reader interprets the work.

The existence of a commercial interest does not mean that the history or factual research is necessarily unreliable. It does mean that the relationship should be visible.

Affiliated companies, houses and projects

Roberts London forms part of The Company of Extraordinary Companies, the wider portfolio of houses, businesses, projects and publications developed by Barry Roberts.

Roberts London may publish work concerning connected businesses and projects.

These may include:

• Links London.
• Sampson Mordan.
• Roberts & Co.
• Leuchars.
• English Art Works.
• Other houses or projects that become part of the wider portfolio.

Where the relationship is material, Roberts London will identify it prominently.

A typical disclosure may state:

Affiliated Company: The subject of this article and Roberts London are connected through common ownership within The Company of Extraordinary Companies. This article is not presented as an independent review of an unrelated business.

The precise wording may be adapted where another description more accurately explains the relationship.

Editorial work about affiliated companies

Roberts London may legitimately publish:

• Histories.
• Interviews.
• Archive discoveries.
• Product studies.
• Design analysis.
• Workshop visits.
• Launch coverage.
• Films.
• Behind-the-scenes material.
• Business updates.

concerning affiliated houses.

This work may still involve genuine editorial research and judgement.

However, Roberts London will not describe itself as an independent third-party reviewer of an affiliated business.

Where praise or recommendation appears, readers should be able to see the ownership or management connection.

Common ownership does not mean identical editorial positions

Businesses within The Company of Extraordinary Companies may have different purposes, audiences and commercial interests.

Roberts London may document, analyse or discuss their activities without implying that every statement represents a formal position adopted by every affiliated house.

Where a page is primarily commercial information for a particular house, it should ordinarily be published through that house’s own channels rather than disguised as independent Roberts London editorial coverage.

Personal interests and conflicts

A relationship can be relevant even where no money changes hands.

Potential interests may include:

• Personal ownership of an object discussed.
• A financial interest in a business.
• Common ownership.
• A close personal relationship.
• A longstanding professional relationship.
• A commission or consultancy.
• A gift of meaningful value.
• Hospitality materially beyond ordinary press access.

Roberts London will consider whether a reasonable reader would regard the relationship as relevant when interpreting the work.

Not every remote connection requires a formal disclosure.

The aim is useful transparency rather than an exhaustive record of every previous interaction.

Investments and ownership interests

Where Roberts London or Barry Roberts has a material ownership, investment or commercial interest in the subject of editorial coverage, that relationship will be disclosed where it could reasonably affect the reader’s interpretation.

Roberts London will not describe coverage as independent where the publication has a direct material financial interest that makes such a description misleading.

Press releases and supplied material

Roberts London may receive:

• Press releases.
• Press photographs.
• Product descriptions.
• Historical information.
• Biographies.
• Research material.
• Promotional claims.

Receiving or using supplied information does not amount to endorsement.

Commercial claims will not automatically be presented as independently established fact.

Where supplied material is reproduced substantially or used in a way that could otherwise create a misleading impression of authorship, appropriate attribution or context should be provided.

Travel and accommodation

Editorial work may sometimes involve travel or accommodation provided or supported by:

• A hotel.
• A tourism organisation.
• A transport company.
• An event organiser.
• A commercial partner.
• Another host.

Where support is material, the resulting work will disclose the relevant arrangement.

Roberts London will distinguish between:

• Independent editorial travel.
• Hosted editorial travel.
• Paid commercial campaigns.

A host paying travel costs does not automatically give editorial control, but the support remains relevant information for the reader.

Events and experiences organised by Roberts London

Roberts London may in future organise:

• Talks.
• Tours.
• Dinners.
• Exhibitions.
• Private events.
• Shopping experiences.
• Collaborations.
• Other events.

Where an editorial article promotes an event from which Roberts London receives a direct commercial benefit, that relationship should be apparent.

Ticketed or commercial Roberts London events should not be presented as independent third-party recommendations.

Social media

The same principles apply to Roberts London social channels.

A commercial relationship should not be hidden merely because a post is brief, visual or temporary.

Where appropriate, a social post may use:

• Advertisement.
• Paid Partnership.
• Affiliate.
• Gifted.
• Hosted Visit.
• Press Invitation.
• Affiliated Company.

A disclosure should be prominent enough to be understood when the content is first encountered.

It should not depend upon:

• A reader opening a long caption.
• Visiting a profile biography.
• Following an external link.
• Understanding ambiguous industry terminology.
• Guessing from tags or hashtags alone.

Video and YouTube

Commercial disclosures also apply to film.

Depending upon the format, Roberts London may disclose a relationship:

• Verbally near the beginning.
• Visually on screen.
• In the video description.
• Beside relevant links.
• Through a platform-provided paid-promotion tool.

Where necessary, more than one method may be used.

A disclosure buried only at the end of a long video may not adequately explain the relationship to viewers who encounter the commercial content earlier.

Commercial links in older content

An older independent article may later acquire:

• An affiliate link.
• A shop link.
• A commercial partner.
• A related Roberts London product.

Where the later commercial addition materially changes how the article should be understood, Roberts London will add an appropriate disclosure.

The original publication date should not be used to conceal a later commercial relationship.

Relationships that end

Commercial relationships change.

A past partnership, affiliate arrangement or ownership connection may end.

Historic disclosures may remain where they accurately describe the circumstances at the time of publication.

Where continuing to display an old disclosure would itself become materially misleading, Roberts London may update the wording while preserving relevant historical context.

Editorial coverage after commercial work

A previous commercial relationship does not permanently prevent Roberts London from covering a subject editorially.

However, the previous relationship may remain material.

Factors considered may include:

• How recent the relationship was.
• Its financial significance.
• Whether it continues.
• Whether the article concerns the same campaign or product.
• Whether a reasonable reader would expect to know about it.

Where appropriate, the previous connection will be disclosed.

Commercial proposals

Commercial proposals may be sent to:

info@roberts-and-co.com

A proposal should ideally include:

• The organisation.
• The proposed subject.
• The intended format.
• The commercial arrangement.
• Any payment, product, travel or hospitality offered.
• Any required claims, links or deliverables.
• Proposed timing.
• Any approval requirements.

Sending a proposal does not guarantee acceptance.

Roberts London may decline work that is inconsistent with its editorial character, audience, standards or legal obligations.

Disclosure language

Roberts London favours plain, direct descriptions.

Depending upon the circumstances, disclosures may include:

Advertisement

Used where content is advertising.

Paid Partnership

Used where Roberts London has entered into a paid collaborative commercial relationship.

Advertisement Feature

Used where paid commercial content adopts an editorial-style format.

Hosted Visit

Used where a meaningful experience was provided without the ordinary charge but Roberts London retained editorial independence.

Press Invitation

Used where editorial access or admission was provided for press consideration.

Gifted

Used where a relevant product or benefit was given and retained.

Loaned for Review

Used where an item was temporarily supplied and is to be returned.

Affiliate Link

Used where Roberts London may receive a commission or commercial benefit from a qualifying action.

Affiliated Company

Used where Roberts London and the subject share a material ownership or management relationship.

The exact wording may change where a different description would explain the relationship more accurately.

Disclosure placement

Disclosures should appear where they are useful.

Depending upon the format, this may mean:

• Above an article.
• Near the beginning of an article.
• Beside an affiliate link.
• At the start of a social caption.
• Clearly within a social image or video.
• Near the beginning of a film.
• On a product or commercial landing page.

A reader should not need to search the website’s legal pages to discover that the individual piece they are viewing is commercially connected.

This policy provides the overall framework; it does not replace specific disclosure on the content itself.

Accuracy of commercial claims

Commercial content remains subject to standards of accuracy.

Roberts London will not knowingly publish materially misleading commercial claims merely because they were supplied or approved by a paying partner.

Claims about matters such as:

• Price.
• Availability.
• Performance.
• Origin.
• Materials.
• Environmental benefits.
• Heritage.
• Awards.
• Popularity.
• Savings.
• Scarcity.

should be supportable where required.

The commercial partner remains responsible for information it supplies, but Roberts London retains responsibility for the content it publishes under its own control.

Reviews and incentives

Roberts London will not knowingly offer or accept arrangements designed to create misleading reviews or endorsements.

It will not knowingly:

• Purchase fake positive reviews.
• Commission fictitious customer experiences.
• Offer a reward conditional upon a positive or five-star review.
• Conceal a material incentive attached to an endorsement.
• Present an incentivised testimonial as though no incentive existed.

Where customer reviews are introduced through the Roberts London Shop, they will be governed by appropriate moderation and verification procedures.

Read Reviews & Recommendations →

Questions about a disclosure

Readers who believe that a Roberts London article, film, social post or recommendation does not adequately disclose a material commercial relationship may contact:

Email: info@roberts-and-co.com

Post:

Barry Roberts
Roberts & Co
PO Box 458
1 Croydon Road
Beckenham
Kent BR3 9FN
United Kingdom

Please identify the relevant content and explain the relationship or disclosure at issue.

Roberts London will review the matter and correct or clarify a disclosure where appropriate.

Read Corrections & Complaints →

Status of this policy

This policy describes how Roberts London approaches commercial relationships across its editorial, media, social and retail activities.

It does not require Roberts London to disclose every minor interaction or remote connection.

The guiding question is whether a reasonable reader would consider the relationship material when understanding the content.

The policy may be updated as Roberts London’s publishing, retail, advertising and partnership activities develop.

Related information

• Trust & Information
• Publisher Information
• Editorial Standards
• Reviews & Recommendations
• Corrections & Complaints
• Image & AI Policy
• Privacy Notice
• Terms & Conditions of Sale

Last reviewed: 18 July 2026