M&S Best of British. Shirt £89, Jacket £199, Trousers £129

When Marks and Spencer announced that they were launching a Best of British clothing range earlier in the year there was a fair bit of scepticism, both from me and the readers of this website.

Was this a load of ‘Brit-wash’ on M&S’s behalf in order to ride the wave of popularity surrounding all things British at the moment? Would the product actually be manufactured here, or just have a British link, such as fabric or design, like some retailers have done? Would the M&S Best of British collection go to more than just the flagship London store? And most importantly, would it actually be something that the customer would want to buy?

M&S Best of British. Jacket £275

I am pleased to report, having been invited to the press show yesterday for a sneak peek at the new range that will launch in Autumn, that M&S seem to have done things right. Their Best of British collection, which includes clothing and accessories for both men and women, has been developed with integrit, and to a high level of quality and craftsmanship.

Belinda Earl, M&S’ Style Director, who was previously at Jaeger and Aquascutum, assures me that everything in their Best of British collection will be 100% made in Great Britain. They have collaborated with some very reputable and long-established British manufacturers too – the jumpers are coming from the Scottish Border town of Hawick, renowned for its world class knitwear, the outerwear will be manufactured in Manchester, in a factory that has made for Barbour and Macintosh, and the footwear will be produced in Northampton, the home of the Goodyear-welted sole shoe. Not only that, but many of the fabrics used have been woven in the UK, with the mills, such as Abraham Moon and Mallalieus of Delph, being credited in the labels inside the garments. Some of you are now going to ask ‘why are they not using all British-made materials?’ And that is a good question. Neil Hendy, Head of Womenswear design at M&S, told me that whilst it had been easy to find fabrics such as the woollens in the UK, some of the other materials, such as the linings for coats, just weren’t produced here anymore.

M&S Best of British. Coat £299, Trousers £129, Jumper £99, Shoes £165

Much of the recent criticism of M&S has been that the quality is not as good as it used to be, or that they have attempted to be too ‘fashion’ in order to try to align themselves with the rest of the High Street. They have certainly addressed both of these issues with the Best if British collection. The clothes and accessories are back to where Marks & Spencer used to be in the good old St Michael days – timeless, good quality items that you could own for years and would consider a good investment. The designers have even raided the M&S archives to bring back some great classic pieces that are still relevant for today’s customer.

M&S Best of British. Boots £185

“I bet it’s expensive” I’m now hearing you say. Well, that depends on how you measure expensive. Yes, the prices are considerably more than the average person is used to paying on the High Street, with a coat costing up to £299 and a pair of men’s brogues retailing for £265. But when you consider this on a cost per wear basis, it is really not too bad. I would much rather pay that price for a classic coat, that is well made and will see me through the next 10 years, than pay £50 for something where the fabric will look shabby, the seams come apart, and the style look dated before the season is out. And a Goodyear-welted pair of brogues will always be a good investment because they can be re-soled time and time again.

I actually think that when you compare the cost of similar quality items from ‘British’ brands such as Jaeger and Burberry, you are getting amazing value. And if you bought a coat from either of them it would cost at least double the price, and probably wouldn’t be made in Britain either. In fact, M&S must have taken a considerable cut on their margins to produce this collection at these prices, so for that reason alone I think that they should be commended.

M&S Best of British. Brogues £265

Sadly the collection will only go to 5 UK stores, 2 International stores and the M&S website, when it is launched at the beginning of October. This, I would imagine, is due to the current limitations of production space at the UK factories, who are not geared up to make the sort of volume orders that M&S would require to send the collection further. If Marks & Spencer are really serious about working with British manufacturers then this is something that they’ll need to address if they want to quieten their naysayers.

What are your thoughts on the M&S Best of British collection? Will you buy it? Or do you still have your doubts? Please leave your comments below.

M&S Best of British. Dress £159

Toby Gaddum, owner of Tempus Clothing

Toby, whose family have been trading silk since 1826 and who is a member of the Worshipful Company of Weavers, has had the foresight to realise that clothing manufacture is returning to the UK. He has put considerable investment of his own money into setting up a brand new, purpose built clothing factory in Leek, which he envisages will hold over 100 machinists very soon. I chatted to him to find out why he believes that making clothing in the UK is viable again.

Cutting cloth at Tempus Clothing

What can a UK clothing manufacturer offer that an overseas manufacturer does not, and how is Tempus Clothing capitalising on this?

It is the speed of response that offers an advantage over manufacturers abroad – Tempus Clothing is able to produce bulk production for retail/wholesale sales from initial sketch to fully made garment in 6 weeks. Furthermore we have access to a fabric dyeing facility with a laboratory and fabric printing (both rotary and digital) which are within 100 metres of our factory. This particular infrastructure is unique in the UK and allows us to be even more flexible in terms of developments and production. We also have our own sample room, which is separate to the production, thereby enabling a fast turnaround on new developments.
Furthermore, we have embroidery, screen printing and heat transfer machines under the same roof, which means we are not reliant on outsourcing this to other companies.

Sewing ladies at Tempus Clothing

What do you think are the biggest issues facing UK clothing manufacturers today?

The main issue is the local (UK) infrastructure of component parts – be it labels, buttons, zips or accessories, to make up the garment. Because there is not a lot of choice in the market place you become reliant on a few suppliers normally importing product from overseas factories. If there is a break or delay in that chain then there will undoubtedly be a knock on effect which in turn could cause delays in production.
The other concern is the supply of sewing machines and the availability of second hand ones in the market place. It is very difficult to source and find some specialist machines. So many were either shipped overseas in the ‘90’s or were scrapped or simply left to decay outside buildings. Further to that we are lacking the skills on mechanics, and of course sewing machinists. Our youngest machinist in the factory is 50!

Embroidery machines at Tempus Clothing

How are you planning to address this issue of machinists who aren’t getting any younger?

I’m putting together a training school at the factory. We will be running apprenticeship courses to train newcomers, both in sewing machining and sewing mechanic skills. The students will spend one year in the apprenticeship school and then a year in the factory. When they are qualified I hope to be able to offer a job to those who have passed the course and have gained their qualifications. When the apprentices move out of the factory after a year another 10 will be taken on in the school. I hope to make Tempus Clothing the biggest garment factory in England.

If you would like to contact Toby you can do so here

James Grove was the last horn button manufacturer in Britain, and when the business closed down it looked like over 150 years of craftsmanship would be lost. Read how one man is determined to salvage some of those  skills, and is looking for investment to help him do it. (Photos by S.E.H. Kelly)

Only a few years ago James Grove had moved out of its original Victorian premises into a shiny modern plant and things seemed rosy. But then the recession hit. A chain of unfortunate events meant that a business that in 2005 had been very cash rich, could no longer pay its bills. The administrators were called in, and instead of selling James Grove as a going concern, they made a private deal to sell the assets to an aerospace company, who then proceeded to sell the bulk of the machinery to the Far East. To add insult to injury, the new owners threw 150 years worth of archive material – a priceless record of button making in the UK – into a skip.

The remaining machinery was sold as a block to an online auctioneer and one eagle eyed business man realised its worth and put in an offer for some of the key pieces. Along with the specialist button making equipment, he was also able to pick up pattern books and original dies dating back decades which will enable him to re-produce many of the original James Grove button designs. He now intends to re-establish horn button making in the UK under the name Grove Pattern Buttons and has secured premises for the new business in the jewellery quarter of Birmingham.

The new owner has also been speaking to some of the original staff from the button factory who were made redundant last December. The former Head button turner from James Grove & Son, who had worked for the company for 51 years, has agreed to come out of retirement in order get the new business off the ground. He has offered to do so on the proviso that he can have an apprentice to train, as he is really keen to pass on his 5 decades worth of skill and knowledge. Also keen to come back out of retirement is the former dyer from James Grove, who is regarded by many as the best in the world at dying horn, and the barreller (finisher); both are keen to pass on their accumulated knowledge to a new generation of button makers.

However, setting up a button factory does not come cheap, and the new owner is hoping that other potential investors will come forward to help him secure the future of the business. With several big designer brands having committed in writing to working with Grove Pattern Buttons going forward, the future of British button manufacturing looks good, provided that an injection of cash can be secured in the short term. You can hear more about their plea in the above video.

If you are interested in helping to revive British button manufacturing please contact Grove Pattern Buttons here

www.hornbuttons.co.uk

Photos courtesy of S.E.H. Kelly, who wrote a wonderful article about James Grove on their blog last year

Update: The button company now have a page on CrowdCube giving people the chance to invest in the company. Go here to find out more

UK Handmade Magazine Summer 2013

For those that have not heard of it, UK Handmade is a design-led online magazine committed to showcasing and promoting the best creative talent the UK has to offer. Through a website, online and print magazine, and forum the UK Handmade team have built up a large creative community of artists, designers, makers and event organisers, who are all driven by the same vision and passion for the handmade movement that is happening in Britain right now.

You can read the rest of this article in the Summer edition of UK Handmade Magazine below, or by going to www.UKhandmade.co.uk/magazine/

www.UKhandmade.co.uk

Norman Tempest, MD of Royal Stafford

A while I go I praised Norman Tempest, MD of Stoke pottery company Royal Stafford, for winning an award for his support of British design. So I was delighted to be invited up to Stoke on Trent to meet Norman and to discuss his reasons for backing relatively unknown designers, as well as to hear his thoughts about British manufacturing. I took my eight year old daughter along with me too, determined that she should experience at a young age what it takes to get things made, and here’s how we got on…

Royal Stafford is based at the Overhouse Manufactory in Burslem, Staffordshire, a site which has been used for pottery manufacturing since the late 1700s. Entering the building through an unassuming door into a café, which also houses a factory shop, we were greeted by Graham Bowen, head of Operations, and as it happens, also Norman’s son-in-law. My daughter Flossie was invited to stay in the café and paint some pottery that would later be fired in Royal Stafford’s very own kilns, whilst I was shown around the pottery by Norman and John Nixon, Royal Stafford’s general manager, who has been with the company for 35 years.

I’ve been to many factories before, but this was my first visit to a pottery, and both Norman and John very patiently answered all of my questions about the processes involved in making their high-fired earthenware. What struck me first was how white the whole place was, the consequence of a fine layer of pale dust produced during the manufacturing process settling on every surface.

Talking to the guys as we walked round, it became clear that making pottery is much like most other factory work – the skill involved takes years to learn and many of the jobs are extremely specialist. I ask Norman if he has difficulty employing and retaining people in these specialist roles, and he tells me that it is a particular issue to keep women in the factory, as many of them move into clothing manufacturing where the work is marginally better paid.

Another of the challenges facing Norman Tempest, or anyone running a pottery in the UK, is the cost of fuel used to keep the kilns burning. It is not unheard of for Royal Stafford’s energy bills to run into a 4 figure sum every week, an overhead that could cripple a business that is trying to remain competitive in International markets. It was this that recently led to British ceramics firms being made exempt from the carbon emissions tax – something that came about thanks to lobbying by local Stoke MP, Tristram Hunt.

The International market is where Royal Stafford really excels – 50% of the output from its Stoke factory is sent overseas. “I think that exporting is important to any business,” says Norman. “Our pottery is particularly popular in American, Japan and Korea”. The renowned ‘Made in Stoke’ backstamp, which recently caused controversy when it was revealed in parliament that other, less scrupulous businesses were exploiting its marketing value, is something that Norman is keen to uphold. I ask him what he thinks about those British ceramics firms that are stamping ‘Made in England’ on the bottom of their wares when they are not adhering to the rule of conducting the first firing in the UK*,  Norman is clearly unimpressed. “If someone sets out to mislead the customer by stamping their company name and the word England on the bottom (when it is not entirely made here), then I think that it is morally wrong. Wherever potters go in the world they pick up a product and look at the bottom. We know who’s doing it”.

I ask Norman whether he thinks that the fact that Royal Stafford continues to manufacture in Britain is something that his customers appreciate, and he tells me that whilst being important, it is the company’s design that is their main selling feature – “I read the feedback (about our pottery) on the retailer’s websites, and most of them start off by saying that they love the design and the quality…and then they add ‘great, it’s made in England too’”.

After our walk round the pottery Norman takes me to the showroom that houses some of the great designs within the Royal Stafford collection, including the pieces by young British designers, such as Carly Dodsley and  under the English Eccentrix umbrella. Unique to British pottery, the English Eccentrix collection is made by Royal Stafford, but allows the designers to sell their products under their own names. The idea was conceived by Mr Tempest in 2011 “to give designers credit in an industry where no one was given credit”, and it was this fostering of up-and-coming ceramicists that won him his recent Backer of British Design award. Royal Stafford is able to offer the English Eccentrix designers not only a way of manufacturing their ceramics, but also a foot in the door with International buyers. This sort of collaboration between manufacturer and designer helps both parties – Royal Stafford are able to appeal to a wider audience than with their core range, and the designers get someone to make their products in the small runs that they need to get started, as well as help with sales and marketing.

Carly Dodsley, one of the English Eccentrix designers

After a thoroughly enjoyable two hours spent at the Overhouse Manufactory it is time to leave, but I have to prize my daughter away from her pottery painting – maybe one day she will become one of the new English Eccentrix designers!

We would like to thank Norman Tempest and his team for giving us the opportunity to see inside their wonderful factory, and a special mention should also go to the highly organised Kerryanne Clancy of Plink Fizz, Royal Stafford’s PR company, for arranging our visit.

For more details about English Eccentric visit www.EnglishEccentrix.co.uk

200,000 UK manufacturing jobs could be created if the skills shortage is addressed, says report

Up to 200,000 UK manufacturing jobs could be created over the next 10 years according to recent research carried out by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).

The extensive report, which outlines growing opportunities in manufacturing, particularly for medium sized companies, predicts that global production will no longer be the default approach for manufacturing in the future, and instead companies will look towards local manufacturing sources to make their products.

Their projections show that a more locally-focused supply chain could increase the value of UK manufacturing output by up to £30bn. Great news for the British jobs market, as well as the economy – if the predictions are correct it could reduce the UK trade deficit by up to a third.

However, the findings also warn that the opportunity could be missed if issues surrounding skills shortages, funding and the image of manufacturing are not addressed by both businesses and Government. Attracting and retaining staff is a common problem amongst UK manufacturers across all sectors, and something that the report says the Government should be focusing on if Britain is to not miss the boat.

The factory that collapsed in Bangladesh was making clothes for Primark

The terrible news about the garment factory in Bangladesh collapsing, killing hundreds of workers inside, has truly saddened me. But having traveled all over the world visiting manufacturers, the tragedy hasn’t really surprised me – it was an accident waiting to happen. The demand for cheap fashion that is prevalent in the UK, and let’s face it Primark was one of the factories customers so those clothes were destined for here, has meant that cutting corners is inevitable. And when a factory is so far away, it is more likely to be the case of  ’out of sight, out of mind’.

Bangladesh has been the source of some of the cheapest clothing for a while. In the last 30 years the poverty stricken country has seen the number of people employed in garment manufacturing rise from practically nothing, to over £4million. The industry now turns over £20bn a year and accounts for 80% of the countries exports.

This huge rise in demand has seen factories like the one that collapsed in Dhaka being thrown up quickly in order to meet the demand for cheap clothing from the West. According to an article on the BBC website, 50% of garment factories in Bangladesh are located on premises which are not safe. That is just shocking.

A couple of years ago I ran a survey on this website to ask people if they actually looked to see where a garment was made before they bought it, only 33% said that they did. If I had asked a more un-biased section of the population, i.e. those not reading a blog about British-made products, then the results would likely have been much lower. The truth is that when it comes to buying products these days, most people only look at the price, and never stop to consider why something is so cheap. They often say that they don’t buy products made in Britain because they are too expensive, but there are many reasons why this is often the case, and safe working conditions is one of them.

If there is one positive thing that comes of the terrible disaster in Bangladesh this week, maybe it now will cause people to stop and question the true value of cheap clothing made abroad.

The Cambridge Satchel Company was recognised by the Queen for it’s contribution to export

I was very pleased to see that two of the brands featuring in our directory have been given a Queen’s Award for Enterprise this year – an honour bestowed on British companies that are considered ‘outstanding in their field’.

The Cambridge Satchel Company, who make all of their bags in the UK, won a much-deserved award for International Trade, in recognition of their contribution towards exports. The company, which was started 5 years ago by Julie Deane, currently sells to over 110 countries, generating over £5m in export sales.

Tiffany Rose are a stylish maternitywear company committed to making all of their products in Britain. The company has seen an impressive 137% growth in overseas sales over the last 3 years , which more than earns them their award for International Trade. Tiffany London, founder and creative director of Tiffany Rose, said:  “Given our 100% commitment to quality manufacturing in Britain it’s a huge honour for us to receive this award from Her Majesty the Queen.”

Wonderful news and well deserved!

Tiffany Rose wins A Queen’s Award for Enterprise

The Clothing Works

Last Friday I had the pleasure of being invited to the old Aquascutum factory in Corby, Northamptonshire; now open for business again under new owners, and re-inventing itself as one of the biggest CMT* units in Britain. Here is a how it went:

When the administrators were called into Aquascutum a year ago one of the first things that they did was close down the company’s UK manufacturing base in Corby. On the morning of Thursday 19th April 2012 over 100 highly skilled clothing workers were told that not only were they losing their jobs, but also that they would not be paid for the work that they had done that month. In fact I wrote an article at the time saying how short sighted I thought it was of the administrators to instantly discard one of the company’s biggest assets, especially given the increasing demand for UK clothing production.

When the business was subsequently sold to the Chinese they didn’t want the factory either, and so it was put up for sale separately, many thinking that the machinery would be sold off and shipped abroad. So it was marvellous to hear 3 months later that the entire factory and all of its contents had been bought by Swaine Adeney Brigg, the British luxury leathergoods company. Just a few weeks later, nearly 30 of the original staff walked back through the doors of the building; ready to start work on making clothing again. “It was like nothing had changed, and yet everything was different”, says Alison Gardener, now reinstated as production and technical supervisor. “I had worked for Aquascutum for 28 years, and like many it was all I had ever known. I did find work after I was laid off, but it was not in garment manufacturing”. Alison is now one of 35 staff back at work and ready to take on new challenges.

Machines in the factory’s design room still have their auction tickets on

Now producing for other clients, as well as for Aquascutum, the new owners have renamed the factory The Clothing Works, and it is managed by Alistair Rowan, a former technical director for Jaeger, who knew the factory well, having spent three years there just before it closed when Aquascutum was owned by Jaeger. Alistair has been charged with breathing life back into the business, and that includes finding new clients in order to keep the machines buzzing and to be able to take back more of the original machinists. He invited me down to have a look, having been told of the work that I do helping find factories for designers to work with, and when I walked into the place last Friday I was gobsmacked by its sheer scale and potential. The production floor occupies 32,000 square feet, with machines as far as the eye can see, and is possibly one, if not THE, largest single-floor clothing manufacturing units in the country. Not only that, but the machinery and technology that the company has at its disposable is incredible, much of which is currently not even put to use.

As I take a walk around I meet many of the original Aquascutum staff – Sue Parker, a line supervisor who had worked for the business for 42 years, tells me that my visit coincides with the first anniversary of the very day that the administrators walked in and put an end to the career that she had had for over four decades. Sue, who had completed a computer course whilst taking a break from the garment industry, is glad to be back at a sewing machine, despite the fact that many of her former colleagues had not returned when the factory re-opened its doors – those that had found permanent work elsewhere had been reluctant to return to an industry whose future they considered uncertain.

Stuart Robertson, one of the pressers reinstated at the factory

And yet, under its ownership of Swaine Adeney Brigg, and its re-invention as The Clothing Works, the future of the UK clothing manufacturer is looking pretty rosy. Now no longer just making garments for Aquascutum, Alistair Rowan and his team are speaking to lots of potential new customers who are keen to make their garments in the UK. And whilst the factory was originally solely a raincoat factory, they are now able to make a much wider range of garments, including soft tailoring, trousers, dresses and skirts.

Just as I was leaving the Corby-based factory after my two hour visit, I was fortunate to bump into Roger Gawn, Swaine Adeney Briggs’s chairman, and the man who had the foresight to snap up the factory and get it back up and running again. I shake his hand and commend him for saving this small part of British manufacturing history, and ask him why he decided to do (what many would consider) such a crazy thing?

“I have watched British manufacturing unfold for many years, starting with a local shoe factory in Norwich called Norvic, which was bought out in the ‘70s and asset stripped, with the subsequent loss of 2000 workers”, Roger tells me. “When I saw the opportunity to save the Aquascutum factory and put it back into British ownership, I jumped at the chance….something disappears when a company is not British-owned anymore, something intangible, but it does make a difference”.

The Clothing Works

With that I leave The Clothing Works feeling pretty secure in the knowledge that I think Roger and Alistair will be able to fulfill their aim of getting the factory back up to full capacity again; and given the amount of people that contact me looking for British clothing manufacturers at the moment, I think that they will be able to do that in a very short space of time.

If you are interested in talking to The Clothing Works about garment manufacturing you can contact them here.

*The acronym CMT in the UK clothing manufacturing industry stands for Cut, Make and Trim – referring to the 3 processes that the factory carries out upon receipt of the fabric and trimmings with which to make the garment.

The Clothing Works

Ella Riley’s Toffee

Can you tell us more about your company and why you set it up?

We started the company 4 years ago to revive Riley’s Toffee, which was a family recipe passed down to me on a hand written note left by my granny, Ella Riley, whom the company is named after. We started selling the toffee from our first shop, which was really our old front room in our cottage in Yorkshire which we turned into a wee shop. Two years ago we started wholesaling the toffee and we made the conscious decision to supply only other small businesses like ourselves, and hence you won’t find our sweets in any of the big supermarkets.

How would you describe your product?

Very British, a little eccentric, and a quality sweet using only the best ingredients.

In what part of Britain are you based?

We were initially based in Yorkshire, but we are now based in Bridgend, in South Wales. We relocated the company because there are still a lot of EU funded grants available in Wales that were not in England, so we made the move and have never looked back.

Who makes your confectionery?

Our toffee is made by hand on our premises in Bridgend by hand, and visitors to the shop can actually see the toffee being made fresh every day.

Freya making her toffee

Why did you decide to manufacture in Britain?

Riley’s Toffee is all about heritage – the toffee has been made in Britain since 1907, and is a very British brand. Since establishing our premises in Wales we are working with the local council to develop a major visitor attraction – our goal is to build an eco chocolate factory here. Think Eden Project but with chocolate – completely off the grid and eco friendly, Willy Wonka type structures and fantastical rooms.

What has been the hardest part of making your sweets in Britain?

We had to get the intellectual property rights from Kraft plc, who owned them at the time, little old us, up against Kraft and we won!
We also struggled to get help in England to grow our business, which was one of the main reasons that we moved to Wales. The difference in support from each region was in incredible.

And what has been the best part?

We have received fantastic advice and support from the Welsh Government, which has been invaluable in growing our manufacturing processes and selling to other markets. They’re really keen on encouraging manufacturing and exporting of goods from the region. We’ve now started exporting our toffee to the USA, and we’ve managed to do it without any support from our bank too.We really are proving that if you get the mix right you can still build a great business in a recession. If we can do it others can do it too!

You can sample Ella Riley’s toffee for yourself by visiting www.ellarileysweets.com

Ella Riley’s Shop