Podcast
Kate Hills shines the light on British brands and UK manufacturers, and goes behind the scenes of their businesses.
With tips, hints and tricks to help you manufacture in the UK.
New episodes every Tuesday
102 – How does a textile mill thrive in 2020? David Collinge, John Spencer Textiles
David Collinge runs the the Burnley-based weaving business John Spencer Textiles. He is the sixth generation owner of the mill which, was originally…
101 – Nine Manufacturing Trends for 2020 and Beyond
What will 2020 hold for UK manufacturing? In the first episode of the year, and the new series, I look at some of…
Introducing Series 2 of the Make it British podcast
We’re back! Series 2 of the Make it British Podcast begins on Tuesday 7th January. You can expect to hear loads more tips…
6 Reasons why UK-made gifts are more sustainable
Have you bought your Christmas gifts yet? Well, if you haven’t, stop right there. Before you get bombarded by all the Black Friday…
10 Things that make British-made businesses great
In this episode I look back over the first 100 episodes of this show to find out what makes British-made businesses great. There…
099 – Should raw materials come from the UK to call a product British?
There is a lot of confusion about the labelling of products. Can we truly call something ‘made in the UK’ if the raw…
098 – From Artist to Bespoke Gift Business – Corinne Lewis-Ward, Powder Butterfly
Corinne Lewis-Ward is an artist and designer who is the founder of Powder Butterfly; a design studio that creates a range of British…
097 – 13 Factories in 3 Days!
It’s so important to get out there and meet manufacturers if you are developing a product. In this episode I explain the reasons…
096 – A visit to an umbrella factory – Richard Ince, James Ince & Sons
Take a tour round a traditional East End umbrella factory with me as we visit James Ince & Sons. Richard Ince is the…
095 – How to validate your UK-made product idea
Lots of people try to launch a business or collection with a huge range of products. They then find they don’t have enough…
094 – How to crowdfund your brand – Sophie Slater, Birdsong
How can you grow a clothing brand sustainably and ethically? In this interview I speak to the inspiring Sophie Slater from Birdsong who…
093 – Made in UK Clothing Hit by Huge US Tariffs
From 18th October 2019 many UK-made clothing items exported to the US will face tariffs of 25% In this episode I discuss what…
092 – Elaine Stewart, Longthorne Guns – The Ultimate English Shotgun
England used to be one of the biggest manufacturers of shotguns in the world, but sadly, like many manufacturing industries in the UK,…
091 – Britwashing. What is it? and how to avoid it
You’ve probably heard of greenwashing? But how about Britwashing? This episode tells you everything you need to know about what Britwashing is, and…
090 – From Idea to International Stockists, SEAMS
Karen Gerrard launched SEAMS because she spotted a gap in the market for a healing hand cream that could be used by milliners…
089 – Why aren’t manufacturers getting back to your emails?
Reaching out to manufacturers and struggling to get a response? Don’t be like Mr Vague, Mr Long, Mr Price and Mr Clueless –…
088 – A Visit to a Footwear Factory – Crown Northampton
Join me on a tour round Crown Northampton’s footwear factory In this episode I chat to Chris Woodford, owner of Chancery Footwear, the…
087 – Help, I’m Launching a Product and I Don’t Know Where to Start!
If you’ve got an idea for a product but you’re tearing your hair out because you don’t know what the next steps are,…
086 – Pippa Dziubinski, The Little Art Collection
When Pippa Dziubinski started a business making printed bamboo baby muslins two years ago one of the most important things was being able…
085 – The Mistake to Avoid when Developing a Made in UK Range
Are you making this one big mistake when developing a made in the UK product? On today’s episode I tell you how to…
084 – A Visit to Duchess China and Heraldic Pottery
A trip to Stoke-on-Trent this week to visit one of the last remaining potteries. I meet Andy Tooth and Jason Sims, owners of…
083 – Getting Your Product Pricing Right
It’s very difficult to raise your prices for a product after you have launched it or communicated it to your customers. So how…
082 – Joel Chudleigh, Made to Last – Product Longevity for Sustainability
Isn’t it disappointing when you buy something you love and it then needs replacing? Joel Chudleigh wants to solve that problem, by helping…
081 – What Affects a Garment’s Cost Price?
Why do two similar looking items often cost totally different prices, even in the same shop? A lot of it is to do…
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Get Set for Manufacturing Course
Our easy to follow online course will help guide you through the whole process of finding and working with a UK manufacturer step by step. From your initial idea, right through to getting your first products made.