UK Leather Federation welcomes first new tannery in years
18/05/2017
Founders Jack Millington and Rory Harker, two entrepreneurs in their late-twenties, have worked in marketing and design since leaving university but decided to launch their own leather business after learning that goatskins were going to waste.
Goat meat consumption is on the rise in the UK, but the Billy Tannery founders have said companies processing the meat have been unable to find leather manufacturers willing to work with the skins. They have now partnered with an award-winning meat company called Cabrito and have set themselves up to produce vegetable-tanned kid leather at a site near Northampton.
Borrowing terms that evoke the production of beer and gin, which are very popular among young entrepreneurs, they use the term ‘microtannery’ to describe the operation and refer to the leathers they can produce as ‘small-batch’.
They have worked with designer Simon Benton, who has 20 years’ leather products experience after working with leathergoods brand Ettinger, footwear brand Dr Martens and shooting accessories brand James Purdey & Sons, to set up an initial collection of finished products that they intend to make from their own leather. Products in the range include a tote bag, a briefcase, a backpack and small accessories. If they meet their crowdfunding target, production of the launch collection will begin in earnest.
The director of the UK Leather Federation, Dr Kerry Senior, has welcomed the initiative, saying: “UK Leather Federation is delighted that Billy Tannery, the first new tannery in the UK for many years, is now operating. This new venture highlights the great potential for growth and development of the leather industry and is a welcome addition to the high-quality leather manufacturers in the UK.”
Image shows the founders of Billy Tannery, Jack Millington (left) and Rory Harker.
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