It’s official, British crafting is booming! Ironically as austerity continues to grip the nation there has been a sharp rise in those embracing  entrepreneurship and setting up on their own. Many of these people make small niche, individual and hand made items and sell them on sites like Etsy and Folksy. Etsy is American owned so buying from that site is out of bounds for us, under the rules of our project. However, Folksy is a fantastic British alternative with the added advantage of stocking only British made.

We have been contacted by endless small businesses operating almost exclusively through these sites who are as passionate about their products and customer service as much as a million pound corporation (sometimes even more so). And this enthusiasm, for me, has been contagious.

If you follow our blog you may have read that I have recently been made redundant. While I do need to find myself another job quickly I would hate the idea of being at home twiddling my thumbs. So, I have joined the ranks of British entrepreneurship and  set up my own Folksy store.

Again anyone that has been following our blog might know that early on in our project I bought a second-hand lot of leather making tools from a local auction. I have been making small bits of leather-work ever since. I think I am getting pretty good at it – certainly good enough to make small and durable everyday items to a high standard. So why not try to make a little beer money while unemployed with this new found skill?

Here is a link: http://folksy.com/shops/RawLeather – It is Fathers day soon (…just saying)

I also have a plan to have a go at running a market stall at our local farmers market.

It is an interesting twist to our project that we are going from being supporters of British manufacturing to actually becoming one (if only in a small way).

– James

Before we started our project to survive on only British goods and services I had heard of Etsy, and even bought a few things from the site, but I had never heard of Folksy. For those not in the know, Etsy is a large and growing community of crafters all selling their wares in one global market place. It is a great concept but under the rules of our project is out of bounds for us as it is American owned. However, Folksy is a British alternative selling only the wares of British crafters.

American site

We are absolutely shattered, but what an interesting day we have had with Steelite up here in Stoke-on-Trent. We got up at just after 6am this morning and were on the road for 7am for the arduous 5 hour drive up North. Ultimately the traffic made us nearly an late for our 11am appointment but the guys at Steelite were very understanding.

Steelite are, by some margin, the UK’s largest ceramics manufacturer. They export all over the world and employ close to 700 people in Stoke-on-Trent. All that being said, you may be forgiven for not being overly familiar with the name. This is because historically they have specialised in supplying crockery to the hospitality trade and have a superb reputation within professional circles. So, while you may not have a Steelite dinner service in your home, chances are that you have eaten off it many times at your favourite restaurant, hotel or gastro-pub.

Anyway, we arrive ashamedly late but were welcomed by Heather, Head of Marketing at Steelite. Unfortunately, because of health and safety Lucan was unable to join us in the factory tour which also meant that one of us had to sit-it-out with him… Emily drew the short straw.

Tommy Dawkins MBE

I was introduced to, the one and only, Tommy Dawkins MBE whose company I would have the pleasure of for the next hour. Tommy is a salt-of-the-earth union man who has held almost every position at the Steelite factory in his 36 year tenure. After all this time you might expect such a man to be marred by complacency about working in the ceramics industry but his obvious passion and enthusiasm for the subject is both entraining and contagious.

What makes Steelite’s crockey different is the clay they use… or should I say the secret list of ingredients added to the clay. Not even Tommy is party to this industry secret but this recipe means that a Steelite plate is significantly stronger that your standard. So much so that everything they sell comes with a lifetime chip free guarantee. I wonder, if their plates are as unbreakable as they say, whether they export much to Greek restaurants!?! Anyway, Tommy showed me with large underground tankers that hold the clay slip before it is then either extruded into long logs of what you would recognise as raw clay or used in liquid form for their hollow moulded items.

Walking around the factory we saw endless rows of work stations all containing a small number, of workers who have a specific role to play in the birth on a new item of crockery. For instance I spoke to a guy operating a machine spinning plates. He will produce upwards of 2000 pieces a day. This is hard to imagine unless you see it but the workers are so practised and expert at their given process that it is difficult to see where the man ends and the machine begins. Totally mesmerising to watch!

Tommy lead me through many large rooms of similarly set up work stations and showed me the many kilns that operate on site. Each part of the process is entirely fascinating and rather than me spend my evening explaining the whole process I urge you to contact Steelite and take a tour with Tommy.

While I was being shown the factory floor Emily and Lucan were being occupied by the painting ladies who were letting them deface a number of plates with their own design. At the end of my tour I also painted my own plate and we have been assured that they will be sent on to us. I personally feel that between the three of us we are however, unlikely to have come up with a new paint design for the factory to put into production. Once we receive the finished products I will take a picture and you can decide for yourself.

After a brief lunch we headed off to Trenthan Gardens and Shopping Villlage where Steelite have just opened a retail store called Perfect Settings. I mentioned right at the top of this post that Steelite are known for supplying trade but as of November last year they began supplying retail too, through this shop. The reason behind this was that they would be inundated by calls from Joe Public asking where they can buy their stuff and it is easy to see why. Apart from being almost bomb proof, which offers its own advantages in a domestic setting, they also make some interesting and unusual shapes that you are unlikely to find elsewhere. We were particularly taken with the Craft range and will likely order some select pieces of this for ourselves.

After a quick interview with BBC Radio Stoke and the local Stoke Sentinel newspaper it was time to say goodbye to Heather, who had been a fantastic host to us for the whole day. Thank you Steelite for inviting us to visit and your hospitality during our stay.

Tomorrow, as Lucan has been a good boy… for most of the day, we are taking him to Drayton Manor to go and see Thomas the Tank Engine. As the worlds biggest Thomas fan, I cannot wait to see his face!

– James

This half term has started on a very exciting note for us as yesterday we journeyed down to Devon to visit River Cottage. We were invited to go and learn all about curing and smoking meat and fish. Having visited River Cottage at Easter for the Spring Fair the idea of seeing the very famous cream house and fantastic surroundings again was very exciting.

We started with the tractor ride from the car park to the house, not a long journey but a fantastic way to take the breathtaking views that lead to the house. We went into the house and after a quick coffee and introduction were ready to commence the curing. We were introduced to Gill (who you might recognise if you regularly watch the program) and to Robin. Gill works at River Cottage as a chef and Robin started life there but now owns a specialist charcuterie business, The Rusty Pig in Ottery St Mary. What was fantastic about that day was that it all took place in the cottage itself and it was a real thrill to be cooking in the famous River Cottage kitchen (and using Hugh’s bathroom!).

The first thing we watched was how to break down a half a pig carcass, gruesome you may think but I am very much of the opinion that if you are going to eat meat you should know where it comes from, something that has done me well over the last few months with all that horse flying around. We then learnt a few recipes for different types of brining before having a go at making our own salami sausage. Using the sausage making machine was not as difficult as you might think – in fact, we are tempted to invest in one if we can find one British made.

We then broke for lunch and the River Cottage team went to working cooking up a storm for us. We were treated to a 3 course lunch consisting of:

Starter: Fresh duck egg on a bed of asparagus

Main: Roast pork (complete with the best crackling ever) and mash

Dessert: Polenta cake with cardamom ice cream

All the courses were very simple but because of the quality of the ingredients they were exceptional

After lunch we were showed two techniques for smoking meat and fish. First we used a hot smoker to cook mackerel over the gas cooker. The fish took only 10 minutes to cook and was so moist and tender that it was a million miles away from the 70’s style breakfast favourite we are all familiar with. We  were then shown the finer art of cold smoking – first using the famous River Cottage fireplace and then a home make cold smoker. Both methods filled the  kitchen with smoke, setting off the fire alarms, and after much frantic wafting we tasted a selection of already cured and smoked goodies.

All in all we had a fantastic day and left River Cottage with some new found knowledge and some of the salami’s we had made. Those sausages are now hanging in our kitchen at home ready to be eaten in 3 months time.

Tonight, for dinner, we already began putting our new found skills to the test. We cured some pork stakes using a simple salt and sugar solution for 30 minutes then left them to dry in the fridge for 30 minutes. We then hot smoked the meat for 10 minutes before finishing it off in a Netherton frying pan with a generous knob of butter and a little honey. We served this with a fresh pasta with a mushroom and wild garlic sauce.

We would like to thank the River Cottage team for inviting us to take part in this fantastic day and giving us the confidence to try a new skill at home.

– Emily

Here is what you are looking for!

Go into any swanky restaurant at the moment and you will certainly see wild garlic on the menu. It is a really fashionable ingredient at the moment but did you know that it is abundant, easy to find and best of all free! Who says eating well needs to cost a fortune?

We have just got back from our 2nd trip to River Cottage this year (more about this in a later post). While leaving Axminster we saw so much wild garlic at the side of the road that we stopped to get out and pick some. We now have a whole plastic bag crammed full of the stuff.

What to look for:

You find it is hedgerows and wooded areas. It is often found next to bluebells but the best way to find it is to simply follow your nose. You will most certainly smell it before you see it. It has a very distinctive garlicky smell. It has a beautiful little star shaped white flower and is unmistakable. This makes it one of the easiest forage projects around and really good fun to find with a little one.

Basically you use the wild garlic to flavour your food like you would with normal garlic but it also makes the best garlic bread you have ever tasted!

We picked our wild garlic in Dorset and then drove 4 hours back to Kent. It is fair to say that our ride home was almost unbearably marked by the stink of garlic. What made it worse was that we could not open the windows because it was raining so hard.

Since the news last Friday that James was no longer employed, we have been trying to make sure that his gardening leave money goes as far as it can. Hopefully this way we can make sure that he has as long as possible to find a new job and make it the right one.

With this in mind our rare trip to the supermarket had a very careful budget of £50 to get everything we needed for the 3 of us, to top up our veg and fish boxes.

I have always been keen (perhaps overly) on reduced shopping, as there are normally at least a few good bargains to be had that allow the little treats to sneak into the shopping basket without splurging too much. Today was back to the reduced chiller to find some meat to fill the freezer with for the week and I kept a keen eye out for the red stickers all the way round. Buying British and on a very strict budget is not, I will admit, very easy.

We were careful to get the things we needed for the week and nothing more. We tried also to make sure that where there were offers to be had that we got them. One of the things we tried to do was to see where we could add value. For instance, we now have a hunk of gammon sitting in the fridge waiting to get turned into honey roast ham. Ham for sandwiches is pretty costly when both boys are such big ham fans. We have, as you will know, been really missing tinned tomatoes and so with the break in the weather we were very excited to see loose British tomatoes on sale. Not only that but at £2 a kilo it gives us the opportunity to preserve them possibly either as a passata or simply skinned and chopped. This opens up a world of sauces that have been rather closed off up to now the prospect of which is very very exciting!

We will let you know how the ham and tomatoes turn out and if you have any great money saving tips please share, as they say ‘every little helps!’

– Emily

Since starting out with a rather crazy idea nearly 6 months ago we have come across some truly amazing UK manufacturers and producers and we thought that it was about time that we shared some of our favourites with you. The list is by no means exhaustive and it has actually taken us nearly a week to decide on the final 10 as there are so many great businesses that we have had contact with.

Without further ado I give you our top 10 so far…..

Thermapen

This little small electronic device measures the internal temperature of food. It means that we have had perfect roasts since getting one about 3 months ago… plus ours comes in a funky union flag design. http://thermapen.co.uk/

House of Dorchester

We have become a little addicted to HOD choccies. They are fantastic quality and even better (or worse for our waistlines) available in our local Tesco. http://www.hodchoc.com/

Unique Kids

It is rare that we find British made kids clothes at such a fantastic price. Unique Kids make fleece jumpers, onsies, gloves and scarves in North Wales. http://www.unique-kids.co.uk/

Kent Veg Box

Joining a veg box scheme was one of the best things that we have done while trying to survive on only British produce. Kent Veg Box is not just about fruit and veg, they also deliver all of our meat, fish, eggs, milk and bread. What is more is that we have actually started saving money on our usual shop by using this service. Between you and me we save about 20% on our pre-British shop! http://www.kentvegbox.co.uk

Chapel Down Vineyard

It is great living in Kent – the Napa Valley of English wine. Chapel Down, for us, produce some of the best wine around. A particular favourite is the pink bubbly which really has a flavour all its own. http://www.chapeldown.com

Raspberry Pi

This is a fantastic little box no bigger than a credit card that houses a whole computer! Yes there are quite a few peripherals to sort out and you do need to put your own OS on it but its great fun for a slightly geeky husband. http://www.raspberrypi.org

Hill and Sons

The wonderful sieves and riddles that are hand made in the last remaining workshop in the UK are really something. The riddles are perfect for the garden and I whole heartedly attribute my success at growing seeds this year to the fine layer of compost the riddle has given me. http://www.riddles-sieves.co.uk

Yull

Yull was one of our very first finds of the year and they do remain one of the true favourites for Emily. Stunning, well made shoes with the flair to make a classic design, comfortable. http://www.yull.co.uk

Rainbow Trugs

When we started out this year one of our early supporters and friends was Rainbow Trugs. Their brilliantly made, food safe plastic trugs have more uses than even we have found yet. Ours get used as toy boxes, for growing seeds in, for general use in the garden and even as a laundry basket! http://www.rainbowtrugs.co.uk

Farringtons Mayonnaise

This is a recent discovery but one that will see us through the rest of the year and beyond. Made with Farringtons rapeseed oil and free range British eggs it really is the best mayo we have ever tasted! http://www.farrington-oils.co.uk

Well it would seem that I am now unemployed. On Friday I was called into a rather ominous meeting with HR and told, rather politely, that my contract of employment was going to be terminated with immediate effect… or basically, here’s the door and don’t darken it again. I am not going to go into the why’s and wherefores for my sudden redundancy but it was an amicable arrangement with no hard feeling on either side. However, needless to say, the hunt now begins to find gainful employment elsewhere. Thankfully I have 2 months gardening leave but there will certainly be a frantic effort from me find a new job as soon as possible.  

Surprisingly, I am looking on this whole affair rather positively. As the saying goes; as one door closes another one opens. So my plan is to take this as an opportunity to maybe make a diversion in the path of my career.

I have worked in the city (London that is) for nearly 15 years, as a marketing and business development specialist within professional service firms. It would be nice to see if there was something else out there. I still enjoy marketing but it would be great to not have to deal with the pressures of corporate life, and if this means a cut in pay then so be it.

As I say, I still enjoy marketing. In fact I truly believe that I have a talent for it (perhaps this project is some testament to that!?!). It would great if I could apply my skills to help a British manufacturer – a brand that I really believe in.

Anyway, like I say, the hunt is on to find a job. Now this website gets on average 2000 hits per day. And I am hoping that this is a great pool of people that might just be willing to help me look for a new job.

If you know of anyone in the South East or London that might need someone like me please get in touch! I thank you in advance.

Need a website, branding or promotional materials?

Alternatively, while I am just twiddling my thumbs for 2 months, I am free to build websites or advice on any marketing emergencies on a consultancy basis. I can build anything from simple websites to online stores, and design all kinds of promotional materials. If you need me I am here.

Either way, I will keep you posted on my progress.

Our poor boy has the pox at the moment, chicken that is… not small. We noticed the spots coming up on Friday and they have got gradually worse since. He has obviously not been feeling right in himself for a few day prior to this so the constant wining all makes sense now.

Now, we have said from the beginning that we could not follow the rules of our challenge to buy British should someone need medicine or medical attention. After all that would boarder on extremism. However, old habits die hard and we still found our selves looking for British made solutions to this new problem, and what would you know but.. success! And what is more it was not all that difficult. At our local pharmacy we found a range of products manufactured by Thornton & Ross branded as Care+, including a chickenpox relief cooling gel called ViraSoothe and a lavender essential oil. A combination of these is, we hope, starting to make him feel a little less under the weather when combined with Boots version of Calpol.

It will be a good few days before we can hope to see a return to sleeping through the night and less itching but it is good to know that what we are putting on his skin is at least helping him in a truly British way.

2 weeks ago we opened the application for submissions to our British Family Fayre (http://www.britishfamilyfayre.co.uk/exhibiting/) but at the moment we are really nervous that we may not be able to pull the fayre off. We will be honest with you and say that while we have some fantastic manufacturers signed up they are very few in number. We have big national names saying that they are interested in being involved – think Triumph motorcycles, Waitrose, Stoves (Glen Dimplex Group), Lush cosmetics and Yeo Valley. We also have BBC TV lined up to attend on the day as well as promotion with BBC radio 4 and a number of national newspapers. However, unless we get significantly more business signed up over the next few weeks sadly we will not be able to go ahead with the fayre.

We truly believe that this event could be a phenomenal PR opportunity for any business that is involved both on the day and in the lead up to it, but more importantly it has the potential to make a real difference to British manufacturing. This is the reason that a normal British family is putting themselves on the line and exhausting every waking hour, for no financial compensation, trying to show off what is still ‘Great’ about British manufacturing. We have become more and more passionate about trying to do anything we can to help those who still manufacture and produce in the UK but now we need your help. We need you to spread the word by tapping the power of your little black book!

Do you know:

• Anyone in the media that can help publicise the event? 
• Anyone at PR agencies that might have clients interested in the event?
• Any manufactures that are proud to make in Britain?

If so, please call them and get them to get in touch with us http://britishfamily.co.uk/contact-us/

Most importantly: If you are a British manufacturer or a producer, with a business large or small, please help a family sleep at night by following the link at the top of the post and applying today! 

We really really want to make this fayre a success but we can only do so with the help of the manufacturers and producers themselves.