Make it British Podcast
Kate Hills is on a one-woman mission to save UK manufacturing.
In this podcast she shines the light on British brands and manufacturers, and goes behind the scenes of their businesses.
With tips, hints and tricks to help you manufacture in the UK and buy British.
Never has there been a more critical time to get behind 'made in Britain'.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 27 minutes
- Episodes
- 306
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
028 – Retailers Under Fire for UK Sourcing Practices
Last week the UK Government released its interim report into the sustainability of the fashion industry. One of the issues that they addressed was concerns over fast fashion and how it might be leadi…
027 – Mat Booth, Both Barrels – The Importance of Collaboration
In this episode I chat to product designer Mat Booth, founder of accessory and luggage brand Both Barrels.
Mat founded Both Barrels a few years ago when he realised that there was a gap in the market …
026 – Why UK Manufacturers Don’t Sample For Free
Should manufacturers make samples for free? Some people think manufacturers should do any initial work for no charge in order to pitch for your business.
But that's often not the case.
In this episode …
024 – Is the UK Manufacturing Revival Over?
Is the news that Clark's may close its brand new footwear factory in Somerset a sign that the UK manufacturing revival is over?
Up to 300,000 pairs a year of the footwear firm's iconic desert boots w…
023 – Sian Reekie, The Hettie Trading Co. – My Manufacturing Journey
I'm delighted to welcome long-standing Make it British member Sian Reekie of The Hettie Trading Company to this podcast. Sian is a chemist by trade, but has set up a lifestyle business making accesso…
022 – Is Making in the UK Really More Expensive?
Is it really more expensive to make in the UK? Or is there a reason that some of the most profitable retailers are using more local manufacturing?
In this episode I dive deeper into prices. More speci…
021 – Jenny Holloway, Fashion Enter – What I’ve Learnt from Running a Clothing Factory
Meet Jenny Holloway, owner of Fashion Enter, a social enterprise garment factory based in North London.
Jenny not only manufactures for small brands and start-ups, helping create samples and small pro…
020 – Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge: Day 5
Putting it all together
Over the last 4 episodes we've looked at products, materials, prices and MOQS.
Today's show covers how to put it all together - and make sure that everything is delivered on tim…
019 – Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge: Day 4
What is an MOQ and why do manufacturers have them?
A minimum order quantity (or MOQ) is the lowest amount that a manufacturer is able to make of a certain product.
The manufacturer generally sets their…
018 – Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge: Day 3
Welcome to Day 3 of the Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge!
This episode tackles how to price a product.
There are a few little calculations you’re need to make, and in this episode I explain how to m…
017 – Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge: Day 2
Can a manufacturer source materials for you?
Whilst some manufacturers may be able to source raw materials for you, depending on the product, in reality most UK manufacturers won’t have the time or t…
016 – Get Set for Manufacturing Challenge: Day 1
Ever wondered why a manufacturer didn't get back to your emails?
Listen to this episode of the podcast to find out the top 3 reasons why you may not be getting a response when you reach out to a manuf…
015 – Top 9 Manufacturing Trends for 2019
What will the next year hold for UK manufacturing?
In this episode I look at some of the trends that I think will impact manufacturing in the coming 12 months.
With Brexit on the cards in March, 2019 i…
014 – Ian Maclean, John Smedley – Running the Oldest Factory in the UK
In this episode I chat to Ian Maclean, managing director of John Smedley - the oldest operating factory in the world.
John Smedley are one of the finest knitwear manufacturers in the world. The compan…
013 – 10 Mistakes People Make When Starting a Brand Made in the UK
Are you thinking of starting a brand that is made in the UK, or developing a new product?
In this episode I cover the 10 mistakes that people make when launching a new product, and give tips on how to…
012 – Edward Sexton, Glencroft Countrywear – Why we Support the Independent Retailers
Today I am interviewing Edward Sexton from Glencroft Countrywear, a company that have been members of Make it British from the very early days. Glencroft is a family business selling British wool and…
011 – UK Textile Manufacturing Review 2018
In this episode I look at how UK textile manufacturing fared in 2018, and what I think the future holds for 2019 and beyond.
- Was it a good year for the industry?
- Who were the winners and losers?
- A…
010 – Katya Wildman, Bombshell – Why I Choose to Manufacture in London
What are the benefits of manufacturing locally if you are a small clothing brand?
In this interview with Katya Wildman, founder of Bombshell, I talk to her about why she chose to reshore the productio…
009 – How to Manufacture in the UK for Less
Do you think that manufacturing in the UK is more expensive?
In this episode I dispel some of the myths around making in the UK being more pricey. Quite often it's down to not WHERE you manufacture, b…
008 – Bhavik Master, British Christmas Jumpers – How to Succeed with Seasonal Products
In this interview I chat with Bhavik Master, director at Leicester knitwear manufacturers Jackmasters and producers of British Christmas Jumpers
Did you know that £220 million of Christmas jumpers are…