Our Materials and Workshop
Most of the materials we use are British made, and our kit is manufactured in Britain. A few things are sourced from overseas, but only once we've exhausted trying to find a British maker.
JFJ Baker in East Devon is one of England’s oldest tanneries, its traditional oak bark tanned hide had the finish we wanted, with the stiffness to maintain the cool bags’ structure. Each hide takes 15 months to tan in vats of oak bark which makes the fibres particularly strong and hard-wearing compared to more economical and speedy chrome tanning. They are then hand-finished with their own blend of oils and greases to protect and feed the leather. Even their hides come from Devon cows and each shoulder that we buy is unique, with its own creases and character.
Our canvas comes from two very old British textile mills: British Millerain have been producing the finest canvas in its Lancashire mill since 1880. Meanwhile Halley Stevenson have been producing waxed textiles from their site in Dundee since 1864. We use 24oz plain weave and twill canvas on the exterior of our products, and they are lined with a lighter 18oz twill. All the canvas is either waxed with food grade waxes, or treated for water repellency to keep your nuts dry and reduce staining from any spills; it is renowned for its strength and durability, and will age beautifully with use.
Our insulated products are lined with 40mm of high performance layered insulation manufactured in Nottingham, designed to use a mixture of trapped air (a poor conductor of heat), and reflective foils to keep your champagne and tonics cold, or hot food warm.
All fittings from YKK zips to rivets are solid brass for durability and longevity.
All our products are then stitched together in a small workshop in Somerset by the finest craftsmen in the Westcountry.
We believe in making a product using as many natural materials as possible, or those made from high proportions of recycled materials. We are saddened by our disposable society, and so strive to make a product that will give many years of active service, whose finish - with a little care - will only improve with age and be passed down generations.
The products that we source rather than make are all chosen for function and durability over form, they should perform well as well as looking good, complimenting our kit to serve the finest sundowners. Things like the iconic back country Stanley flasks - established in the back in the USA 1913 and still not bettered today. Copper cups and ice buckets look the business but copper also has antibacterial properties that makes them well suited for outdoor use.
All our cool bags are supplied with two soft-finish gel-filled packs that stay colder for longer than standard water-filled blocks, and can also be heated to keep hot food warmer for longer.