Make it British Podcast

Come with me on a tour of the Halley Stevensons mill in Dundee, where I’m shown around the mill by production director Billy and sales administrator Ria.
Halley Stevensons has been making fabric in Dundee since 1864. It started out as a jute mill and is now the last textile mill of its kind in a city that was once full of them. Today it’s known around the world for its waxed cotton, supplying brands including Barbour and shipping to over 50 countries.
We follow the fabric all the way through the mill, from the raw loom state cotton arriving on 500 metre rolls to the final inspection, where every metre is checked by hand.
In this episode you'll discover:
The history of textiles in the Dundee area and why Halley Stavensons have survived.
All of the processes the fabric goes through to transform it from it's raw state to Halley Stevensons' iconic weatherproof fabrics
How the business is becoming more sustainable and is the first mill of its kind to be Bluesign certified.
Why waxed cotton jackets get handed down through generations making them a superb long term investment.

If you care about UK manufacturing and how British mills are investing in the future, this episode will give you a practical look at how it can be done.
About Halley Stevensons
Halley Stevensons is a textile mill in Dundee, Scotland, specialising in waxed and coated cotton fabrics. All dyeing, waxing and finishing is done in house, with around 60 people working across the site. They work with brands of all sizes, with minimum orders starting from 100 metres.
You can find Halley Stevensons at:
Website: www.halleystevensons.co.uk
Instagram: @halleystevensons

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply

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If you're interested in finding out how I can help you to start or scale your British-made brand, I'm hosting a free Q&A on Tuesday 6th October.
Apply to attend the Q&A: makeitbritish.co.uk/qa
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal
Register for Make it British Live! here
Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027
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Want to transition from making everything in-house to outsourcing to a factory? This episode is for you!
We cover:
How to know when you're ready to outsource to a factory
Why working with a factory can actually cost you less than paying a local seamstress
How to get your pricing right before you outsource
What you need to preapre before you approach a factory
How to approach a factory so your enquiry doesn't get ignored.

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram

Register for Make it British Live! here
Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027

In this episode I take a trip to rural Nottinghamshire to the micro knitwear factory owned by Samantha Thomas, founder of knitwear brand Waring Brooke.
Sam was originally a designer for other brands like Alberta Feretti in Italy, but then 10 years ago she started her own knitwear label and took the brave decision to invest in her own knitting machine to create it.
When I had Sam on the podcast 5 years ago she was a one man band - she now has a team and big plans for the future.
In this episode we cover:
How having her own machine allows her to offer personalisation to her customers, which gives the brand it’s USP
What her customers really think about Made in UK
The challenges Sam faced getting to grips with production and keeping the machine busy
Why she's now opening up her factory to other brands for sampling and small production runs

About Waring Brooke
Waring Brooke is a knitwear and accessories brand made entirely in its own micro factory in rural Nottinghamshire. Founder Samantha Thomas designs, programmes and knits everything in-house on a single industrial knitting machine, which allows her to make to order and offer personalised monogram patterns knitted into scarves, snoods, hats, headbands and socks.
You can find Samantha and Waring Brooke at:
Website: waringbrooke.com
Instagram: @waringbrooke

Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
Follow Kate @makeitbritish on Instagram