We almost lost the art of building homes from oak in Britain. Thankfully, someone in Herefordshire wasn’t going to let that happen. In today’s show we celebrate a dad who revived the medieval craft and built a business. Number 37 on our list of the greatest items we make here is The Oak-Framed Home. Merry Albright is creative director of Border Oak, and daughter of the founder, John David Greene. She shows us around the firm’s workshops in Leominster as we celebrate the skills her dad had to relearn and then teach others. Also on the show, we consider why we stopped making homes from trees, invite MPs to look through the company’s business accounts, question why the planning system became so combative, and fall in love with a boxed heart. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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36. The Resoleable Sneakers
The American sneaker market is worth $25bn. It is the biggest in the world – and growing. But it’s a crowded market. You need a stellar USP to stand out. Sheffield-based trainer-maker Goral has one – and it’s finding success selling to US sneakerheads. Number 36 on our list of the greatest items we make here is The Resoleable Sneaker. On this week’s episode of The Factory Next Door, Dom Goral shows us how they’ve designed leather trainers with soles that can be replaced. We chat about relocating the factory from Poland to a former school in Yorkshire, how influencers have helped build the brand in America, and why it’s good to question every part of the process. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Please consider voting for the show at this year’s British Podcast Awards: www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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35. The Dining Chair
Design a timeless classic and the ripples from that one idea can be felt across industries for decades.Take Ercol’s Windsor Dining Chair, number 35 on our list of the greatest items we make here.It may be more than 70 years old, but its impact and influence remains significant. Today it’s even helping revive the British wood industry decades after being ravaged by Dutch Elm Disease.On this week’s The Factory Next Door, Ercol’s Chairman and Creative Director, Henry Tadros, shows us around their purpose-built modern factory close to High Wycombe, the historic heartland of UK furniture-making.We question what makes a design timeless, watch the beauty and drama of wood bending, and learn why some outsourcing has been an important part of the company’s survival.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorAnd if you want to vote for the show at the British Podcast Awards, you can at this website:www.britishpodcastawards.com/votingThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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34. The Glass Lampshade
You must be delicate shaping it. You must be aggressive smoothing it. Glass might be full of contradictions, but it’s consistent in its beauty. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to Rothschild & Bickers’ glassblowing studio in Hertford to learn what it takes to turn molten silica into art for the walls and the ceiling. Number 34 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Glass Lampshade. Founders Victoria Rothschild and Mark Bickers explain why glass making is a team sport, celebrate the fire in glory holes, and consider the perfect size for their business. Also on the show, I have a go at making my own water glass and am reminded that, no, I cannot do two things at the same time. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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33. The Somerset Cider
When you’re in the business of making cider, you need to be able to predict the future.Growing a single apple tree for cider-making takes years. Plant an orchard, and you’re betting on customers’ taste buds decades ahead of time.On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to the village of Sandford by the Mendip Hills to visit Thatchers Cider.Number 33 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Somerset Cider.Martin Thatcher, 4th generation cider maker, and his daughter Eleanor, 5th generation cider maker, give us a tour of their apple library, explain the unique challenges of brewing cider, and celebrate the joys of remaining a family-owned business.We also visit the world’s most-beautiful orchard, learn the importance of regenerative farming, and I get the tables turned on me and must explain myself.Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorThe Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here:www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What’s on your list of the greatest products made in Britain? Join journalist Steve Duke as he criss-crosses the island to meet our makers in their factories and workshops.Whilst compiling our list, we hear stories of people pursuing perfection, tales of difficult times, and reasons for optimism.Winner of the Best Business Show at the Independent Podcast Awards 2024.Join the community on Instagram @thefactorynextdoorAnd if you can, please consider buying me a coffee to keep this show on the roadhttps://buymeacoffee.com/thefactorynextdoor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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