Given that the huge number of hides and skins that go to waste in the UK each year come from the food industry, we have always tried to maximise our links with suppliers, chefs and restaurants to help us better tell the real story of leather. Not only is this also a great excuse to eat lots of delicious food, but it led us to developing our first kitchen product, the Leather Chef Apron.
As ever, we started with lots of research and spoke to as many chefs as we could about apron practicalities. Having partnered with hugely talented leather craftsmen Otis Ingrams on the design and prototyping, we then enlisted early testers James Whetlor of Cabrito, and George Wood formerly of Temper Soho, whose great feedback led us to the final product.
It was at this point that we were lucky enough to hear on the grapevine about an up and coming chef with a passion for cooking with goat. We were put in touch with James Cochran after finding out that he would be cooking goat on 2018's Great British Menu, which he ended up going on to win. James loved our story and the connection between eating goat and using the leather, and he commissioned the first set of black aprons for his new Islington restaurant, 1251.
A month after opening Jay Rayner called the food at 1251 'bold, imaginative and fun' and having been there a few times ourselves, we can't recommend it enough. What's more James has just opened GOAT, serving BBQ jerk goat at Lewisham's Model Market, new street food market calling itself "the European capital of vibes".
We've since gone on to supply aprons to a selection of the UK's most exciting chefs with more projects soon to be announced, but they are equally suited for the home cook looking to up their game. One customer even got in touch in January to tell us of the rousing reception his apron received from behind the Christmas Turkey.
Blog posts
A guide to sustainable tableware
What leather is best for bags? A guide to long-lasting leather bag options
