PODCAST · arts
Make it British Podcast
by Kate Hills
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'.
Episodes
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Kate's Sunday Journal 18 Oct 26: 13 Manufacturers in 5 Days
Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram
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A Visit to Halley Stevensons to Find out How Waxed Fabrics are Made
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...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 27 Sept 26: London Fashion Week – Who actually makes in the UK?
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...
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Getting Factory Ready – How to Transition from Maker to Manufacturing
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...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 20 Sept 26: A Visit to 10 Downing Street
Register for Make it British Live! here Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027
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A visit to the Waring Brooke Micro Factory with Samantha Thomas, Waring Brooke
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…
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Kate's Sunday Journal 13 Sept 26: Reflecting on a talk by Paul Smith and a visit to
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram…
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How to pivot an existing brand with fashion designer Emily Millichip
Ready to scale your UK-made brand? Apply for the British Brand Accelerator at makeitbritish.co.uk/apply In this episode I'm joined by Emily Millichip, a fashion designer based in Edinburgh who is relaunching her eponymous brand of 15 years after deciding it no longer aligned with where she is…
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 6 September 26: Celebrating 120 years of Hackney’s oldest haberdashers 🧵
Find out more about William Gee at williamgee.co.uk 2a Forest Road, London, E8 3BY Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal Sign the Open Letter calling on the government to source military and NHS uniforms from UK manufacturers Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last?...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 30 August 2026: Help Onshore Our Uniforms
Sign the Open Letter Book a place at The British Made Showcase here Thursday 1st October 6-8pm Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator:...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 23 August 2026: A Trip to Leicester to Visit Manufacturers
Register for Make it British Live! here Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 16 August 26: My take on wholesale
Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 9 August 26: Demand for UK clothing manufacturers up 90%
Subscribe to the mailing list to get Make it British Live! event updates. Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 2 August 26: Sharing a secret I’ve been keeping a while…
Register for Make it British Live! here Save the date 12 & 13 January 2027
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 5 July 2026: Save the Date
Subscribe to the mailing list to get Make it British Live! event updates. Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 28 June 26: Update on my goal to visit 100 manufacturers in 2026
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡 Follow @makeitbritish on Instagram 🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 21 June 26: Scottish Textiles Tour
Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply Manufacturers Mentioned: woolkind.com...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 14th June 26 – Marketing with zero budget
Apply to come to the next free Q&A Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡 🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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From Burberry to British Wool with Frankie Davies, Charl Knitwear
Hello and welcome to episode 323 of the Make it British Podcast. I'm back with another episode in my Women in Wool series, this time chatting to knitwear designer Frankie Davies from Charl Knitwear. Frankie spent years designing knitwear for Burberry and Benetton and has spent much of her career...
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 7 June 26: How Many Products is Too Many?
Apply to come to the next free Q&A Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡 🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 31 May 26: Britwashing
Read this email Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡 🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 24 May 26: A Visit to Manufacturers in Ayrshire
Read this email Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡 🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Kate’s Sunday Journal 17 May 26: UK-made T-shirts
Read this email Subscribe to Kate's Sunday Journal 🧡 🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply
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Weaving Wool in Yorkshire with Laura Watts at Marton Mills
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Laura Watts, managing director of Marton Mills, 3rd generation family weaving business based in Otley, Yorkshire. Marton Mills was founded in 1931 and has built its reputation on uniform fabric - supplying school wear, military contracts...
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A Visit to Laxtons Spinning Mill with Carly Smith & Rochelle Tracey
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I visited Laxtons Yarns in Baildon, Yorkshire, a fourth generation family spinning mill that is now employee-owned. I was given a full tour of the mill floor by commercial director Carly Smith and national accounts manager Rochelle Tracey, before…
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For the Love of Knitting with Genevieve Sweeney
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I take a trip to the beautiful Essex countryside to visit knitwear designer Genevieve Sweeney in her micro factory, where she designs, programmes, knits, and finishes her collection in house. We talk about the realities of owning your own industrial...
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5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer
🚀 Ready to create a British-made product business that's built to last? Without faffing about, wasting wads of cash, or struggling with unreliable factories. Apply for the British Brand Accelerator: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply In this episode I'm sharing the recording of a recent webinar I ran - 5...
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The Great British Wool Revival with Harriet Fletcher-Gilhuys, Fashion Roundtable
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Harriet Fletcher-Gilhuys from Fashion Roundtable. Harriet is the project lead for The Great British Wool Revival and is also working with the King's Foundation on an event in May 2026 to promote the use of British wool. If you're a...
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Building a British Tweed Tailoring Label in Yorkshire with Isabelle Randall
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I'm joined by Isabelle Randall, a fashion designer and tailor based in Scarborough, Yorkshire, who has been running her own label for over 21 years. Isabelle works in British tweeds and wool fabrics, making everything bespoke in her atelier. We talk...
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How British Wool Helps Brands Source Local Fibre with Louisa Knapp, British Wool
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Louisa Knapp, Marketing Executive at British Wool. Based in Bradford, British Wool operates as a farmers' cooperative that collects, grades, and auctions fleece for around 35,000 sheep farmers across the UK. Whether you’re a designer...
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The Reality of Running a Knitwear Micro Factory with Kate Stalker from OUBAS Knitwear
In this episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Kate Stalker, founder of OUBAS Knitwear. Kate runs a knitwear micro factory in the Lake District, where she designs and manufactures fully fashioned knitwear using natural fibres, including British wool. After studying knitwear at...
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Launching a Brand with Traceable British Wool with Dee McGilvray, CLÒ FOLD
In this first episode of the Women in Wool series, I’m joined by Dee McGilvray, founder of CLÒ FOLD. Dee has launched a womenswear brand built entirely around 100 percent British traceable wool. In just five months, alongside a full time job, she has taken an idea rooted in farming and the…
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Series 8 Trailer: Women in Wool
Series 8 of the Make it British podcast is here! After many of you asked, “Where’s the podcast gone?”, it's coming back with a brand-new themed series: Women in Wool. Over the past few months, I've been recording interviews behind the scenes. As the conversations unfolded, a clear thread emerged....
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BONUS: The 3 Part Framework for Developing Profitable UK-Made Products
🚀 Want to join British Brand Accelerator? Apply here: makeitbritish.co.uk/apply Got a question before applying? DM me on Instagram: @makeitbritish
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SOS: Stop Wasting Time Contacting the Wrong Factories 🏭
Not all factories are created equal! And if you’re contacting 20 different manufacturers hoping one will say yes — you're doing it the hard way. In this episode of MANUFACTURING SOS, I’m talking about one of the most common mistakes I see when people start looking for a UK manufacturer: assuming...
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SOS: Why Ordering Too Much Stock is a Costly Mistake
In this episode in the MANUFACTURING SOS series, I’m breaking down why placing a big order with your manufacturer, especially on your first production run with them, can be a costly mistake. You’ll learn why it’s always smarter to treat your first production run as a test, how to avoid tying up…
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SOS: What’s the REAL Cost of Skipping Tech Packs? 📐
Think tech packs are optional? Or that your manufacturer can just "sort it for you"? Think again. In this episode of Manufacturing SOS, I’m breaking down exactly what happens when you don’t have a proper tech pack, and why skipping this step is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make....
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SOS: Never ask a factory for the price until you do THIS 💷
What UK Manufacturers Really Think When You Ask About Price If the first thing you ask a factory is “How much?” — you’re not alone. But it might explain why you’re not getting the response you hoped for. In this episode of Manufacturing SOS, I’m unpacking what actually happens when you lead with...
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SOS: Why UK Manufacturers are Ghosting You 👻
If your inbox is full of unanswered emails to factories, it's not personal. It's a sign you're making critical mistakes that scream 'newbie'. In this first episode in this special series MANUFACTURING SOS I’m diving into one of the most common frustrations I hear from founders - that they've...
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Introducing Manufacturing SOS
Brand New Mini Series Coming Soon: Manufacturing SOS After a year-long hiatus, the Make It British Podcast is coming back! Series 7 is currently in the works, but while you wait, I’ve got something special for you… Introducing a brand new mini series called Manufacturing SOS. This special series…
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Bonus: How to Find a UK Manufacturer
Finding a UK manufacturer doesn’t have to be a challenge! In this bonus episode, I share the recording of my recent webinar, where I break down the 5 essential steps to finding your perfect manufacturing partner. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why manufacturers don’t respond to emails—and how...
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300 - Words of wisdom from UK manufacturers featured on this show
Welcome to episode 300! Celebrating the 300th episode of this podcast I look back at some of the amazing guests that I've had on this show from the world of UK fashion and textile manufacturing. Manufacturers that have shared their stories, their challenges, and their successes with us. Episodes…
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299 – A Visit to Vagabond Bags
Join me on a tour round a factory! In this episode I'm chatting with Simon Michelson, owner of Vagabond Bags, a sewing factory in Swindon that makes cosmetic bags, shower caps and hot water bottle covers. Meet some of the people working in the factory, hear about the jobs they do and find out how...
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298 – What’s going on with UK manufacturers? [with special guests]
I'm joined today by 3 amazing people that work tirelessly in the UK fashion and textile industry. You may have seen in the press recently that several high profile brands have been affected by the close of Matches, but did you know about the knock on affect that has had on the UK manufacturers? I...
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297 – The Biggest Mistake Made by Product Businesses
The title says it all. Listen to find out what it is! HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator - Work closely with me to start or grow your UK-made brand. Newsletter - Subscribe for a weekly dose of inspiration and advice on making in the UK Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Mentioned in…
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296 – Behind the Scenes at KC Manufacturing with Adam Robertson and Nina Falk
Join me on a visit to KC Manufacturing (previously Kalopsia Collective) in Dumferline, Scotland to meet with husband and wife team Adam Robertson and Nina Falk. KC Manufacturing is a social enterprise specialising in small batch manufacturing. Discover: How Adam & Nina met and ended up setting up...
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295 – 4 Reasons NOT to Make in the UK
Regular listeners to this podcast will know that I am all about encouraging brands to manufacture locally. But in some cases, it might not make good sense to do so. In this episode I explain the 4 reasons why you might NOT want to make in the UK. Want my advice on whether your product should or...
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294 – How to get people onto your mailing list
One of the questions that came up on one of our recent British Brand Accelerator group coaching calls was so good, I thought I'd bring it to you on the podcast this week. The question was about whether a small business that makes in the UK should be offering a discount when someone opts in to…
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293 – Save English Fine Cottons
This week I’m bringing some very sad news - that the UK’s only cotton spinning mill, English Fine Cottons, which brought cotton spinning back to Greater Manchester in 2018, has very sadly gone into administration. In case you don’t know about the history of English Fine Cottons, it was set up by...
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292 – Reviving the UK Button Making Industry with Courtney & Co Button Makers
Today's guests are Andrea and David Courtney from Courtney & Co buttonmakers Back in 2012 I was contacted by someone who was trying to save the UK’s last remaining horn button maker - Grove & Sons. He was looking for investors to buy up the machinery and pattern books from the business so that…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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'.
HOSTED BY
Kate Hills
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Make it British Podcast have?
Make it British Podcast currently has 300 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Make it British Podcast about?
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...
How often does Make it British Podcast release new episodes?
Make it British Podcast publishes regularly with 300 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Make it British Podcast?
You can listen to Make it British Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Make it British Podcast?
Make it British Podcast is created and hosted by Kate Hills.
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