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Made in Britain
Why buy British?
Here at Swim Feral, we are proud members of Made in Britain – you may have noticed its mark on your bag. That mark is not only a sign of quality but also confirmation that you are supporting local manufacturing in the UK.Made in Britain brings together the British manufacturing community, united with the use of the registered collective mark. The mark is protected and can only be used by members of Made in Britain.
To become a member – and be eligible to use that mark on our products – we needed to pass an accreditation process that took a deep dive into our business practice and processes to make sure we were up to scratch. That included our suppliers and manufacturers, our environmental credentials and the quality of our products.
When you see that mark on our products you can be confident that we have met all those requirements and it guarantees that we are a British manufacturer.
But what does that really mean?
Keeping our suppliers local means we can have a real connection with the people that make our products. The factory that makes our Turtleback and Terrapin bags is just up the road – that leads to a reduced carbon footprint as well as a more nimble and agile way of working together. We are directly investing in our own local economy and are much more in control of stock availability and product quality. And all the while developing a great relationship with the people that make your bags.
The same goes for our ponchos, they are made by Angela and Donna in their small workshop in Wigan, Lancashire. We’ve worked closely with these two skilled seamstresses to source the right fabric, confirm measurements and plan out new colours and sizes.
By having such a close relationship with our manufacturers also boosts our own ethical and sustainable credentials – giving you peace of mind. We not only keep a keen eye on the materials used but we also know the working conditions in which our products are made.
And all these makers have skills – it’s really important that we keep these skills alive in the UK. Lancashire and Yorkshire have been the home of makers for many, many years — factories across the valleys working with cloth and cotton were fitted with the Lancashire Loom and full of highly skilled weavers. While we aren’t suggesting the Industrial Revolution was without its challenges and complexities, that world of making has stuck with us here in the North West and we have workshops, foundries and studios dotted all over the place. The larger factories are slowly disappearing from our landscape but those that remain — especially the smaller ones like Carradice who make our bags — are hugely important and Made in Britain helps keep them alive.
By buying a Swim Feral product you are directly supporting independent, UK manufacturing. We value the different manufacturers we work with and they help make your outdoor changing experience that much more comfortable.
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