Buy British Day

The virtuous circle

Today is Buy British Day here in the UK, a time to thank all the makers and producers who decide to take on the challenges of manufacturing in Britain. A day to show that we do understand why something might cost a little bit more, and that we will sometimes choose to go a little further to a local store rather than pluck something off a supermarket shelf.

All Patternbooth products are produced in Britain, which isn't always the easiest path to take. In fact I try to produce everything as close to home as possible, and currently I manage Patternbooth production within 70miles of home.

Of course it might not always be possible to manufacture your product in Britain, and when it is possible distance is only one factor to consider. The finish must also be brilliant, the people must be good to deal with and, of course, the price must be right, but local is always where I start my search.

I say it's not the easiest path because I know I can produce things more cheaply abroad. I get many emails a week from manufacturers in other parts of the world looking for my business. Sometimes price matters the most, but not always.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a good / bad equation. In fact I love my favourite Marimekko mug, my beautiful Hay teatowel...and of course beautiful design and considered production can be found all over the world.

But sometimes there are choices we can make, and along with many others I choose to produce in Britain because I believe in keeping money in our own economy.

Money spent in our own economy goes to people who are also paying taxes in our community. Those same people are also taking their wages and spending those, hopefully in Britain too, and that in turn goes in to the pockets of others...and on...and on...in a wonderful virtuous circle of benefit. Those benefits go not just to our manufactures, but also to the workers, the support staff, the shopkeepers, the growers and the makers that benefit from those wages being spent.

I certainly don't always make the right choice but I try and make ones I can feel good about as often as possible.

In turn I hope that the perceived value of producing in Britain continues to grow, that the benefits to our communities is a message that keeps being shared, and that the virtuous circle keeps on turning.

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You can best follow along on the blog by clicking the 'follow me on bloglovin' button over on the left. This will mean patternbooth posts will land directly in your inbox and save you having to remember to look for them. You can of course sign up for my oh so infrequent newsletter on the left too. Don't forget to follow on instagram, pinterest and twitter @patternbooth for some extra treats, finds and more on my current projects. To celebrate BuyBritishDay there is a 10% discount in the store today (3rd October GMT) if you enter 'buybritish' at checkout.