On Monday 8 September, 16 World Traders braved tube strikes in London to travel to Joseph Cheaney’s factory near Kettering in Northamptonshire. We were received by Jonathan Church, the Immediate Past Master Cordwainer and Joint Managing Director of Joseph Cheaney. He and his cousin bought out the brand from Church’s shoes after the latter was bought by Prada.

Over lunch, Jonathan talked about the business and the challenges of taking over and growing a shoe manufacturer. He has built up a number of stores in London, as well as a few in other UK cities. They are increasingly selling shoes overseas through e-commerce, and he gave the example of Japan where they have a number of customers and enthusiasts.

We were then given a walk around the factory, and it was fascinating to see the whole process from cutting the leather pieces to sewing/assembly to sole fitting. Jonathan and his staff were extremely helpful, answering all our questions.

A very interesting day, and a brilliant example of a British company trading internationally!