54 P a stor Graham Aldous, director of Peak Dale Products, talks to Craft Focus about the Peak District based company Tell us a little bit about the company. Where are you based? I’ve spent my whole working life in the craft industry, so starting Peak Dale Products as an independent family business in 2010 felt like the natural next step. We’re based in Peak Dale, just outside Buxton in the heart of Derbyshire’s Peak District, and today we’re proud to supply more than 3,000 arts, crafts and hobby products to customers across the UK. Although we’ve grown over the years, we’re still very much a family business with a team of eight. We continue to manufacture many of our own products here in Derbyshire and pride ourselves on friendly service, quality products and reliable delivery. Who founded the company and why? My wife Julie and I founded Peak Dale Products in 2010 because I wanted to focus entirely on supporting the craft trade. Throughout my career I’d spent a lot of time talking to customers and listening to what they wanted. Those conversations often highlighted products that were difficult to source or simply weren’t as good as they could be, so I decided to start making them myself. That passion for creating quality products and looking after our customers still drives us today. How has the company evolved? What started with a small range of manufactured products has grown into a business supplying more than 3,000 product lines. One of our biggest projects at the moment is a brand-new business management system, due to go live very soon. It will allow customers to see whether products are awaiting stock, scheduled for manufacture, in production or ready for dispatch, making it easier for them to plan ahead. What do you specialise in? We specialise in supplying independent craft shops with a broad range of arts, crafts and hobby products, from everyday essentials to specialist materials and exclusive manufactured lines. We also continue to manufacture many of our own ranges here in Derbyshire. I still enjoy seeing an idea become a finished product, especially when it starts with a conversation with one of our customers. What products are you most excited about? I’m particularly proud of the products we manufacture here in Peak Dale. Our flower presses have been a real hit throughout the summer months, our metal embossing range makes fantastic Christmas gifts, and our ‘Intro Into...’ range continues to be popular all year round. If I had to choose a favourite, it would be the metal embossing range. Hobby & crafts have boomed in recent years! Have you noticed any new trends? I’ve definitely noticed that people are looking for hobbies that help them slow down. Crafting gives people valuable ‘me time’. It’s also encouraging to see a renewed appreciation for heritage crafts, and we’ve seen demand for our rug making tools and components continue to grow.
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