Latest Posts from The Blue Patch Blog

A report published by the FSB has several interesting statistics about women in business. The contribution of women owned business to the UK economy has been estimated to be approximately £105 bn, with an increase of 40% since 2012. The number of women owning businesses and employing people in their own businesses has also increased significantly. […]

It’s spring! Or so we hope… I’ve been transitioning in between clothing types this week, moving away from my warm wool coat to lighter garb. It’s delightful to not be weighted down by 20 layers of fabric. Spring is synonymous with the shedding of layers (unless we’re talking about trees), and part of that includes […]

The Original Sustainable Department Store at The University of Manchester The Whitworth Our Blue Patch store is ‘on tour’ showcasing wonderful products made in Britain by forward-thinking entrepreneurs, revealing the processes behind the brands and giving visitors the chance to browse and buy gorgeous things, rarely available on the High St.   The store will open on March […]

Love it, hate it or simply ignore it, it’s still Valentine’s Day today. Traditionally, a day for lovers, we’ve decided that it should also be a day for small business owners. So here are three oh-so-important ways to express love if you’re a small business owner. Ready? Love yourself Small business owners are so susceptible […]

What a wonderful week! Recounted by Jane. Monday 10th Dec. Team Blue Patch; the irrepressible Preeti, Natalia and Lee, plus Britney, Cameron and Holly (the kids actually) worked alongside Blue Patch members, assembling flatpack furniture, excavating products from a sea of cardboard boxes and ‘merchandising’ like it was going out of fashion. Out of fashion? […]

  We’ve written a guest blog for the RSA on problems facing the high street and a new ethical shopping oriented solution. “When on the high street, it feels as though poor quality products are sold everywhere for high prices. Online shopping seems like a better deal since we’ve been trained to think of purchasing online as […]

Small businesses in Britain are looking for representation with the right kind of stores. With this in mind, Laura’s Loom, an artisan weaver based in Sedbergh in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, sent their Cumbrian Summer Blankets by post to Blue Patch HQ, to be featured at London Design Fair 2018. Laura’s beautifully woven blankets were […]

A restaurant review by Jane Langley in the company of Lee Wilson, from team Blue Patch.   On the first cold snap of the year, Lee and I headed to Brixton Prison as guests of The Clink Restaurant. The Clink Charity, of which The Clink Restaurant is a part, is transforming the prison experience by creating […]

Tackle climate change and support the local economy with positive shopping this Christmas Blue Patch is lighting up a Shoreditch high street for just one week with the UK’s very first Sustainable Department Store where visitors can buy directly from the finest British brands, join creative workshops, be pampered, solve burning environmental issues and get […]

Do you love a good pair of shoes? Take a look behind the scenes of a shoemaking company that is quintessentially English, preserving old traditions in manufacturing while adding that modern touch. As one of the last remaining active shoe factories in England, our brand, Crown Northampton has a deep understanding of English made and […]