Life at the farm is full - if we aren't in the workshop we are in the vineyard and if you can't find us on site then invariably we are out working with collaborators or giving lectures or learning from other regenerative farmers. Running a small business has always been a full-time pursuit, farming is full-time + overtime, all the time.
There is little time to reflect, until just now, when we close up shop for Christmas and the whole team is off until after New Year.
Of course we have been rescuing materials and building up our donations but as you know, we do so much more! Here are a few of the highlights!
And then a few hints for next year.
Finding your perfect piece isn't always easy, especially when you know that everything we make is a one-of-a-kind.
This is obviously a wonderful part of using rescued materials, but it can lead to some trepidation.
Well, we are here to help. You can come in and make your selection in person, which is the ideal solution. Here is someone choosing her perfect Yelllow Fire-Hose Tote!
We are open Monday to Friday and open from 8:30am-5pm. We can also be open at other times by appointment, just get in touch and we can help. Do note that we will be closed from the 24th of December at noon, until the 2nd of January.
However, if you can't make it to the farm you can call, we can take and send photos or videos, and we can size anything up... Just email us at support@elvisandkresse.com or call 01795 892 184.
One of the reasons that we donate 50% of our profits to charity is that we think giving is inherently good. It makes everyone feel good, it helps to build community among stakeholders, it means that money also flows instead of concentrating in one place...
As you know we donate 50% of our profits to charity - every piece you purchase supports The Fire Fighters Charity and Barefoot College International.
And giving doesn't have to be about money - it can be advice, a hug, an introduction, a shared meal, a darned sock.
So in this season of giving we would love for you to share your best story of giving! Was it a gift? A favour? What impact did it have? The more life-changing the better. We want to help you celebrate the wonderful people who really know how to give. They are the real influencers. They are the heroes.
Another way we can give? We can support businesses that we love by sharing them with you:
Toast Ale - They are, like us, both a Social Enterprise and a Certified B Corp, they have pioneered making beer from waste bread and we make their tap handles!
Cook Food - Food made like you would at home, but frozen and ready to save you when you don't have time! One of the founding UK B Corps and seriously inspiring when it comes to how they build and manage their team.
Divine Chocolate - Kresse's favourite chocolate, fairtrade, a social enterprise, a B Corp and the only chocolate brand that is co-owned by its cocoa farmers.
Wuka - They replace plastic-riddled disposable pads & tampons with the world’s most comfortable and sustainable period underwear, they also give free pairs to those in need!
Chateau Maris - We met these guys at a B Corp event in Amsterdam and we were buddies from that moment on! Their wine is organic, inspiring and always available at our farm!
Maison Mirabeau - This is a wine-making team so committed to regenerative viticulture that they helped found the Regenerative Viticulture Association - and they make our go to Rose.
Gaze Burvill - read more about this amazing furniture company and our collaboration!
Seep - If you have been to the farm you will have seen our wetland system... these compostable washing up sponges are fantastic and mean no microplastics!
Change Please - Change Please is an award-winning social enterprise tackling homelessness through the power of great tasting coffee. 100% of profits help people experiencing homelessness through their Barista Training Programme.
Mr. Organic - Great for store cupboard classics like beans and pesto, all organic, and a B Corp too!
Bruichladdich - Just fantastic whiskey, a B Corp, and one that shares our pursuit of regenerative agriculture.
Edward Bulmer - Edward is a true pioneer in genuinely ecological paint. And they are a B Corp too!
Last night I was off to London, to attend the annual Social Enterprise Awards. The Roundhouse in Camden was a fantastic place to celebrate the work of businesses that don't have purpose as a bolt-on, or after thought. Doing good and making the world better - whether they are dentists, digital experts, bakers, housing providers or bag makers like us - is at their very core, in every ounce of DNA.
So imagine what it was like for me, in a room of my heroes, to be given an Honorary Fellowship. If you want to learn more, you can find all the details here.
With Susan Aktemel and the lovely Sarah Burns in the background!
This is not something I take lightly, or only with gratitude. The recognition is truly lovely but I don't just feel warm and fuzzy about it. This community has achieved so much, but there is more to do. For me, this is a weighty and wonderful responsibility.
Bring on the next 20 years!
Oh - and I was sitting at a fantastic table with fellow Honorary Fellows Susan Aktemel and Patrick Grant, friend and instigator Peter Holbrook, and also these two wonderful Social Enterprise supporters who were great dinner companions and hopefully won't mind this cheeky snap.
With Michael Sheen and Chris Addison!
SEUK asked me for a quote... here it is:
"When we first started Elvis & Kresse I had no idea that it would be my entry into an incredible community of dedicated, stubbornly optimistic changemakers; people who stare capitalism in the face every day and say 'there is a better way to do this, where we all win'. And then they do it. Being a part of this community is constantly an honour, an education and also the best kind of obligation."
Something completely crazy happened last night. Kresse went up to London, to the National Portrait Gallery, to take a picture of herself, next to this picture.... and you can go and see it to - open from 29 November 2024 - 2 March 2025.
Image by Zoë Law
How did this happen? Photographer, Zoë Law, met Noel Gallagher at a Manchester City football game and asked if she could take his picture. This photo launched a much wider project which launched on November 28th at the National Portrait Gallery.
Zoë Law’s Legends series celebrates over one hundred individuals from the worlds of art, fashion, business and entertainment. From World Cup-winning footballer, Sir Bobby Charlton, to the co-founder of UK Black Pride, Lady Phyll, this free display invites visitors to immerse themselves in new portraits of renowned figures and discover unsung heroes.
We had an amazing day at Zoë's studio, she is very relaxed, fun and also efficient. She took quite a few pictures which we will share from time to time but this next one is my favourite. This one isn't in the exhibition but I am pretty sure that this image explains pretty clearly why we have been able to remain in business, together, for almost 20 years.
Find out more about the series and display by visiting the Zoe Law LEGENDS website.
As you know, we don't often introduce new pieces and entirely new materials are even more rare. This is why we are perhaps a little bit overexcited to finally be able to share this launch with you.
What is the material? Rescued oak.
What are we making? Our first piece (there will be more) is an occasional bowl. It could be a fruit bowl, somewhere to keep anything you walk in the door with like mail, keys, loose change, your wallet, or it could be for whatever you like... we use ours as a centrepiece for dried flowers and candles on our dining table.
Want to know the full details? We are so excited to be working with Gaze Burvill on an exclusive collection of homeware. Gaze Burvill designs and manufactures the most incredible outdoor furniture at their Hampshire workshop.
We are working with oak that has been gracing some of Britain's most beautiful gardens, in bench form, for the last 25 years. Gaze Burvill's commitment to repair old benches is why we have this wonderful wood to work with. We collect the seat slats that need to be replaced, they bear all the hallmarks of decades spent in the outdoors, providing places to sit and enjoy nature at its best. We have reimagined these slats of rescued oak into occasional bowls.
Each piece is entirely unique, no two will ever be the same. They are made by carefully cleaning and sanding each slat, then matching up pieces which have shared curves. We then use a planing tool to create a shared angle, which allows us to join the slats. The whole piece is then sanded, waxed and oiled several times before we subtly laser etch our logo in one corner.
One of Gaze Burvill's Broadwalk Benches
Elvis & Kresse and Gaze Burvill are both B Corps who are committed to circularity, we have shared values and environmental vision. We are working together because life is too short for good companies not to collaborate and design a beautiful future.
Various sizes are available and each piece is a one-of-a-kind. If you would like to choose your perfect piece, please do get in touch and we can send photos of our existing stock.
Last week we were named Future Icons by Country & Townhouse along with 50 incredible individuals - including David Attenborough and the King! This may be the only time Kresse is listed at #31, next to the King at #30... so enjoy!
The list is overwhelming to be on, some of these people are our heroes, some are our friends (quite a few are both!) but all are incredibly hard-working. They are earth focussed, they are systems thinkers, they understand that a good legacy means making the world better for other people's grandchildren.
We also won an award for the best environmental initiative by a brand... for all our work at the farm.
Elvis was there to collect!
We have been truly delighted to be asked by Diana Hamilton-Jones to add a logo to any of our pieces in commemoration of James Braidwood, the Father of the Modern Fire Service. Keen to learn more about the Bicentenary of the founding of the world's first
If you would like to have one of these lovely logos on your piece, let us know!
In September 2008 Diana Hamilton-Jones was invited by the late Dr. Frank Rushbrook, former Edinburgh Fire Chief, to attend the unveiling of the statue of James Braidwood he had commissioned and which now stands proudly on The Royal Mile next to St. Giles Cathedral. James Braidwood was his hero and Diana's great, great, great grandfather. She was inspired by Dr. Rushbrook to continue where he left off to raise Braidwood’s profile in the public conscience and by giving talks and bringing him to the attention of various groups, schools, the media and politicians she has been endeavouring to do just that. James Braidwood’s contribution to society is immeasurable, but sadly, he remains little known today, even amongst fire-fighters.
He was born in Edinburgh on 3rd September 1800. The Braidwood family was well respected in Edinburgh society; his father, Francis, was a well-known cabinet maker and builder and his uncle, William, had been Minister of the Original Baptist Church for 40 years and in 1805 was appointed Manager of the newly formed Caledonian Insurance Company. James was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and then studied to be a surveyor in his father’s building company. It was here he learned so much about building materials and how they react under stress, especially fire.
The 1824 Great Fire of Edinburgh finally forced the authorities to consider forming a municipal fire service. Prior to this time there was no organised fire-fighting leading to a great deal of damage and loss of life. James Braidwood, who had impressed the authorities with his organised approach to fire-fighting when assisting as a volunteer was appointed as Superintendent of Engines to the world’s first municipal fire service, The Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment, on 23rd October 1824.
From a blank page he created a science of fire-fighting, he recruited a team of 80 men, trained them and oversaw the design of their equipment and uniforms. Their safety and well-being was of prime importance to him, as well as providing an efficient service to the public he served. He took notes on every fire attended and by 1830 published the first book in English on fire fighting and training fire fighters.
Word of his expertise spread throughout the country as well as abroad and in 1832 he was invited to move to London where, in 1833, he was appointed the Superintendent of Engines to the newly formed London Fire Engine Establishment (later the London Fire Brigade). Again he built up a strong team of men, who like those in Edinburgh, grew to love and respect him.
His peers, superiors and the authorities also held James Braidwood in high regard. He was always polite, persistent in his desire to provide the best service through constant improvements, diligent, selfless, courageous and devout. He worshipped every week at the Scottish Church in Covent Garden and became a Sunday School teacher there; his charitable work included assisting at the Ragged Schools which clothed, fed and educated some of the many homeless children roaming the streets of London.
Through his expertise he was able to save several buildings of national historical significance including the medieval Westminster Hall when the Houses of Parliament were destroyed and the White & Jewel Towers at the Tower of London.
Throughout his career he wrote extensive reports to his superiors informing them of his progress and also making requests for much needed improvements in fire safety, as well as writing Fire Prevention Reports for leading establishments, including Buckingham Palace, the Admiralty, the Bank of England and the British Museum, so becoming the first Fire Prevention Officer. He worked closely with the London City Missions from whom he requested support for his men who had been traumatised by their experiences, so becoming the first Well Being Officer.
On 14th November 1838 he married Mary Ann Jane Jackson, a widow with 4 children and together they had a further 6. His 3 priorities were now his family, his faith and the fire service.
On 22nd June 1861 a fire broke out on Cotton Wharf, Tooley Street in the Thames Docks. It was a fire he had predicted and warned about many years earlier, repeatedly advising on the safe storage of goods in the warehouses which had been growing in size. His advice was ignored and he was killed on the first day of the fire, which burned for 2 weeks, whilst assisting his men. It was 2 days before it was possible to recover his body. Queen Victoria was notified of his death and she wrote of it in her diary and sent a personal letter of sympathy to Jane Braidwood.
James Braidwood was buried on 29th June 1861 in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London. His funeral was the largest for a commoner since that of the Duke of Wellington, the funeral procession stretching for 1.5 miles with crowds lining the streets 10 deep.
James Braidwood was a man of vision; he created a science where there was none before, he pioneered many aspects of fire-fighting including multi-agency cooperation, introduced new equipment including a rudimentary breathing apparatus, a hand pump and fire retardant materials. Some of his methods form part of basic training today.
Together with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service I am co-hosting a special service at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh in October 2024 to honour James Braidwood and celebrate 200 years of municipal fire-fighting in Scotland. It is my hope that this momentous occasion will be marked across the country and further afield and will lead to him receiving the honour and recognition he so richly deserves.
The Scottish Fire Brigades Heritage Trust has commissioned a special coin to commemorate this bicentenary year; funds raised by the sale of the coin will be donated to their charities. https://sfbheritagetrust.org
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This is a question that we are asked a lot, and largely people are confused because it isn't one thing. It is best defined by what it is not... it is not derived from animals.
Firstly, just the term vegan leather is an oxymoron, if it is vegan it can't be leather and if it is leather it can't be vegan. So really we should be calling it a vegan leather alternative... but that just takes too much time. Some people also call vegan leathers 'sustainable leather alternatives' but be careful of this one, a vegan material isn't necessarily sustainable. More on this in a moment.
Secondly, fire-hose is vegan! It contains no animal derived materials and we do not use animal derived glues, trim, or lining... so our entire fire-hose collection is vegan. You can read our full post on that here.
Here are a few examples of 'vegan leathers' to give you a flavour of how diverse the range is and how you really need to interrogate each one to find out if it is truly delivering what you are after.
Pleathers - The first leather substitutes have been around since the dawn of the polymer age because that is essentially what they are, they are plastic. PVC, polyurethane, nylon....
Frankenpleathers - This is my least favourite group... these are composite materials that are very hard if not impossible to recycle. This is when you marry up two types of material in such a way that they can't be shredded, melted, and made again. You can do this with straight plastic, but not a nylon reinforced polymer or synthetic rubber (like fire-hose, which is why we have to rescue and reuse it!). I would never, ever manufacture a material like this, they need to be phased out. Some examples include naugahyde, truck tarpaulins, and a lot of the 'vegan leathers' that you see on the market. If a natural material like cotton or cactus or any of the 'fruit' leathers is coated in plastic then it is a frankenfibre and we have no recycling for that.
Natural materials - Now leather is a natural material. We have been using animal skins for shoes longer than we have been the dominant homo sub-species. But not all leather is natural, a lot of it is treated with pretty hideous chemicals and / coated in polymer! The natural materials I find more interesting are cork, waxed canvas... but again, ask about coatings. What kind of wax? Were any adhesives used?
Biosynthetics - This is the future, naturally derived, grown, processed (hopefuly with renewable energy) and totally biodegradable. There are some mycelium examples that are quite interesting and also some made from agricultural waste like Mirum and Treekind. We are actually working on something ourselves - and it could be special... entirely derived from a waste that is currently clogging up landfills in the UK to the tune of 6000 tonnes each year!
Now back to that thorny sustainability question. The most sustainable materials are the ones that already exist. Reduce consumption first, buy second hand, or focus on reuse, like we do. Plastic is a fossil fuel, using it prolongs our dependence on fossil fuels (making it inherently unsustainable). Even if you can recycle it doesn't mean it won't shed microplastics in this life or in its next iteration so really, if there are any new polymers involved then it is a no. A purely recycled polymer piece is still a no from me. I would only go for rescued. And then we get to the mixed fibres. Ask the material manufacturer, can this be recycled, and if so by who? You need hard proof that they have planned for the death of the novel material they have created... The natural materials may not be entirely sustainable either, they may use too much land or water or pesticides in their production so ideally we all need to learn to ask about what it means to be regenerative. If you want our take on that you can find it here.
Essentially you need to ask, you need to interrogate. You need to find out if you can see their production facility, meet the makers, see all of the processes involved. And I know that this takes time but that is great too! It slows everything down and another truly unsustainable thing about fashion is the pace and volume.... the churn. Slow down, ask questions, invest in rescue!
In this post we hope to answer all your questions about leather care and cleaning. We want the leather we rescue to live a long and healthy second life and that means taking a few simple steps to ensure longevity.
How to protect leather?
If you want to get ahead of potential issues then leather protection is a great idea, particularly if you plan on being out-and-about in a shower or two. We recommend using this product, it is organic and widely used. Collonil Organic Protect and Care, or Cover protect against dirt, dust and moisture.
How to clean leather?
Well, there are several techniques and we definitely recommend reading through them all to work out which is best for you, or your item. The wonderful website Wikihow documents them all in detail at this link. They have handy diagrams, dull explanations and video links too. All of these are ways to clean leather naturally, so no toxic chemicals are involved. The methodologies are also similar, remove dirt with a dry cloth, then gently dab and buff and always start by testing an out of the way test spot if you can.
Anything with an oil could darken your leather, so my first choice is always the diluted vinegar, just make sure that you don't use flavoured or coloured vinegars like malt or balsamic! Try to find plain white vinegar, also known as spirit vinegar.
Any questions? Just get in touch with us: support@elvisandkresse.com
When life gives you lemons.... make lemonade!
I suppose you could say that this phrase could be used to describe a lot of what we do here at Elvis & Kresse. Life gave us fire-hoses and leather off-cuts, so we made luxury accessories. Life gave us a failed septic system, so we built the wetland system to transform that 'problem' into a biodiverse wetland.
We have incorporated this same thinking into almost everything we do which is why a big box of fish heads, bones, tails and flesh scraps caught our eye at our local farm shop.
So, what do you do with fish waste? It has a lot of nutrition, useful for our establishing vines, but not just strewn about... as much as that might please the birds, rats and foxes!
We added water and sugar and have been brewing up a liquor - called fish hydrolysate - which is nitrogen rich, and an incredible food for both plants and the world of microbes we are encouraging to thrive in our soil.
Some of the best photos we have are the ones that you have taken!
Not us, not professionals on photo shoots, but you, who have been wearing or carrying our pieces each and every day.
Teleki Marie, Fairrbourne, Gwynedd
Over the past 19 years we have seen Elvis & Kresse pieces travel the world, start university, commute to new jobs, feature in wedding parties and engagements, and celebrate birthdays among other milestones.
Alice Evans, Borneo
We can't thank you enough for sharing these amazing images with us. We love the characters, the composition and most of all the wonderful stories that they tell.
Ellen Clayton, Hobbiton, New Zealand
So this summer we are going to do something a little bit different, we are going to run a competition and the prize is huge. Over the next few months, all we ask is the following:
And the prize? The prize is one of our amazing Travel Bags.
Rakkojae Seoul Bukchon Hanok Village
