The project to build the Cotmarsh Tannery is about to become a reality. Construction has begun on the building that will house the micro vegetable-based tannery in Wiltshire. A two-hour drive from central London. Owner James Allen visited Lineapelle and some Italian tanneries specialising in vegetable tanning before setting up the business. Which was set up as a non-profit organisation.
First: the farm
In 2023, James Allen and his wife Katie bought Great Cotmarsh Farm, a small family farm (pictured), after 10 years as farmers and cattle owners. Their project included starting a tanning business by building a plant capable of producing high quality leather, traceable down to the individual animal. Last year, the project promoters were awarded a grant to finance study trips abroad. James and Katie took the opportunity to attend the Lineapelle and Simac Tanning Tech exhibitions. They also visited companies in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. These included Conceria La Perla Azzurra, Volpi Concerie, Conceria Il Ponte, Lo Stivale, Le Querce, Maryam, Po.Te.Co, Il Puma, Italprogetti, and Leather Kem.
And finally the micro-tannery
In recent days, Cotmarsh Tannery announced the start of work on the tannery in place of an old barn (pictured), after receiving a grant. The facility should be ready by the end of March 2025. The tannery also has two educational objectives. As the company explains on Linkedin, the first is to bring school/college/university students to the company and show them the importance of leather and wool, demonstrating how they can be produced together with nature and food production. The second objective is to support anyone who wants to start their own micro-tannery by offering information, training and support. “We want the tannery to act as a regional hub and share facilities for other small-scale tanneries to be easier to start”, wrote Cotmarsh Tannery.
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