Leathersellers’ Foundation awards funding to Cotmarsh Tannery

The Leathersellers’ Foundation has awarded a start-up grant of over £20,000 to Cotmarsh Tannery and Farm, a CIC (Community Interest Company) based in Wiltshire, which aims to produce fully traceable vegetable tanned leather; offer educational resources for students using a farm to fibre approach; and support others to create their own micro tanneries.

The Foundation has awarded £21,000 to help set up and develop the tannery for educational purposes, and an additional £1,500 for educational provision of four student workshops in the coming year.

Alistair Tusting, Chair of the Foundation’s Leather Trade Committee said: “The objectives of Cotmarsh Tannery and Farm align extremely well with our ambition to help develop skills and knowledge in the production, preservation, and use of leather. We are glad to join other funders and supporters such as DEFRA and the North Wessex Downs National Landscape to help them achieve their aim of creating a community interest group rooted in responsible and sustainable land practices, leather production, and education about natural materials.”

James Allen of Cotmarsh Tannery and Farm said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Leathersellers’ Foundation, it is a significant contribution to help get our new veg tannery up and running. The tannery is one of the key ways we will be educating the next generation about the importance of natural fibres, and it allows us to help others wanting to set up a micro-tannery through acting as a region hub for the sharing of knowledge and equipment.”

Cotmarsh Farm was established by husband-and-wife team James and Katie in 2023 after a decade of farming experience in the Cotswolds. In the same year, James was awarded a Churchill Fellowship travel scholarship supported by the Royal Countryside Fund. The scholarship was to fund international travel to build his knowledge of tanning and to visit other tanneries abroad.

The farm to fibre approach to education aims to teach fashion and other design students about the provenance and production of materials and how they can be made within a system of sustainable farming.

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Read more about the Leathersellers’ vision for a thriving, sustainable and connected leather industry.

A micro tannery is a smaller craft-centric tannery with a focus on quality, traceability, and the environment. Read more about our support for micro tanneries via our Leather Tannery Apprenticeships.