Cuffs & Co has been nominated for The Press Business awards 2017 in the Small Business of the Year category

A PASSION for unusual cufflinks led Phil Pinder to found a business that has flourished for almost 15 years.

And since the founder and managing director opened a Cuffs and Co shop in York's much-visited The Shambles three years ago, he says the business has gone from strength to strength.

Mr Pinder said the firm John Pinder Ltd, trading as Cuffs & Co, has seen its turnover leap in the last few years with even bigger ambitions for this year and having products manufactured in the UK is a key strategy.

"Cuffs & Co provide quality and where possible British made products, for a diverse range of customers, proving quality does not need to be expensive," he said.

"In 2012, we took the decision to move production of our products back to the UK. We are passionate about this. Our entire range of cufflinks, socks and collar stiffeners are now entirely British made.

"We plan to complete the production move within the next three years. This includes the ambition to start our own shirt factory within the York area by 2020.

"We have decided to take this route forward due to the sorry state of manufacturing within the UK. Sadly the dash to China has left the once thriving shirt factories of Yorkshire little more than warehouses.

"Every product we have successfully launched as British made has been a struggle and has led us to thinking outside the box and working with factories, not specialising in our industry.

"We recently partnered with a factory making components for military tanks to produce our latest British product, our best-selling metal collar stiffeners. We have done this without increasing the price to the consumer and increasing both the quality and reliability of the product.

"We claim to be the only cufflinks shop in the world, something we hope encourages York’s many visitors to pop in and say hello."

Mr Pinder believes the staff, who are equally passionate about the products they work with, are leaders in great customer service and that helps the business grow, as does word of mouth.

Stories of the shop (once the home of St Margaret Clitherow) and its priest hole and butcher hooks lead conversations.

"We hope in doing so, the visitors, whether customers or not, will share the story of the only cufflinks shop in the world with friends and acquaintances," Mr Pinder added.