Jack Millington, Founder of Billy Tannery / Handmade Leather Bags

In this episode of the Menswear Style Podcast, host Peter Brooker speaks to Jack Millington, founder of Billy Tannery, a British leather goods company rethinking how leather is sourced, produced and used. Billy Tannery is a new kind of leather company with its own goat leather microtannery in the UK. Founded by former marketing and advertising professional Jack Millington, the brand was born from a desire to reconnect British farming, traditional craftsmanship and modern fashion while addressing the waste created when animal skins from the British food industry are discarded. Jack explains how he went from growing up on a farm and working in marketing to becoming a leather maker and entrepreneur, why the UK leather industry has declined, and what inspired him to establish one of the country's few remaining small-scale tanneries. The conversation explores vegetable tanning, natural leather, traceability, ethical sourcing, British manufacturing and why Billy Tannery chooses to let the character of the leather take centre stage. Jack also discusses the company's range of leather bags, backpacks, totes, wallets and footwear, including collaborations with British makers such as Grenson, Goral and Jad Shoes. We also talk about Billy Tannery's growing bespoke B2B business, creating leather goods and accessories for restaurants, bars and hospitality brands, the challenges of designing and manufacturing leather clothing in Britain, and Jack's plans to develop the brand's first