26th April 2021
How long have you and your partner Lee been running The Stately Hound? Can you tell us a little about how you started out?
I was working at a talent agency in London and Lee was one of the artists there – which is how we met way back in 2008. As the years went by we had both got to the stage in our lives where we wanted to leave London. We had friends in Whitstable and after a weekend visit, we just fell in love with the place, so we packed up our 3 Dachshunds – Archie, Brewster & Casper and headed for the coast.
Fast forward to August 2019 and I decided to leave work and make The Stately Hound a success. It was a risk, but a risk that paid off. We went from just the 2 of us working 7 days a week, making everything by hand in our little loft, to about a year ago moving to a 2000sq ft double height studio and employing 6 people. We now sell all over the world and are really excited about the future.
What are your most in-demand products? We are in love with the doggy bow-ties!
It changes constantly, that’s the exciting part. Right now it’s our gorgeous new range of dog collars and leads – The Reculver and The Seasalter collection, our customers can’t get enough of them. But we also send out hundreds of our signature rope leads each month and our sighthound collars are proving to be really popular too.
We know you have three Dachshunds already but we’d say there’s room for another one. Do you have plans to add to your doggy family and if so, would you ever venture away from the breed?
Well Lee is keen to get another Dachshund at some point in the future, so a wire-haired sausage is on the cards I think. But Archie and Brewster are both little old men now, so we just want to give them as much love and attention as we can. Really value the time we have left with them.
You’re based in Whitstable, does the coastal town influence your designs at all? Where do you get your inspiration for new designs?
We’ve called our newest range of collars and leads after two of our most favourite walks. The Reculver came about from walking along the beach of the same name on a bustling Autumn day. We were inspired by the fall colours and the brooding sky. Whereas The Seasalter was inspired by the colourful beach huts that line the seafront here. We also have our classic leather collection The Tankerton, which again was inspired by the place of the same name. But also, our rope leads are made in exactly the same way the fishermen on the docks whip and splice their rope. Everything we do is heavily inspired by our surroundings, we’re so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Which of your products will our guests at The Athenaeum be able to enjoy if they book the VIPup Package?
Throughout their stay, doggy guests will be able to lounge on one of our luxury beds and dine like Kings (or Queens) with our ceramic food and water bowls. They’ll also take home a fetching bow tie and some tasty treats.
What can we expect from The Stately Hound in the future?
We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time, and we really are only just starting out.
We have so many exciting products to launch in the throughout 2021, including our range of tasty treats and our grooming range for dogs. We also have a gorgeous fleece and waterproof dog coat in development as well as a whole new range of luxury beds and blankets.
Fundamentally, our aim is to keep creating quality British products that people and their dogs will cherish for years to come.
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