 '˜Made in Sheffield' cutlery row at John Lewis in Sheffield
A cutlery campaigner is meeting the new head of John Lewis in Sheffield after expressing his 'utmost surprise' at the lack of Sheffield-made tableware in the shop.Â
Jeremy Biggin of Upperthorpe, wrote to chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield following his 'astonished disappointment' at the lack of local tableware.
He wrote: '˜As a 50 years-plus customer of John Lewis in Sheffield, aka Cole Brothers, my wife and I called to buy a wedding present. Cutlery being our first thought.
'To our utmost surprise, there was no Sheffield cutlery for sale. We were told that group purchasing dictates sourcing.
'˜We discovered that each week there are requests from customers for Sheffield cutlery, in some cases from Chinese visitors.
'˜Sheffield products have always oozed quality: cutlery, hand tools, razor blades, pocket knives and stainless steel to name a few. Priced maybe at a premium, but worth it to many.
'˜As a profitable possibility may I suggest a serious look into cutlery '˜Made in Sheffield' and maybe create an area for Sheffield products.'
A John Lewis spokeswoman initially told The Star that cutlery made in Sheffield was '˜available online'.
But then the new head of branch, Patrick Duffy, contacted Mr Biggin '“ and the pair are set to meet.
He wrote: '˜'˜I know many of our customers share your feelings towards the heritage of our shop, and this in turn creates great pride for our partners. ...'˜I was really heartened by hearing your suggestions for locally-sourced improvements that we could make. This really echoes some early thoughts that I have had since joining Sheffield and am keen to explore further.
'˜If you're able to do so, it would be a pleasure to meet you on one of your next planned shopping visits to the shop for me to personally say thank you for your fabulous suggestions. I would love to hear more of your thoughts and what the shop means to you and your family, perhaps we could discuss further over some refreshments'.
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