One of the North’s best-loved shops is hiring for its new Sheffield store – these are the jobs on offer

Fred Aldous Ltd sells tens of thousands of products from paint and yarn to paper, film cameras, clay and jewellery-making tools, plus a well-curated range of appealing homewares and gifts.

Established in the 1880s in Manchester, where it has a large flagship store in the fashionable Northern Quarter, the family-run company expanded successfully to Leeds in 2015.

Now the firm has bought a unit in Sheffield on Fitzalan Square, which has been extensively revamped as part of the council's £5 million Knowledge Gateway scheme.

In an update to supporters, Fred Aldous said: “We are looking for a full-time store manager and a part-time supervisor (three to four days) for our brand new store, opening soon, in Sheffield.

"If you have a passion for art and creativity and like the sound of leading a team of innovative individuals to help the creatives of Sheffield to make anything, please send your CV and a covering letter to [email protected] by Friday, August 14.

"We look forward to hearing from you. Please note that we will be advertising for full and part-time positions at a later date.”

Director Mark Aldous, whose great-great-grandfather was the company's founder Fred, told The Star earlier this year: "We know from word of mouth that there's a need in Sheffield. There's a lot of creatives, and the universities and everything else – that's why we took the opportunity when that unit came up."

Hallam University's Institute of Arts stands yards away from the new premises, providing a ready-made customer base. The Fitzalan Square unit covers three floors – it was formerly a branch of Coral bookmakers, and before that bedding retailer The Sleep Shop.

Fred set up the firm in 1886, originally to import cane for the baskets used at Manchester's cotton mills. Eventually the shop diversified into handicrafts as the cotton trade declined.

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