Pasture Leather: A Journey from Field to Fork to Fashion

Then again, it takes time for something to gain currency? Your first Instagram post is from August 2022. (But surely the idea is older than that) How much has the idea caught on since then? It's still a new-fangled idea, isn't it?
Alice and Sara: We had each explored this concept for some years prior to starting our work together to develop British Pasture Leather in 2020. And the response to our approach has shifted significantly in these past five years—from scepticism to enthusiasm. And although it’s still a newer idea, that seems poised to change quickly now—aided by changes in both cultural attitudes and new regulatory requirements.

The standard practices of categorising hides refer to the size, weight and sex of the animal—but we believe that it will become increasingly common to include (or even prioritise) different information, such as farm location and practice, as we are already doing. The ways in which this can be communicated and verified in the finished leather will continue to evolve. It will also require greater understanding of the farming practices in which raw materials originate.

Our work began with a vision to re-define leather as an agricultural product, and to value leather as a material which originates in our food system. The idea is catching on in conversations around materials and design—increasingly, the links between the materials and their origins is being explored and discussed. That said, it’s a slower process to gain adoption of material such as British Pasture Leather, and to garner the value it represents. Looking at these hides as a product of an agroecological farming system means valuing them as much more than just a global commodity.

That brings us to the duo. How did Grady + Robinson come together? What were your respective backgrounds, and how did you meet and started working together?

Alice: We were introduced by a mutual friend who had noticed that we were both exploring similar work, in different places.

Sara: My inspiration to do this work began when I was part of an organisation with a working farm called Glynwood, in New York's Hudson Valley, that practises regenerative agriculture. I saw first-hand how such farms dedicate enormous care and resources to raising animals ecologically and humanely; and I also learned how well-managed grazing can greatly benefit soil and ecosystems, while producing healthy food for people.

It is my belief that we can demonstrate care and respect for animals raised for meat by using and valuing all that they yield. But when I started asking "how can hides be best used?", I noticed a disconnection: most often, farms with regenerative practices don’t know what happens to the hides of their herd. It also struck me that the hide was the part of the animal that endures for a very long time, once made into leather, and it can be a material that speaks to the life of an animal and the farm, the land, the place in which it lived. So I wanted to create a different option—the ability to value and choose leather based on the impacts of the farms from which it comes. That's the leather I would want to use in my own life—but I was also motivated by knowing that it would be meaningful for farms too, having taken so much care to look after animals, land, and communities.

Alice: My interest in this work was sparked while studying for a degree in accessory design. Although I’d grown up (like all of us) surrounded by leather, it was a new material for me to design from and I was really intrigued by it. As students, we were encouraged to interrogate the process of design and our material choices. The quality and versatility of leather has long been synonymous with luxury handbags and it was the perfect material for me to work with. It did, however, present me with many questions – the one that preoccupied me was “what are its origins in agriculture?” Having grown up in Shropshire surrounded by many wonderful farms, I wanted to work with materials produced by those farms.

The leathers I’d been able to work with until then were beautiful but anonymous. And yet, they were so clearly connected to a place, a community, they’d played a role in a food system. I wanted to know more. After visiting leather wholesalers in London and searching extensively online, I struggled to find the information I desired. The most information I could get about a piece of leather was the name of the tannery, and that it was likely sourced from a region of Europe. 

My dissatisfaction with these incomplete answers led me to create two collections working with farms near to my home town: Collection 11458 made from the wool and skin of one sheep, and Bullock 374, made from the hide of a single Longhorn Limousin cross. Following this work I became interested in how material can convey information on its agricultural origins, how that can influence perceptions of value for leather, and in turn influence my approach to design.

When Sara and I were introduced in 2019, by a mutual friend who happens to be a chef, our aligned interests were instantly apparent and we began to explore the concept of British Pasture Leather.

How does the "pasture leather" ecosystem work? Give us an idea about how one single project would work. How many individual animals spread over how much of farm land? Where are the hides extracted, where are these tanned and processed? And then the leather itself?
Alice and Sara: Our supply of British Pasture Leather begins with the Pasture for Life community: we choose to source hides from certified farms, and this forms the basis of a farm network that supplies us with hides. It is crucial that we are able to collaborate very closely with the businesses that are vital to the production of our leather including abattoirs, hide collectors, tannery, and finishers.

In order to achieve our vision, we need to create (or repurpose) systems of hide collection and leather production, and this forms one of our challenges. Producing vegetable tanned leather entirely in the UK, using hides only from 100% pasture-raised cattle is a tall order! We’ve achieved that through persistent coordination throughout the process.

The Pasture for Life community is growing in the UK. At present there are upwards of 150 certified farms and the membership is in the thousands. Herd sizes vary between farms, many farms whose hides are entering our supply are only taking two or three animals at a time to an abattoir, while some are larger – and as more farms become certified, there will be greater numbers of farms with larger herd sizes.

We intend to change the perception of leather: rather than thinking of all leather as a waste product from industrialised meat production, we are distinguishing and valuing leather that originates in regenerative practices which can deliver myriad benefits – for animals, soil, land, nature, farmers and local communities.

This has to be economically viable. How do the numbers work out? Does it have to be a group of farmers? Does this work out across projects?
Alice and Sara: At present, our systems produce small volumes of high-quality leather. Our approach to fair and equitable trading along our supply chain, in conjunction with the costs of local production, results in a premium price.

Conventional leather from globalised industrial systems is produced in abundant volumes, all of which provides huge economies of scale – but undervalues hides, doesn’t deliver any value to farmers, and lacks added value of information on its origin and production.

By contrast, British Pasture Leather is built on the idea of distinguishing the farming systems in which our leather originates: these are regenerative and regionalised systems that operate at a smaller scale, and therefore require a higher value to be viable.

How did you establish relations with tanners, curriers, finishers? What were the misgivings about the idea that they might have had.
Alice and Sara: We currently work with some of the few remaining historic leather manufacturers in the UK: a tannery in Bristol, and a finishing facility in Northampton.

We are incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with them, and to benefit from their expertise. In the context of a shrinking leather industry in the UK, they represent a precious resource that is essential to our process.

Establishing those relationships took time, along with some trial and error(!), but they have been incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. Our approach may depart from convention, but we all share a sense of satisfaction that the extra time and attention is worth the result of creating something entirely new.

Central to a regenerative agricultural system is the farmer. How are you working with farmers? How many farmers have you been working with?
Alice and Sara: We work by collaborating with a cohort of farmers certified by Pasture for Life, an organisation which advocates for cattle (and other animals) to be raised on 100% pasture . The number of farms certified by Pasture for Life in the UK is 150 and growing, and at the moment about 25 of those farms supply the hides for British Pasture Leather.

It is a common misconception that farmers sell hides. In fact, hides are purchased from the abattoir. This is customary in the industry, and we do the same, to ensure that abattoirs receive this important revenue. However, we go a step further, and offer an additional voluntary payment to the farms whose hides we collect, as an acknowledgment of their importance in our process.

Some of the arguments that were posed against leather (and worked too considerably) was that the industry was bloody, cruel and polluting. How does British Pasture Leather make a difference?
Alice and Sara: We find that the arguments around meat and leather lack an important nuance: it is necessary to distinguish between industrial livestock practices (which can be harmful to animals and the environment), and more positive regenerative practices which not only prioritise animal health and welfare, but have beneficial outcomes for land, soil, biodiversity, ecosystems, health, and communities.

It’s also essential to understand that all bovine leather comes from beef and dairy production – cattle are never raised only for their hides.

With both of those points in mind, we have founded British Pasture Leather to recognise and support the farms that are delivering many benefits (for animals, land, people, and nature) by distinguishing the output of their production in the form of leather, and ensuring that this connection is understood and valued.

Two elements are a must to keep matters clean as they were: certifications and traceability. How do these work for British Pasture Leather?
Alice and Sara: Indeed, traceability is of crucial importance, and it starts with our choice to use hides from farms certified by Pasture for Life. We have developed methods of traceability by collaborating closely with the abattoirs and hide yards that play a key role in our process, as well as the tannery and finishing facility where the leather is handled. As a result, we can verify that all the leather we produce came from a certified farm, and we can verify these methods for our customers.