Two new deals have been completed at Sunny Bank Mills, the iconic Yorkshire mill complex between Leeds and Bradford.
Raze Tattoo Studio and Ewe Neek, a boutique yarn and craft store, are moving into the refurbished mill in Farsley, where YTV’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were filmed.
Both companies will be located in The Mending Rooms, the historic Georgian mill which has undergone an extensive modernisation programme
During the past ten years Sunny Bank Mills, one of the most famous family-owned mills in Yorkshire, has been transformed into a modern office and mixed-use complex for the 21st century, creating 400 sustainable new jobs.
Scott Carney, the owner of Raze Tattoo Studio, explained: “My wife and I chose Sunny Bank Mills for many reasons. For starters, we love old industrial mills. Exposed brickwork, cast iron features and the history of these places have always appealed to us. When we started thinking about Sunny Bank as a serious location, we fell more and more in love with the place.
“It has a great bunch of businesses there already and the overall vibe of the place is exciting. There’s a real sense of community at The Mill and it seems to be a creative hub with the landlords William and John Gaunt pioneering the artistic residents and gallery spaces.
“Both William and John have been incredibly helpful and a pleasure to do business with. Despite being very busy, they always seem to find a spare bit of time to hear any questions. One of the big things that appealed to me after meeting them both, was their obvious care and attention to getting things right, they have set their own high standards without cutting corners and I appreciate that.
“I’ve tattooed in various studios throughout the country and finally made the decision to open my own shop. Sunny Bank Mills, a perfect space that ticks all of the boxes, it allows me to sell original art work as well as operating a fully customised tattoo studio.”
Meanwhile Ewe Neek is a new venture by long-time best friends and business partners Laila Ansbergs and Lisa Barnes who have run their Leeds-based craft and design company Lili of the Valley for over 17 years.
The ethos at their new shop Ewe Neek is to bring beautiful eco-conscious, ethically sourced wool and yarn brands, to yarn lovers across the region. They have also sourced Yorkshire-based and British brands as much as possible.
Laila commented: “Ewe Neek fits perfectly with Sunny Bank, which is fast becoming a lively creative and arts hub. Much of the wool is spun in Yorkshire by British companies so it couldn’t be closer to home. And being in the oldest part of the mill, it is such an ideal space for our new shop. We wanted to create a relaxed environment that would be truly inspirational and a great learning space, so the high ceilings, stone walls, and large Georgian windows fitted our brief perfectly.”
Lisa added: “The popularity of crochet and knitting has grown massively during lockdown with people of all ages getting into traditional crafts. We have plenty of inspiration for the budding beginner or seasoned expert, with hundreds of patterns and ideas from our favourite independent designers. We will also have a number of other craft products in the New Year for people who enjoy a variety of arts and crafts.”
Ewe Neek opens on Friday November 26 at the start of the mill’s three-day Christmas Fayre.
John Gaunt commented: “Raze Tattoo studio and Ewe Neek Crafts are fantastic additions to Sunny Bank Mills, complementing Pampas and Bloom to make a complete floor of quirky and interesting destination retail on the ground floor of the Mending Rooms, not to mention Mill Creations and School of Sew, close by.
“The Mending Rooms is one of the original mill buildings at Sunny Bank Mills having been recently regenerated, 180 years after it was built. It has been highly commended by both the Royal Institute of Chartered Accountants (RICS) and the British Council of Offices (BCO) and is home to over 25 thriving creative businesses.”
He added: “Our efforts are now firmly focused on refurbishing the remaining space in the iconic 1912 Mill with 14,000 sq ft of quality office space over two floors available to let in a variety of configurations.”
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