British manufacturing drives cutting-edge leather innovation
Muirhead, a Scottish Leather Group business and trusted supplier of high-performance leather to some of the world’s most respected aviation and passenger transport brands, has credited UK production and a local supply chain as key drivers of its ongoing innovation and market leadership.
The Scottish leathermaker says its UK-focused strategy – characterised by local sourcing, full traceability, and a vertically integrated manufacturing process – has been instrumental in creating the world’s lowest-carbon leather.
Gareth Scott, Hide Procurement and By-Product Sales Director at Scottish Leather Group, said: “The UK’s blend of top-tier suppliers and stringent regulations creates a prime environment for advancing innovation in leather manufacturing. At Muirhead, we’ve harnessed British craftsmanship and our responsible supplier relationships to create fine luxury leather for over 180 years. Our family-owned facilities in Scotland played a crucial role in developing the world’s lowest-carbon leather for aviation and passenger transport, which we now export to more than 60 countries worldwide.
“The advantages of British manufacturing and tannery our localised supply chain are evident in our commitment to responsible and sustainable leather practices. The UK’s dedication to animal welfare and agroforestry, along with its geographical advantages and strong regulatory framework, means that every hide we process meets the highest benchmarks for quality and traceability. Thanks to this UK-centric approach, we’re uniquely positioned to drive sustainable innovation and produce exceptional leather products for the aviation, rail, bus and mass transit sectors.”
Muirhead’s unique end-to-end control of the supply chain enabled the manufacturer to weather the impact of recent shortages. Each hide is tanned in the company’s family-owned tannery near Glasgow and finished on-site, resulting in consistently short lead times and more stability for customers.
The company sources 99% of its hides from trusted farmers in the UK and Ireland, typically within a 400-mile radius of its tannery. This enables Muirhead to leverage the region’s exceptionally high animal welfare standards and keep ‘hide miles’ to a minimum, further improving its industry-leading Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).
Both countries are among the highest-rated territories in the Animal Protection Index, with the UK credited for developing the globally recognised Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare. All hides are sourced directly from abattoirs that are subject to daily inspections by government veterinarians and licensed under UK and EU regulations. This is in addition to obtaining British Retail Consortium accreditation and Food Standards Scotland or Food Standards Agency approval.
Local sourcing and the UK regulatory system are integral to Muirhead’s commitment to 100% traceability, which ensures customers can track the journey of a single hide from the farm and abattoir to the finished product. This level of traceability aligns with the government-backed Cattle Tracing Scheme, managed by the British Cattle Movement Service and ScotEID.
The ability to guarantee the origin and ethical production of raw hides has become essential following the emergence of leather suppliers whose products – although marketed as sustainable and European – come from a complex and blurred supply chain, with pre-tanned hides imported from as far as South America.
Due to the nature and history of the land in the UK, sourcing hides locally also means there is no risk of deforestation as a result of Muirhead’s leather production. The company works with suppliers who are adopting regenerative farming practices via land restoration and agroforestry. This focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity and improving the water cycle. The UK government’s 25 Year Environment Plan and Clean Growth Strategy will see agroforestry play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
