A NEW independent craft business is opening in Taunton, supporting makers across the whole of the south west.
Mollie's Makers will officially welcome customers on Saturday, September 26, from its new home in the former Calendar Club unit at Orchard Shopping Centre.
The business has been launched by Ed Martin, 61, who already runs a successful store in Dulverton and hopes to give talented makers from across Somerset and the South West a permanent retail presence in the county town.
Named after his daughter Mollie, the venture grew from a shared love of jewellery-making which began around a decade ago.
New independent craft shop Mollie's Makers to open in Taunton
Ed told the County Gazette: "Mollie is my daughter's name. She makes jewellery and we actually both do, so that's where we started about 10 years ago."
After taking early retirement around three years ago, Ed turned his hobby into a business and opened his first Mollie's Makers shop in Dulverton 18 months ago.
Having previously worked in retail units in Taunton, he saw an opportunity to expand when a similar handmade goods store closed in the town centre.
According to Ed, the new shop has already signed up around 65 makers, many of them from Somerset, with products ranging from artwork and jewellery to gifts and homeware.
Among those exhibiting their work are makers who previously sold through the former nearby Handmade Boutique, which closed earlier this year, alongside craftspeople connected to Weston Makers and Collective Dreams.
"I want quality rather than just filling the shop with anything," Ed said. "Everything will be genuinely handmade."
While most of the makers are based in Somerset, the shop will also feature products from artisans in neighbouring Devon and Dorset. If you would like to sell some of your home-crafted goods with Ed, then you can get in touch by contacting him via email: Ed100865@gmail.com.
The shop is already filling up with a variety of goods.
Ed believes the store will offer shoppers something different from the chain retailers typically found on the high street.
"There will be something for everyone," he said. "What is in here will be unique. You won't find it elsewhere in Taunton."
The Orchard Shopping Centre location was chosen following discussions with management of the shopping centre and after seeing the volume of shoppers passing through the area.
"I asked a straight question: if money wasn't an issue and you were in my position, which of the available units would you go for?" Ed said.
"Having worked in here over the last few weekends, you can see the footfall and the number of people walking through."
Even before opening, passers-by have regularly stopped to ask when the shop would be launching.
"The demand we've had and the interest that's been shown has been really wonderful," he said.
For Ed, however, the shop is about more than simply selling products.
The makers stocked in Mollie's Makers range from established small business owners to hobbyists and retirees pursuing their creative passions.
"It's great to be able to help other people," he said. "The common denominator is that just about everybody is really passionate about what they do."
Mollie's Makers is still welcoming enquiries from potential makers interested in stocking products in the shop and can be contacted directly through the store.
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