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Kate Negus Lifestyle – Arthur Bear – Advent Calendar Competition

Kate Negus Saddlery Arthur BearThis little chap has been kindly donated by the lovely people at Kate Negus Saddlery. He’s called Arthur and he’s part of the new Lifestyle Collection. How cute is he? Massive thank you to the team for donating him.

Why am I giving away an Arthur Bear from Kate Negus Saddlery?

I’ve worked with Kate Negus Saddlery for years and find the company’s bespoke approach to bridles just brilliant. As everything is made in the UK, turnaround times are short and the team can design and create bespoke pieces if needed too… with very short lead times. The leather used is top quality English leather, and the service Julia provides is second to none. The bespoke approach to bridlework is something that I see some other brands adopting now, but I honestly think Kate Negus led the way here. When you buy a bridle, whether you buy it online or at a show, you can pick the size and style of all the component pieces to get a bridle that fits your horse first time, and fits your style too. So if you want to change a plain browband for a super duper sparkly one you can! This will also save you money as you don’t need to buy two browbands… just the one you want! So, with this pedigree and attention to detail, you can imagine how excited I was when I heard about the launch of the Lifestyle Collection. And that was before I met the lovely Arthur, who’s really fun, would make a great gift for a child, a lorry mascot or a stocking filler for anyone really!

Why do I like the Arthur Bear from the Kate Negus Lifestyle Collection?

He’s simply adorable. He’s fluffy and soft (as you’d expect from a teddy bear!), but is wearing a very smart leather scarf with Kate Negus Union Jack bridle pin. Because that’s what the smartest bears wear. He has a nifty hinged split ring too that you can use to attach him to things. He looks great in so many places, actually, when he arrived with me he was adorning the new Kate Negus Tote… and he looked brilliant! Arthur comes in a range of colours and if you buy him you can decide what colour his body and scarf are. The bear I have to give is as pictured. And he’s gorgeous!

Would you like to win an Arthur Bear from Kate Negus Saddlery?

I have one Arthur Bear to giveaway… and the competition is only running until midnight on the day this blog is published. If you read this afterwards, worry not, the full Kate Negus Lifestyle Collection is online, and Arthur’s there too. However, if you’re in time, all you need to do it pop on over to my Rhea Freeman PR Facebook page, watch the video that will be pinned to the top today and enter. That’s it! Of course, I’d love it if you’d tell your friends by sharing the post.

I hope you enjoy my advent calendar competition – best of luck!

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A few minutes with… Julia Andrews – Kate Negus Saddlery

Julia Andrews is Managing Director Kate Negus Saddlery. Kate Negus Saddlery specialises in bespoke British bridlework for horses participating in all sports, and has customers from grassroots through to professionals. The bespoke concept is particularly clever as very few horses fit the standard sizes, and Kate Negus Saddlerythis means that most people have to buy extra pieces to make the bridle fit. This means that in order to
get a ‘cheap’ bridle to fit, some people can spend more than a good quality British bridle that will last a very long time when cared for correctly. What’s more, Kate Negus offers every individual part, even down to a keeper, separately, so if your horse breaks something or a part gets lost, it can be replaced at minimal cost. I’m very proud to have worked with Kate Negus Saddlery for a number of years and seen many of the company’s innovative products go from design to sale.

Tell us about you and your background

I have been in retail all my working life. I started stacking shelves at the Co-op aged 14 1/2. Then I did an A Level training scheme at a department store, then 15 years at M&S as a selector then visual merchandising manager.

What made you want to start a business? 

Bought a bridle from Kate Negus and then I bought the business!

How is your business different?

The way we sell bridles is different to the vast majority as they are bespoke and off the shelf bridles so we can correctly fit any horse while the customer waits! We do this by having all components available at time of purchase, so with the measurements (or, at shows, the horse’s current bridle), we can put together a bespoke combination to get the perfect it. Our service is also pretty different and something that gets commented on a lot. We go above and beyond to ensure the customer gets the perfect fit for their horse and will talk people through every stage if that’s what they want. We want them to be delighted with their new purchase and then some!

What makes your products special?

The way we sell them, the service we offer and that they’re made in the UK. We’re also able to create complete one off products if needed with short lead times. We have some pretty innovative productsJulia Andrews- Kate Negus Saddlery too, like the Elastic Grackle, Five Point Breastplate and Beetle Grackle.

If you had to sum up your business in three words, what would they be?

Quality, value, service!

Do you have a motto or ethos?

Quality, value, service!

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring business owner, what would it be?

Remind them that we are here for our customers. Without them we would not have a business!!

One thing that helps you run your business more effectively 

Rhea Freeman!! (Thank you!)

Best thing about running a business?

The harder I work the more I get out of it

Worst thing about running a business?

As a one man band it would be hard to maintain my service. Thank goodness for Hayley!

One thing we might not know about you

I have an A Level in needlework!!

Where can people follow you or your business online 

Website

Twitter

Facebook

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It’s worth waiting for…made to measure bridlework that’s ‘worth it’!

As you may know, I work with a number of lovely companies who make entirely brilliant products…and the one that I’m going to talk about today is Kate Negus Saddlery. See, Kate Negus Saddlery isn’t a normal saddlery. First of all, it’s entirely British, which is something that’s not common nowadays. Julia (KN’s MD), designs the products in Wiltshire, the leather is tanned in Yorkshire and the beautiful new bridles, breastplates and leather accessories are made in Walsall. At Kate Negus Saddlery you can buy ANY piece on its own. You want a keeper? That’s fine. How about a new clip for your breastplate? Yep…that’s fine too. You name it. The company is known for being very accommodating to all its customers, and the new range of nosebands really pushes this point. See, Julia is excellent at listening to what her customers want and acting on this. But as anyone who’s in business will know, just because one person wants something doesn’t mean that the rest of the population will too. Sadly. What do you do with these people? Well, you do your best to help them is what. One of Kate Negus’s unique selling points is that it can make products to order…so if you’re looking for something a bit random, or you need an ‘odd’ size, Kate Negus is the place to come.

One of the new made-to-order nosebands, the Elastic Grackle.

We got chatting about made to order products, you know, the type people would have to wait for…would it work? When people need a new item, do they want it as soon as possible and time is the only factor? The answer is actually no. We decided to ask Kate Negus Saddlery’s Facebook fans what they thought – the question was, would they wait three weeks for a made to order item. The answer was an overwhelming yes. And do you know why? It’s the quality. Kate Negus’s leatherwork is beautiful. It’s bespoke because you choose the size and style of all the parts when you order. With correct care, it’ll last years and years and years…and then some. Super cob Marilyn has a beautiful Leather Lined Padded International Flash with Diamante Browband and X-Suregrip Reins and it’s really out of this world. Quality and service are two aspects of the brand that are always emphasised because they’re second to none. But what’s really, really great is that Kate Negus’s loyal fans really get that too. And by ‘get’, I mean understand. They’re happy to wait because they know that what’s coming is worth waiting for. They know that it’s going to fit their horse perfectly. They know that it will get to them in a timely fashion. They know that they can adjust bits and have their new bit of kit exactly how they want it.

In a world where everything is required now if not sooner, it’s lovely and reassuring to know that the horsey lot at least still appreciate quality.

Find out more about Kate Negus Saddlery here.

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