Exquisitely British - The British Entrepreneur Club for Luxury Brands 

Tell us a bit about yourself, Catherine.

I was bitten by the cycling bug when I went to study at York University at 19 and my mum gave me a rusty Claude Butler with dynamo lights. It was just an easy, cheap and fun way to get around and from then on l used it to get everywhere. (Until rust got the better of it.) When I moved to North London, and worked as a freelance TV director for shows like Come Dine with Me and & Dancing on Ice, I upgraded to a new Claude butler mountain bike, for my daily cycle to work on the Southbank.

I am very much an urban cyclist and use it as my trusty mode of transport but recently I have started doing a few long distance rides – London to Paris, the Dunwich Dynamo, London to Brighton and Nightrider. All tough but very rewarding.

Where did the idea for Hill & Ellis come from?

I had always been searching for a stylish bike bag that I could cycle to work with and arrive looking how I imagined Audrey Hepburn did when she cycled to Hollywood studios with her dog Mr Famous in the front basket. But after 5 years of fruitless hunting I decided to go about designing my own. It kind of came in a flash one night really. I hadn’t ever moulded the lack of stylish bike bags and me designing them into the same thought but that night I put them together and decided I would leave my job and set up my own company. I’m not one for procrastinating!

Who is your ideal customer?

Hopefully, I have a range of bags, which cater to many different cyclists. The majority of my customers live or work in the main UK cities, and cycle regularly to work but I am now getting enquiries from all over the world, which is very exciting.

The great thing is all my customers love cycling. Nothing beats the joy of a customer sending you a photo of their bike with their new Hill & Ellis bag on the back. I’ve even had customers who have modified their bike so it compliments the bag. 

What has been your biggest challenge?

Production. I think the process of going from a product in your head to actually getting it made is hard, as ultimately you will never know if the colour combinations work or if you have managed to convey what you want correctly until you see the finished article in front of you. It’s unbelievably exciting but also challenging.

I started with production in India as despite my best efforts I couldn’t get a company in the UK to take me seriously enough to develop the bag and it was strangely difficult to get hold of a directory of British manufacturers. However, recently I have found some small independent bag crafters in London and have got a brilliant range made which is already getting a great press response.

I’m particularly excited about this collaboration, as I’ve always wanted to be a British made brand.

What has been your biggest highlight?

Meeting Jon Snow, the ITN news broadcaster and him falling in love and purchasing the Duke - one of my favourite Hill & Ellis bike bags.

Do you have any advice for others who are thinking of starting their own business?

Do it! It’s such a great experience and I have learnt so much since I started. I think it is important to define what kind of business you want to be, the size you want to be and what you want to get out of it, as ultimately it is a labour of love.