Hi Claire! Congratulations on setting up
The Foundry Works – what’s the response
been like?
The response has been amazing. I didn’t get to
open as I would have liked thanks to the pandemic,
but the support I have had has really blown me away.
I am really excited to see what 2021 brings. It has
been so lovely to meet so many new people.
I feel really lucky to have so many supportive
people around me and it has a real community
feel already.When did you set up, and what inspired you at
such a tough time?
The original plan was to build the yarn shop on a
plot of land on Foundry Street. After much debate over
how much space a girl and a bit of wool needs, we
decided we weren’t going to get what we needed any
time soon, and went to look at the unit we are in now.
This was several weeks before the virus hit... great
timing! We spent lockdown turning the unit into a shop
and working on the online side of the business. The
plan was to wait until things had settled and maybe
open in 2021 – but our customers had other ideas! As
people became aware of a new yarn shop coming they
just started turning up. Even though we looked like aThe Foundry Works is a fabulous new yarn
and craft store in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
We chat to the founder, Claire, about the
importance of community, supporting
independent businesses and setting up
shop in a pandemic!
A MUM WITH
A CRAZY
DREAM