Newcastle entrepreneur welcomes 50th retail partner after one-year anniversary

ThatsChampionPet.co.uk, an online Amazon-style marketplace selling products made in the North East, has agreed a partnership with its 50th local brand just one year after launching.

That’s Champion Pet was launched by Newcastle-based digital marketing and ecommerce agency, Venture Stream on Valentine’s Day 2017 and now sells over 600 products made or designed by local entrepreneurs from the North East.

Local brands that can be found on the website include Wot Ma Like, Canny Milkshakes and Y I Gifts.

The 50th entrepreneur to partner with the local marketplace is Simon Bourne from County Durham, founder of the Hand Dyed Shoe Company.

Simon founded Hand Dyed Shoe Company after working for The Original Sofa Company selling luxury hand-dyed Chesterfield sofas, sparking the idea for his business which sells handmade, hand-dyed formal shoes made from 100 per cent Italian calf leather.

He said: “I’m delighted to become part of That’s Champion Pet. I’m massively passionate about the North which is why I’ve ignored the lure of London and kept my business right here, close to home.

“I believe having a business in the North offers great value compared to the South, because you don’t have to build massive overheads into the price of your products.

“Therefore I firmly believe my company produces beautiful products and incredibly good value and I look forward to welcoming my fellow Northern ambassadors to my studio.”

Adele Mitchinson, venture director at That’s Champion Pet, added: “We’ve had an incredible first year, successfully launching a platform that makes it easy for people to find and support local businesses as well as our own-brand range of iconic prints.

“We’re delighted to announce that over the coming months we’ll be opening up our marketplace to brands not only in the North East, but across the North of England.

“The new range of brands and products will come from across the Northern Powerhouse, reaching Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Hull.”