Report - Norfolk Feather Company, Diss April 2023

[mookster]

One from a few weeks back at the very start of the month, on a rare trip to the far east. Mikey had given me the heads up about it just as I was planning the trip so the timing couldn't have been better, and it all went off without a hitch.

History and related gubbins from @dansgas1000 excellent post.

The history of the Norfolk Feather Company dates back over 90 years ago and began as a small local feather supplier and later released a large range of products across the UK. The site was one of the oldest employers in the town, but it wasn’t until 1993 when the Norfolk Feather Company started trading from its Diss premises. The company supplied large brands including Harrods.

The 5.2 acre site announced its closure in April 2021, later closing in October of 2022. The closure occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which was caused partly by a supply shortage from China, in addition to all of the bird flu that was going around last year. The company, which had a £3.5m turnover in recent years, tried to stay afloat but issues sourcing senior management to manage cash flow among other ongoing issues eventually caused it to close permanently. The problems for the company actually started in 2019 when one of its major customers entered liquidation.

As of this month, The Boston Sleep Company has acquired the branding and website of Norfolk Feather Company and some of the products have been relaunched.

Budget supermarket chain Aldi is planning on moving to half of the site, leaving the other half for development for other things, most likely housing.

Even though it only shut it's doors in October last year it had the feel of a factory that had only had the bare minimum done to it for a long time, it wasn't at all like the shiny new factories or production plants you see just after closure. I really enjoyed the wander, it was great to see something new and different, especially as everyone seemed to miss the much larger Fogarty factory in Boston (despite me putting up a lead for it a good few years back) which is now home to multiple small businesses.

First view, I was pleasantly surprised to find the lights still on, despite knowing it had power thanks to Mikey telling me of his misadventures with the only alarmed door in the entire factory.

Thanks for looking

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[Mikeymutt]

Nice report mate. You definitely timed it right with your visit. It was something a bit different as well. Glad we left that door till the end now though. Might get my photos up by the times it's a new Aldi.

 

[Lopata]

Lovely stuff man!

 

[HughieD]

Come on @mookster - that's a bit of a light-weight explore (sorry!)

Enjoyed that report.

 

[GRONK]

Lovely that @mookster!

I see a set of scales in pic 2&3, can’t beat a good set

 

[dansgas1000]

Really like your take on this one mate, some good shots there! You timed your visit very well with this even though your main focus was Jeld Wen. Great report

 

[Bikin Glynn]

Nicely covered

 

[Calamity Jane]

Nice to see this pop up again. It is different. And every report does have slightly different images. Nicely covered.