Richard Gregson, co-founder of Tattan & Gregson, has made suits for celebrities including Steven Gerrard – but the coronavirus has forced him to temporarily close his business. Tony McDonough reports

Just last month exclusive Liverpool tailor Richard Gregson was making bespoke Italian fabric suits for £1,250 – now he is a £10-an-hour ‘picker and packer’ for Morrisons.

As the coronavirus crisis took hold Richard was unable to source the essential fabrics he needed as both UK and Italian suppliers shut up shop. So he had little choice but to close his business, albeit temporarily, until life returns to some version of normality.

Richard, who set up in Tattan & Gregson in February 2019 with his business partner Robert Tattan, has a workshop in Liverpool and offices in Mayfair and Los Angeles. Clients have included professional footballers such as Steven Gerrard, boxers and TV stars. It recently made a £10,000 suit with 24 carat gold thread in it for boxer Deontay Wilder.

He is one of many people across the country who have found their income plummet to zero during the COVID-19 epidemic. Liverpool-based flexible working and short-term recruitment specialist Redwigwam is reporting a surge in people looking for work in the past week.

Richard, who plans to reopen his business when the crisis is over, said: “We were hit by the impact of coronavirus very early as we source all our fabric from Italy because they make the best fabrics in the world. A great deal of our staff in our workshops are also in the most vulnerable category and have young children.

“Our material and fabric suppliers in the UK and abroad have closed for the foreseeable future, so we were unable to operate even with skeleton staff.

“We closed the business on April 3 and then I spotted a Redwigwam Facebook post appealing for people to apply for flexible work with Morrisons. The next day I started my first shift there. I now work four shifts a week, 6-8 hours a day, and get paid £10 an hour. I get an order through on a smart phone then have to go around the store and pick it, put it in a basket and give it to the delivery drivers.

“I’ve not done a job like this since I was at university but I’m already meeting other business owners in similar situations to me. It’s humbling but I’m so grateful for the work.”

In one week after the coronavirus epidemic started to see large parts of the UK shut down, more than 2,500 workers registered with Redwigwam compared to an average of 600 in a typical week.

Many of them were people who had lost their jobs because of the outbreak or had their working hours reduced. Redwigwam, which teams companies looking for workers with workers looking for jobs, has launched a #letsstayafloat campaign.

It is supplying vital workers to a range of sectors including food retailers and logistics and transport businesses to help them combat the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Lorna Davidson, founder and chief executive of Redwigwam, which helped Richard find his new job, said: “We are working round the clock to help match the right workers, like Richard, with the right businesses. We are in constant contact with companies in sectors such as food retail and manufacturing as well as those specialising in logistics, transport and distribution.”