With fans including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge the Leather Satchel Company is one of Liverpool’s best-known brands and is vacating its Royal Albert Dock home after five years. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool’s Leather Satchel Company is to close its outlet at the Royal Albert Dock after five years and is moving to a new city centre location.

The current shop and workshop at the dock will close on Thursday, September 30. Following its final day, the company will then add any existing stock from the outlet into an online auction on its website, with discounts of up to 80%.

Customers of the Leather Satchel Company have included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Speaking about the next chapter in the company’s 55 year history, owner Keith Hanshaw said: “We are very proud of the time we have spent at the dock and like to think that we played a part in its recent growth as a popular leisure destination.

“After five years, we’ve agreed on a move to a new location, this time in the heart of the city’s shopping district. Of course the pandemic has hit high streets hard worldwide, but if any city can survive, it’s Liverpool, and we want to be part of its comeback.

“Today the high street is all about customer experience as it competes with online. Shoppers are looking for more reasons to leave their computer screens and venture into the city centre.

“Leather Satchel Company has always been about giving customers that personal experience – and we feel we can bring something truly unique and special to the city centre.”

What started out as a chance order of 200 school satchels, founder and Keith’s uncle, Steve Hanshaw quickly turned a market stall hobby into a thriving business. Fans included royalty, rock legends Freddie Mercury and Oasis, and TV star Fearne Cotton among others.

In 2018, Prince William visited the company as part of an official trip to the city, and took away with him three appropriately named Mini Windsor leather satchels, each embossed with a name of one of his children on.

he company, whose headquarters is in Knowsley, also has an outlet at Disney World’s Epcot theme park in Florida as part of the UKPavilion, alongside other well-known British brands, Penhaligon’s and Yardley London.