The Eric Musgrave Interview: Brook Taverner – the independently-minded menswear multiple

Quietly opening two shops a year since 2017, mainstream menswear brand Brook Taverner is building up a national network from its base in Keighley, West Yorkshire. This year the privately-owned company expects to add three more, taking it up to 19 branches, mainly in relatively prosperous market and spa towns. A target of 25-30 shops seems very feasible, the management team believes.

Mainstream menswear is a significant sector of the fashion industry that is largely overlooked by the fashion media and business press. Pitched price-wise above the high street majors such as Next and Marks & Spencer and below premium multi-brand retailers, it serves the needs of thousands of men who want to look good without being fashion victims. It is typically served by independent shops that are important in a local area. Brook Taverner is replicating the indie approach on a national scale, drawing comparisons with Glasgow-based Slater Menswear, another publicity-shy retailer that has around 27 branches across the UK.

Significantly, however, Brook Taverner sells only its own-label goods, not brands.

Founded in London in 1912 when Frank Brook and Walter Taverner set up a cloth merchanting and menswear manufacturing business, the company’s recent history started in 2003 when Jason Scott, Andrew Booth and Ben Jones acquired the business, which was mainly a stock-supported B2B corporate clothing wholesaler at the time, from Chris Rump, a well-known veteran of the British traditional menswear and textile trade.

Brook Taverner Horsham

Over the past two decades, keeping a low profile, the trio has remodelled Brook Taverner into an impressive multifaceted menswear specialist that is highly regarded by industry observers. Simon Berwin, whose former Leeds-based family tailoring business was once a rival of Brook Taverner, now provides the company with offshore garment production. He says: “Many menswear organisations are like an oil tanker. Brook Taverner is like a speedboat. It is a very slick, well-organised operation that reacts to market demands very quickly while producing very wearable garments that are strong on colour and texture. Through listening to its customers, it has grown from a tailoring business to a menswear lifestyle business.”

In an unusual example of thoughtful succession planning, over the past few years the three owners, who are all in their 50s, have slightly stepped back to leave the day-to-day running of Brook Taverner to four executives, who are in their 40s. Three of these have been recruited from outside the business.

For this rare insight into a quietly growing multiple that retains a significant wholesale business, I visited the Brook Taverner shop in Northallerton, North Yorkshire to speak with Oliver Campbell, the retail operations director and one of the quartet taking the company forward. Previously holding senior menswear roles at Asda, Sainsbury’s and M&S among other retailers, Campbell joined three years ago and has been impressed at the agility of his employer.

Brook Taverner Northallerton

Give us a snapshot of Brook Taverner’s operations.

The largest part of our business at the moment is our corporate clothing. Whether it’s for a car dealership or for hotel staff, we can provide all the required uniforms. We offer a vast selection of products and it’s a highly international operation. Alongside this, we still maintain a smaller cloth business.

The other big part of the business is menswear, which has seen the most significant transformation since Jason, Andrew and Ben acquired the company in 2003, particularly following the expansion into retail stores. Wholesale remains an important channel, accounting for around 11% of our business. We have approximately 350 accounts of varying sizes across the UK, Ireland, Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and even Bermuda.

We continue to exhibit at the INDX show in Solihull and at a trade show in Glasgow, while our national account manager is out and about maintaining personal relationships with important customers like the Landmark stores in the Cotswolds, Clarksons of York, and Bakers & Larner in Holt, Norfolk. We value partners who work closely with us and provide dedicated space, such as shop-in-shop concepts.

In keeping with our modern approach, we’ve embraced technology to improve efficiency in how we sell to wholesale customers, making the process easier for them too. We wholesale exclusively under the Brook Taverner brand and it remains a profitable part of the business

One of the group’s key advantages is that everything is on one site in Keighley, where we recently added a second warehouse as part of our future-proofing strategy. In 2022, we employed around 180 people; today, that number has grown to approximately 250, largely due to store openings, the new warehouse and investment in key head office roles to drive the business forward. Around 100 of our team are based in Keighley.

Group turnover is approximately £59m, with £28m coming from menswear and £31m from corporate clothing.

What are you trying to achieve with Brook Taverner’s retail expansion?

We want to stay true to our heritage while broadening our appeal – essentially offering everything a customer needs under one roof. Our aim is for customers to be able to build their entire wardrobe with Brook Taverner, without needing to shop elsewhere.

Expanding our store portfolio remains a deliberate and ongoing strategy. Bricks-and-mortar retail continues to deliver strong growth. Our first stores opened around 2017 - before my time - in Scotland and we now have locations in Inverness, Ballater and Perth. Since then, we’ve typically opened two stores per year, focusing on market towns and spa towns where there is little or no direct menswear competition.

In addition to the Scottish ones, we currently operate shops in Northallerton, Beverley, Chester, Bury St Edmunds, Stamford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Henley-on-Thames, Windsor, Horsham, Canterbury, Chichester, Cirencester and Exeter.

This year we're aiming to open in Guildford, Ambleside and St Andrews, our first time opening three stores within a single calendar year.

We often sit alongside similar premium high street brands such as Fatface, Crew Clothing, Seasalt and Mint Velvet. Exeter, which we opened two years ago, marked our first city location and has become one of our established performers. This has given us the confidence to explore a broader range of locations, including larger retail areas where we can coexist with brands on the general high street such as Charles Tyrwhitt and Moss.

However, we remain pragmatic when it comes to costs. We won’t overextend ourselves or compromise on financial discipline. For a store to be viable, turnover typically needs to be around 10 times the rental value. Our stores are usually between 1,200 and 1,600 sq ft, fitted to our brand specification, and operate seven days a week with around four full-time staff.

Brook Taverner Chichester

How far could you go on shops?

Our ambitions have evolved. When I joined in 2023, the goal was around 15 stores. By the end of this year, we expect to reach 19, and we now believe 25 to 30 stores is realistic. There’s significant opportunity, but it’s important we maintain our independent feel, unique customer experience and brand-centric values. As we grow, we need the right processes, people and structure in place while preserving that identity.

Where does online fit in?

In 2020, online accounted for 66% of our retail turnover, with stores contributing 11%. Over the past six years, store sales have grown to 33%, while online now represents around 45%. The balance is made up from our concessions and the wholesale side.

We also have a long-standing heritage in mail order, historically sending A5 brochures monthly. Today, we’ve refined this to five or six mailings per year, reaching around 150,000 active customers. In addition, we produce a seasonal brochure for distribution in-store.

We operate dedicated websites for Ireland, the US and Australia, all fulfilled from the UK, with delivery to the US and Australia typically taking two to three days as an express service.

We rely heavily on data and customer insights, drawing from store feedback, customer research, website analytics and tools like Google Analytics. Around 40% of our customers are aged 55 and over, which aligns with our heritage, but we also have a strong segment aged 25 to 40, something I hadn’t fully anticipated. Our independent feel, combined with exceptional in-store service, sets us apart, particularly for special occasion purchases like weddings or race days.

How has the product offer changed?

We see it as evolution rather than revolution. When I joined three years ago, the strategy I implemented was to move forward in a controlled way, supporting our core customer while also attracting new ones.

Our core customer, “Mr Brook Taverner”, remains central to everything we do. We ensure the range continues to meet his expectations while expanding the offer to appeal to new audiences. The goal is to create a collection that resonates across different demographics and levels of affluence, all underpinned by strong quality and value.

Brook Taverner Northallerton

Have you tried anything that hasn't worked?

Like many brands, we explored loungewear and nightwear post-Covid. However, it didn’t resonate with our customer base, likely due to strong competition from established players like M&S and Next. While it wasn’t successful at the time, it’s something we may revisit in the future.

What is your sourcing and pricing strategy?

Our designer, Amy Lewis, who joined from (high street supplier) Prominent, leads product design alongside me. While suppliers support us with technical packs, all design is done in-house.

We primarily source from the Far East, which has some of the best factories globally, alongside Near East production in countries such as Turkey, and Portugal. Over the past two years, we’ve strengthened our supplier base, enabling us to improve quality while maintaining competitive pricing.

In some categories, such as knitwear, we’ve reduced retail prices while improving quality, for example, by increasing wool content. Our focus has been to ensure strong value across all categories, not just selected ones.

We’re not afraid to increase prices where justified, particularly for premium fabrics, but value remains critical.

Trousers are one of our strongest categories, with best-selling chinos priced at £49.95, or two for £80. Shirts retail at £60 each or four for £130. Our multi-buy offers encourage customers to purchase across the range.

In tailoring, we offer strong entry-level options from £129, alongside premium jackets at £199 and £229 featuring British and Italian fabrics.

Across all categories, we focus on delivering consistent value, quality and cohesion. Sizes typically range from Small to XXXL, with waist sizes from 30 to 46 inches. We also carry unfinished trousers, which are completed in-house in Keighley to meet specific customer needs.

All products are sold under the Brook Taverner brand, with the exception of Loake shoes, which complement our offering. While we may expand into new categories such as footwear in the future, we have no plans to introduce sub-brands.

Explain the company’s succession planning.

The business is owned by Jason Scott (who is responsible mainly for retail), Ben Jones (corporate) and Andrew Booth (finance). I joined in 2023 to lead retail under Jason. Kevin Lawson, who has been with the company since 2003, supports Ben on the corporate side. We’ve also strengthened the leadership team with Jamie Crookham as finance director and Ben Foster as operations director.

Together, we work closely beneath the owners, enabling them to step back slightly while remaining actively involved.

The business has a strong family feel, with long-standing loyalty on both sides. At the same time, the owners are open to new ideas and change, which has helped drive progress.

(For background, Crookham previously worked for Shark Ninja, the American domestic appliances specialist, while Foster was with Focus Group, which handled fashion licences.)

Apart from shops, where else will growth come from?

Beyond bricks and mortar, there are significant opportunities in third-party partnerships. Since launching on the Next platform in April 2025, performance has been exceptionally strong. We are now exploring partnerships with M&S and John Lewis, which will further drive both revenue and brand awareness.

We also see continued growth potential in ecommerce and global wholesale expansion, particularly in Europe and North America, as well as focused growth with key UK accounts.

Brook Taverner Beverley

What’s the plan to improve brand awareness?

Historically, we’ve maintained a low profile by choice. However, since 2023, increasing brand awareness has become a key focus. Our goal is to move from being known by one in 10 people to one in three.

We’ve invested in TV advertising across multiple Sky TV channels alongside significantly increased spend on digital channels including Meta, Instagram, Facebook, Demand Gen and YouTube. While we currently have over 9,000 Instagram followers, there is considerable room for growth.

Partnerships with platforms like Next also contribute to organic brand exposure, while targeted email marketing allows us to communicate effectively with specific customer segments.

As a company, what are you particularly good at?

For me, it always starts and ends with product. We have strong heritage and deliver excellent quality across design, fabric, construction and attention to detail.

Equally important is how we operate as a business. We are lean, agile and empower our people to take responsibility and ownership. This allows us to move quickly and make decisions without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Having worked in larger organisations, I’ve seen how process-heavy environments can slow progress. At Brook Taverner, the pace, efficiency and clarity of decision-making are remarkable. When you consider the level of retail turnover we achieve with a relatively small head office team, it’s something we’re incredibly proud of.