What sets Fisherton Mill apart from other businesses is its unique ambience and charm, says Deborah Fox, 56, the owner. Deborah and her husband Michael, 58, started at the mill 30 years ago when the "ground-breaking" gallery was "a bit more high brow" but later took over as owners in a bid to continue the business's legacy as closure was on the cards. This responsibility called for Fisherton Mill to restructure and shifts its focus on becoming "more locally-minded".
Read more: Disruption expected as Fisherton Street set to close Former Michelin star chef Michael took the reins of the mill's cafe, which was named in this year's Good Food Guide, while Deborah focused on building the shop's brand. “We started to sell more inexpensive gift items with a focus on provenance and uniqueness and handmade as much as possible," said Deborah. "We tried to avoid the sort of mass-produced stuff that you can get on the high street.
So we still have expensive, beautiful pieces of art and sculpture, but it's balanced with things that people can buy every day.” Owner Deborah Fox described Fisherton Mill as a “community of like-minded people” who are passionate about the arts and what they do. (Image: Newsquest) The couple has endured financial challenges but their dedication to independence kept them resilient.
“Both Michael and I are quite independent people. So I suppose we certainly wanted our business, we wanted to be independent, so we could make our own choices and set our .
