60 seconds with Lost Heritage

Lost Heritage started six years ago when founder Claire McDivitt was on maternity leave and felt it was the optimal time to take a chance and try to turn her hobby of traditional printing into a full-time career.

“Luckily the business had a strong start and we haven’t looked back since, continually growing and adding new services.”

Where are you based? 

Lost Heritage is based in an old hat factory in Denton near Manchester. It’s just off J24 of the M60 motorway so we have great transport links 

How many staff do you have?

Four currently

What does your firm do? 

Anything and everything! Our most popular being either commercial print using traditional printing techniques (sometimes with a mixture of digital, sometimes not); or working with designers and wedding planners on high-quality wedding stationery

Which geographic areas do you serve?

Mainly nationally but word has been spreading and we have been involved in a few international print projects with companies who are now regular customers

What’s your USP?

Our head printer is also our founder and we feel that a female letterpress operator is a USP (although we know a lot of other excellent female printers as well – go girls!). We are told from customers that dealing with a female printer can be a bit easier and less intimidating (sorry guys). As we do everything under one roof and can incorporate other services such as laser cutting, CNC routing and now plasma cutting, this gives us an advantage. 

What equipment do you run?

Three Heidelberg windmill platens. One is generally used for ink letterpress, one for die cutting and the other is a foiler. Also finishing machinery including bookbinders, paper drills and facilities to edge paint and create gilded edges.

Where do you see your business in five years’ time?

Hopefully onwards and upwards! We are always upgrading and investing in bigger and better things. I believe in five years’ time we will have a lot more staff and helping hands as well as offering more services. 

What’s your team’s favourite biscuit?

McVitie’s Chocolate Digestive – a classic