Fred Aldous in the Northern Quarter has been Manchester’s specialist supplier of art, craft and design materials for nearly 130 years.
Fred Aldous ltd began in Manchester in 1886 with a man called Fred who had a bright idea and a cracking beard. Working in a cotton mill he noticed that the cotton was being transported in baskets. This gave him the idea for a business – he would import the cane to make them.
Fred Aldous has grown over the last 128 years but it still does what Fred started – supplying materials to people who make things. It started off with just three products, now it stocks more than 25,000 arts and crafts products and sells to customers all over the world. With its laser cutting studio, Risograph printer and photography studio, Fred Aldous has become a hub where makers and creatives can hire out these spaces to produce their work.
