Belfast Bow Company website below :-
So, how best to describe The Gourmet Boys’ “look”? Well, we’ve received a variety of, er, comments over the years, from “sartorially elegant,” to “do you actually dress like that ALL THE TIME?!” (The answer to the latter being a resounding yes!), but one thing is a constant: our love of statement neckwear!
And when we recently had a chance encounter with the like-minded Karen and David, a couple (literally) of bow tie makers based in Dromore, we knew we had to pay a visit their workshop where they create unique, handcrafted bow ties, pocket squares, ties and cufflinks.
It was evident that they both have an absolute passion for their craft, and The Belfast Bow Company accessories are all made from the finest fabrics; Irish linen woven within five miles of the workshop, silk-like Liberty of London cottons, Scottish tweeds, and Ulster tartans, all designed to be worn for a lifetime.
It was fascinating to find out about the tie-making process, and we were looking forward to acquiring a new bow for the collection (self-tie, of course) but it turned out we had to to “sing for our supper”, and under David and Karen’s expert instruction, cut, sewed, and finished a beautiful bow tie in a Strawberry Thief Print by Liberty of London, with its iconic William Morris design incorporating birds in cool sage greens on a contrasting darker background. Stunning!
Many thanks to Belfast Bow Company for a wonderful afternoon, and the gorgeous gift which we will cherish. In the couple’s own words, “We both believe in the inherent value of items that are made with genuine pride and care by someone who knows their craft, those are the things that will be treasured forever!”
More about Belfast Bow Company
Did you always want to be business owners?
Karen: “We didn’t mean to.
We sort of fell into this. It then grew so much it became a full-time job for both of us.
It started off as a side hustle and has grown into a thriving business with our own premises and shipping across the world.
If you’d told me that’s what I would be doing while studying to become a speech therapist, I’m not sure I would have believed you.
David: “But we come from a long line of entrepreneurs and founders so there was definitely something inside us, itching to come out.
Today, we have a website, we are Not On The High Street partners and our products are stocked across Northern Ireland.”
What’s your background?
David: “I’m from Fivemiletown in Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Both my parents were teachers and I ended up studying Archaeology at Queens University Belfast.
I then worked in a security firm, as a manager in Cotswolds Outdoor and as an assistant manager in a sawmill.
Karen: “He really likes to manage ;)”
David: “Oh, I also was a very good car salesman.”
Karen: “Yes, those skills have definitely come in handy. Whereas I grew up in a family business in Co. Down and eventually studied English and then Speech Therapy at Queens and that’s where I met David. While at uni, I’d also worked my way up to the management level at Next, specialising in merchandising.
Looking back, It feels like there were all these forces pushing me into this business.”
How did the Belfast Bow Company Get Started?
David: “Shortly after we got married in 2014, we realised we wanted a bit of extra money, just to afford a nice meal or the occasional bottle of wine.”
Karen: “You could say it started from needing to fund our eating good food and wine habit!”
David: “We knew that whatever we sold had to be small because we had no space in our tiny flat.”
Karen: “David thought Bow Ties would be perfect. He’d noticed how online Bow Ties were really badly packaged so he sourced some lovely boxes and ordered a stamp of our logo. We started a small online business selling our unique Bow Ties on eBay and it just took off.”
How did the Belfast Bow Company go from a side hustle to a full-blown business?
Karen: “I don’t think either of us were mentally prepared for how quickly it would grow.”
David: “The hardest thing was deciding what we do about our “real” jobs. Did we quit and start making Bow Ties full time?”
Karen: “It seems so funny calling it our “real jobs” now, but there was a part of us that didn’t really believe that the business would make it this far. Slowly, but surely, we had made it to a point that the Bow Ties had become so successful, that we could now become self-employed.
As we worked, The Belfast Bow Company just grew. We finally realised that our WHY was this. We wanted to build a life that we both loved and that our kids would be proud of too.
It’s hard work, but we are incredibly proud of what we do. That’s why our motto in our workshop is “do what you love and love what you do.”
We also saw some of the Belfast Bib Company produce :-
About Belfast Bib Company
Honouring Belfast’s Industrial Heritage
PROTECT ENDURE SUSTAIN
BUILT FOR WORK. BUILT TO ENDURE. BUILT WITH BELFAST AT OUR HEART.
Born from Belfast’s rich industrial heritage, The Belfast Bib Company is built on grit, craftsmanship, and generations of hard work. This is more than a brand – it is a tribute to the people who shaped our city, forged its industries, and understood the value of doing things properly.
Our family roots run deep through Belfast’s linen mills, rope works, and the infamous shipyard, where precision, durability, and pride in workmanship defined everyday life. In those industries, people owned little but relied on what they had, and bibbed aprons were worn daily to protect their clothing from hard wear. They taught a simple truth: the things you depend on must be made to last. That belief continues to guide everything we create.
Today, we honour that legacy by making functional, long-lasting products with care and intention. Crafted by skilled local artisans in Northern Ireland, every stitch and seam reflects our respect for quality materials, time-honoured skills, and the value of repair over replacement.
