Corin Mellor, Creative Director of David Mellor Design

Sheffield makes me proud to belong to such a vibrant cultural city.

It is a particularly special place for me as I was born and grew up in the city. This follows a family pattern since my grandfather was in Sheffield manufacturing and my father became one of Britain’s best known modernist designers, sometimes referred to as ‘the cutlery king’. I worked closely with my father who retained his strong links with Sheffield, latterly commissioning the iconic cutlery factory known as The Round Building, one of Sheffield region's well known outer landmarks where we still manufacture David Mellor cutlery.

Sheffield has always had a rich tradition of manufacturing and still to this day has many specialist skills. As manufacturers and designers, we are constantly interacting with both individual craftsmen and high-technology industry within the city. This allows us to both develop designs and produce our own products.

There are many positive features of Sheffield. They are wide-ranging, including some of the best theatre, music and galleries in the country. Sheffield has direct physical links to the Peak District with its extensive Victorian park structure fanning out into the National Park. Sheffield people themselves tend to have an honesty and integrity that makes them special both on professional and personal levels.

Besides the development of David Mellor, design, manufacture, retail and exports, all relying on Sheffield expertise, I have been involved in various individual design projects within the city which include a forty-foot sculptural bridge for Sheffield Hallam University, public seating for both the Sheffield Winter Gardens and Millennium Galleries. I have completed several commissions for Sheffield Cathedral including a stainless-steel Advent Wreath, Processional Acolyte Candles and most recently a Pectoral Cross for the Bishop of Sheffield.