A BRADFORD cobbler is celebrating after gaining recognition for his craft by winning a sought-after national award.

Dean Westmoreland, 32, of Lavinia Terrace, Clayton, has been named the J.Rendenbach Shoe Repairer of the Year for 2016.

He hopes the prize, described as the most prestigious award in the repair trade, will boost his dream of one day running his own bespoke shoemaking business.

“Rendenbach is a German leather tannery producing the world’s finest quality soling leather,” he said.

“The competition is open to all UK cobblers, and we take a pair of Goodyear welted shoes and repair one of them.

“The judges then mark them on, among other things, the finishing, the balance and pitch of shoe, the stitching, and the upper restoration.”

Mr Westmoreland has been a cobbler for ten years, going part-time in 2010 to finish a degree in music.

He works for Craggs in Leeds, but offers a pick-up and drop-off services to customers in Bradford.

“I have spent the last three years since finishing my degree working tirelessly to get better at my craft, and I entered the competition last year and placed in the top six,” he said.

“This gave me the confidence to carry on improving with the aim of winning it within three years.

“Winning this year instils even more confidence and validates my ethos of achieving the highest quality repairs at all times.”

As well as his trophy and certificate, Mr Westmoreland, who also makes handmade bags, won £1,000 for his accolade, which he plans to spend on new shoemaking equipment and tools.

He is also looking into the possibility of entering a shoe repairer ‘World Cup’ style event held bi-annually in America.

“It attracts people from all over the world, so that would be the next thing to aim for,” he said.

“Having a young family and living outside London and Northampton has meant my longstanding dream of being a bespoke shoemaker is hard to achieve, as there are few masters to learn from in our area.

“So, I have been teaching myself through various books and trial and error.

“This is going well and is part of a five to ten-year year plan to make shoes professionally in the traditional bespoke, hand-welted manner.

“The spirit of London’s West End with a Yorkshire soul, if you like!”