Here is a blog about my experience:

So how did I get to be on Make it at Market?

About a year ago, May 2024, I saw an advert on a woodworking forum asking for woodworkers looking to take their business to another level. The advert made it clear it was an audition process to get onto Make it at Market, so after a discussion with my family I applied.

It was a fairly long process. I had to submit a lengthy application form detailing my journey and ethos as well as my inspirations and hopes. I was then asked to further submit a short, self-filmed video about me and my work! I roped in my daughter, Jessica, to be camera operator, producer and (most importantly) editor and sent that in as well. The next stage was a recorded interview via Zoom.

A week later I got the call, I was in! I was surprised and delighted as we had been told that hundreds of people had applied, and I made the final cut. There was a flurry of emails and things to do and prepare, as filming was going to take place only a few weeks later in early July.

Filming was over two days at Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire. My first day of filming was my wedding anniversary, the first one in 38 years that I hadn't spent with my wife.

The two days went by in a flash. I met my mentor, Bruce Kenneth, and he invited me to come up to West Yorkshire to spend two days in his workshop, an offer I jumped at.

Those two days were worth a lot to me. Being able to use hugely expensive machinery (just one of Bruce's tools costs £30,000), and get the guidance from Bruce was eye opening. We made some oak chopping boards, charcuterie boards and a sign for my business. We also made templates for the legs of my raised charcuterie boards, for me to use in future to shorten my manufacturing process and gain consistent results.

The final day of filming was again at Waterperry Gardens, and this time on my mum's birthday! There was a theme developing here.

The question I am often asked is "What's Dom like?". He is genuinely a lovely bloke, who comes from the same part of Essex that I was born in.

I write this prior to the first transmission of my episode, so may update this blog afterwards.

So far, an interesting, rewarding and valuable experience and one I am glad I made.

My own clapper board