North Star Brands began with a simple truth: the outdoors has shaped my entire life. I grew up on the hills, and at just nine months old my parents had me at the top of the Langdale Pikes in the Lake District. From there, the love of adventure, good kit, and the feeling of real freedom never left. After almost a decade working in the outdoor sports industry, I felt the pull to carve my own path, to build something that reflected the values I’d grown up with and the future I wanted for my family. That became North Star Brands.

Today, it’s still just us, a small, family-run business in the North East of England, powered by a genuine passion for the outdoors. When you get in touch, it’s me or my wife who answers the phone. When you buy from us, you’re supporting a family who cares deeply about bringing the very best gear to British adventurers, without the premium price tag. Sustainability matters to us too, not as a selling point but as a responsibility. So we work hard to champion eco-friendly fabrics, fair working practices, and brands that are doing things the right way.

One of those brands is VIKING.

Our partnership wasn’t something drawn up on a whiteboard, it happened through a chance meeting in Liverpool, the sort of moment no one plans but everyone’s glad for. A genuine friendship formed almost immediately, and it was clear we shared a vision: making quality outdoor kit accessible to everyone. No compromises. Not on fit, not on style, not on performance, and certainly not on values.

For over 30 years, VIKING has built a loyal following across Europe by doing things properly, focusing on honest craftsmanship, fair pricing, and kit that people trust in real conditions. And now, together, we’re bringing VIKING to the UK.

It couldn’t come at a better time. With British families feeling the squeeze, rising prices, tighter budgets, and less spare time to escape to the hills, many have been forced to choose between quality and affordability. That’s a choice we don’t think anyone should have to make. VIKING solves that problem with well-made, responsibly sourced outdoor gear that performs far beyond its price point.

For me, as a dad to two young children who are already joining us on adventures of their own, this partnership means more than business. It’s about inspiring the next generation to love the outdoors the way I did, with kit that helps them stay warm, dry and confident out there, without costing the earth.

North Star Brands and VIKING share that belief wholeheartedly: that great gear should help families spend more time outside together, not less. That sustainability isn’t optional. And that adventure should always feel within reach.

After three decades of success across Europe, VIKING’s arrival in the UK feels like a new chapter, one we’re incredibly proud to lead. The future looks exciting, full of potential, and grounded in the same values that brought us together in the first place.

Here’s to the next adventure, on the hills, in the forests, by the sea, and wherever your own North Star takes you.

Note - Yes, that's us, goofing around on a mountain back in 2017