Colchester shoe-shining business DGSL moves to new premises

Gareth Tansey’s passion for shoe-shining began in 1991, when he was a schoolboy.

The hobby which started in his garden shed soon saw him take over the garage of his family home, and four years ago he traded in his career as a project planner to take his side hustle full-time.

The 42-year-old opened his shop, DGSL, in High Street, Colchester, two years ago and is now preparing to open a bigger and better shop in Red Lion Yard.

“I wanted to showcase my work more because I couldn’t properly show off the restoration work I’m passionate about in the old shop,” said the dad-of-one.

“The new shop is bigger and brighter and has more window space.”

The business owner, who will launch his new shop on Saturday, said making his passion his full-time career was the best decision he ever made.

“I suffered with bad mental health and I used this as a way of escapism, and now I don’t even feel like I’m working,” he explained.

The business is a family affair, with Gareth’s mum Linda, who taught him everything he knows, working alongside him every day.

The doting dad also hopes his work inspires his nine-year-old daughter Gabriella, whom he wants to show “you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it”.

Expanding the business has given the shoe fanatic an opportunity to network with other business owners, which will see him collaborate with another brand, Sneak, which is owned by customer-turned-friend Paul Cox.

The partnership will give the pair’s customers an opportunity to purchase unique trainers – pairs you might typically only find overseas, for instance – alongside Gareth’s expert footwear and bag restoration service.

Coming soon - DGSL, in Red Lion Yard, Colchester (Image: Gareth Tansey)

Explaining the beauty of his craft, he concluded: “If you’ve got a pair of shoes that get scuffed, why throw them away and get a new pair? We can bring them back to life and it saves you money.”