Hi, I am Sanne. Born and raised on Texel and recently super proud of the special sheepskins and medicinal products I have been able to develop and select.
It all started with an interest in beautiful sheepskins for your interior. A sheepskin is always beautiful but I soon noticed a difference in quality. Being from Texel, I knew that the 'Texelaar' sheep breed was world famous for its quality of meat and wool. The funny thing is that, even as somewone from Texel, I always thought that the sheepskins were not only of the Texel breed but also really came from Texel. And that turned out not to be true at all!
The 'Texelaar' is so popular that it is widespread and is kept by farmers all over the world. Although I am very proud of this, I thought it detracted somewhat from the origin of the product sheepskin and also my expectations were actually quite different.
After all, the wind, sun and salty sea-air have quite an influence. After a day at the beach, my hair and skin are always warm and bleached by the sun and a dip in the sea gives it an extra stiff but also a healthier feeling. That salty climate also has an influence on the sheep's wool and makes it thicker and more frizzy. In other words, a wool that is unique in its kind!
OK, great story, but why is Skéépe so special?
After asking around a bit on the island, I found out that the sheep on Texel were slaughtered for their meat but that the skins were not used at all! And that, in a time of sustainability and recycling, is of course rather odd....
This is how my idea for Skéépe came about; a beautiful sheepskin from the 'Texelaar', but one from a sheep that has lived freely and also of the best quality, due to the unique climate of the island! Thick, salty and Texel-like!
Until the next blog!