[AD*] Shop small and local this Christmas with this Derbyshire Christmas Gift Guide comprising of only lovely, local, independent brands.
This year, I’ve separated the guide into this one, which is shoppable online – and a separate blog post which details some of the loveliest places to shop in person. If you are wanting the full Christmas experience of physically shopping at markets and the best brick and mortar shops in Derbyshire, then head here instead (coming soon!!).
But if shopping online, in the comfort of your own home is your preference, curl up with a brew and discover some fabulous new Derbyshire independents, many of which are female-founded and with a strong commitment to sustainability.
*PS – All of the brands featured sell products or services that I have or would buy myself, or that I would happily give or receive as a gift. There are some instances where I have received gifts or PR invites or where I have requested samples to check quality from different brands and as such this is labelled as an AD.
Some of the brands have kindly offered secret discount codes which will be available exclusively for my newsletter subscribers – don’t miss out by signing up here!
Derbyshire Christmas Gift Guide
Food & Drink Gifts from Derbyshire Small Businesses
Yawn is a passionate about all things coffee and all things tea. Headed up by Hannah and Joe, the small team designs, packs and ships every bag of tea, coffee or gift from their unit in Darley Dale. Yawn has an amazing variety of high quality speciality teas, coffees and hot chocolates. Beans are responsibly sourced and the coffee is so fresh that there’s a short lead time on deliveries. In addition to a wide range of gifts (e.g. check out their lovely ’12 teas of Christmas’ and their huge selection of speciality hot chocolates, including a mince pie version!), also check out the advent calendars which are available for coffee, tea or hot chocolate lovers. In addition to the quality product I love the clean, design lead branding.
Chesterfield based Hogg Norton make delicious, award winning fruit liqueurs. Perfect for mixing with prosecco, there’s a wide range of flavours, from gooseberry to rhubarb. The little 50ml bottles are just £4 so perfect stocking filler for grown ups!
Also check out Cuckoostone Craft Distillery in Barlow particularly for gin, where every single bottle is hand produced in small batches from quality ingredients using traditional methods and White Peak Distillery in Ambergate for a range of premium spirits, quality merchandise and distillery tours.
For grown up Christmas crackers, how fabulous are these Christmas Craft Gin Crackers from Chesterfield based, Franklin & Sons Ltd? Each cracker contains an award-winning combination of gin and premium mixer, including classics from Rock Rose and Sipsmith, alongside the latest innovations from Warner’s, Manchester Gin, Silent Pool and Masons.
Ever since trying a sample at Barca bar, I’ve been planning on treating myself to a bottle of Lustre cream liqueur for Christmas. Think Baileys – but because it’s plant based, a lighter (and more sustainable) sip! I’ll be getting the Caffe Latte flavour with vodka, but if you like pina colada (did you sing that?!) try the pineapple with rum.
Derbyshire based Woodsquare sell beautiful artisan products. Although the brand is primarily based online, you may well have met founder Ieva exhibiting at local events. Woodsquare specialise in stylish wooden chopping boards and other wooden kitchen accessories and utensils. Most of the products are made in the Baltics from five different artisan families, so the brand works as small co-operative. I particularly love the simple, wooden chopping boards that would be perfect for an indulgent antipasti, grazing or Instagrammable butter board.
Lovely Things from Derbyshire Small Businesses
Darwin & Gray has established itself as one of the leading design brands in Derbyshire. The name comes from founder and maker, Stacey Gray and her delightful cocker spaniel, Darwin. The brand is known for clean, minimalistic designs and nailing the captions. The Merry Christmas collection recently launched and features gorgeous banners, sweatshirts and gorgeous glass mugs (expect to see the ‘festive as f*ck’ ones all over your Instagram feed, but there are lots of more sentimental options too).
The Peak District Candle Co make delightful hand poured soy wax candles that are stylishly presented in environmentally friendly glass jars. Founded by the lovely Anna, this is one lockdown project that has had stratospheric success and is now stocked on Not on the High Street! The 100% soy wax is a completely natural product which burns slower and more evenly, ensuring a long lasting product. A standard sized candle costs £14 with mini candles from £6 and wax melts from £5. There’s always a brilliant range of seasonal scents and gift sets. With classic Christmas favourites like pine, frankincense and spiced orange to tasty smelling tipples like mulled wine and whiskey – for a beautifully scented home on warm and cosy winter evenings.
Satisfyingly Solo is ran by two strong, independent solo women. Both currently work full time but needed an escape from work during lockdown, so set up their little Derbyshire business based around their love of home fragrance, photography, nature and advocating for women in business. They make luxury botanical hand poured wax melts, which start at just £4.
Elsie Moss Botanical sells a delightful range of quality, natural soaps, mineral bath salts and shampoo and conditioner bars and much more. Lisa founded the brand, naming it after her grandma. All the products are handmade by Lisa in her home-based workshop in Derbyshire. Born from a love of, and self-confessed addiction to, handmade soaps, Lisa first started buying soap instead of shower gel to cut down on plastic waste. Now with Plastic Free Champion status, the brand retains a strong commitment to sustainability. Products are made from plant based, naturally derived ingredients such as pure steam distilled essential oils and mineral rich clays and botanicals. Shop the Christmas shop with a range of limited edition festive soaps.
Derbyshire based, Darling Diva was set up by Tori after quitting corporate life. In addition to luxury, paraben free candles and a range of accessories, there’s a delightful range of fragrance, body and skincare. I thoroughly recommend the Luxury Face Serum, a gorgeous blend of quality oils including essential oils of lavender, bergamot and lemongrass to aid sleep and deeply moisturise skin. It’s an absolute treat to use before bed. It’s endorsed by celebrity make-up artist, Mary Greenwell and is top of my Christmas wish list (hello husband if you are reading!), but there are also various other gifts, e.g. a luxury foot spa set or a bath truffle treat box.
Opal & Palm is a small handmade jewellery business based in the Peak District National Park. Earrings, bracelets and necklaces, are handmade by owner, Cheryl using clay, resin, and homegrown wildflowers.
Letterbox Love, ran by husband and wife team, Kerry and Liam are on a mission to spread positivity and kindness. They’ve launched a dazzling selection of Christmas gifts, I particularly love the Christmas snowflake earrings and the Merry Christmas bracelet. Prices are affordable and everything is beautifully packaged.
The brainchild of Chesterfield based, Maria, Me & Thee is centred around quirky Derbyshire sayings and prints. I love the simple, graphic designs. Who in your life needs a “Be Reyt” key ring? Would the “Gaffer” or “Mardy Bum” mug make a perfect Secret Santa gift?
For the Peak District lover in your life, Park Designs have a range of gifts inspired by the national park. Featuring bold graphic design using the contour lines of the stunning scenery. One of my favourite products is their iconic fine bone china mugs are priced at £15.95, but there are a whole host of gifts. Shop online or from their shop in Hathersage.
Jude River Design sell a whole host of graphic design prints for those who love the great outdoors. The brand was founded by Jules and is based in Derby. I bought some Derbyshire based prints for my branding shoot and was impressed with the quality, service and the fact you can customise colours to your exact requirements.
Ewesful is the brainchild of Brooke Woolley, junior designer and third generation farmer, based in Derbyshire. Inspired by her upbringing on a farm and her flock of sheep, Ewesful sells helpful products developed with farmers (and lovers of all things sheep) in mind. There’s everything from practical welly bags and thermal mugs to cosy beanie hats and stationery. The brand has a strong commitment to sustainability and supporting other local businesses. The slate coasters are designed in house and then engraved by a local maker based less than 10 miles away and the embroidered items being completed by a local company.
I stumbled across Stitched by Alan on Instagram and was blown away by the quality of his work. Alan is freehand embroiderer who discovered a love for sewing whilst studying at Nottingham Trent University. Alan is a passionate producer of bespoke pet portraits. His embroidered creations can be supplied on a hoop to hang, on a range of clothing or tote bags. He also sells Christmas decorations (check out the cute gingerbread men). Current turnaround time is currently a week but demand will be high over Christmas so order ASAP.
Orgill Originals is a family run business based in Breaston. Father and daughter team, Nicole and Neil are self-taught in leather craft using traditional methods. There are a range of classically beautiful leather goods for men and women. Every item is unique. You can even ‘create your own bag’ choosing everything from the style, colour of leather and even the colour of thread used! I particularly love this convertible backpack/shoulder bag which is also customisable.
I also love the handmade leather gift tags. These can be personalised to provide a stylish and sustainable, eco-friendly way to gift wrap, particularly for family – or provide lovely keepsakes.
Decorations, Cards & Wrapping
Ali at Homebird Makes sells handmade loveliness from quality fabrics. Based in Burton in Trent, the brand has thousands of five star ratings on Etsy. I particularly love the Liberty car Christmas tree decorations.
Similarly, I have previously bought personalised decorations and cards from Ali at Spotty Dotty Sewing – these are now favourite family decorations that we look forward to unpacking each year. Look out for a new website launching soon!
Herbert and Rose is the brand of Chesterfield artist, Ali Scothern offering beautiful hand designed Christmas cards, as well as a range of beautiful gifts such as prints, notepads and homeware. The brand is stocked in lots of lovely gift shops or you can shop direct on Ali’s website and pick and mix a range of cards to take advantage of a 5 for £10 offer.
Set up by Sasha when she quit law, Cheeky Zebra sells fun, cheeky cards online. The Derby based, family business have a huge range of humorous and really cheeky cards, mugs that might be the perfect Secret Santa gift (‘Sounds Like a You Problem’) and on-the-nose Christmas jumpers.
Flossy Peagreen Card Company are a Buxton based business run solely by Carol. She produces handmade greetings cards that can be fully personalised. All cards are made from beautiful FSC certified card and are recyclable along with the clear bags which are made from biodegradable corn starch. All Flossy Peagreen’s materials are sourced from the UK. Carol proudly handmakes every single item in her Buxton attic office. She has thousands of 5 star reviews from happy customers on her Etsy shop. Shop her Christmas collection here.
Eco Gift Wrapping is a local manufacturer of beautiful, eco gift wrap. The wrapping paper is made from FSC-certified recycled paper and is recyclable. All of the products are plastic-free – even the clear bags used for the gift tags are made of corn starch. Everything is made in UK, with their workshop based in Barlow, Dronfield. None of our raw materials are sourced any further than from Europe. The company was founded by a military wife who was horrified to discover that, on average, over a million metres a day of gift wrap gets thrown away in the UK. She set about trying to change the statistic by giving people the opportunity to make better choices. There are some stunning designs – I particularly like the traditional Nutcracker design and the simple, Scandi style star print. There’s also eco-friendly tape which is 100% recyclable and sustainable (and supplied in a satisfyingly large roll!).
Gifts for Children
Peak District Kids have a small but perfectly formed range of merchandise. There are iron on patches and snoods. The snoods feature the OS map of the Peak District National Park and are made in the Peak District from breathable and moisture wicking technical microfibre, so perfect for the changeable weather that the National Park is notorious for.
Layla and Josh is a fabulous Derbyshire children’s wear brand that has featured in Vogue and Tatler. Named after founder, Laura’s two children, the brand has a whole Christmas section on their website featuring lots of festive loveliness, like this Festive Forest Friends romper.
The Neutrals Nursery was set up as a creative outlet for Chesterfield ‘mama and maker’, Natale. The highly Instagrammable brand gets rave reviews on Etsy. I love these customisable wall flags and the alphabet letter board would be a lovely gift for an inquisitive little mind.
Experiences rather than ‘things’
Gift vouchers for the recipient’s favourite café, shop, restaurant etc – or a voucher for a spa day or beauty treatment are often really popular gifts. Gifting experiences can also be a more eco-friendly option than buying more ‘stuff’. How about afternoon tea at the gorgeous Peak Edge Hotel? Featuring Derbyshire clotted cream and homemade plum jam and honey cake made from produce harvested at Walton Lodge Farm less than a mile away. Or really push the boat out with a voucher for dinner, bed and breakfast for a very reasonable £210. Gift vouchers can be purchased online here.
For those of us who appreciate quality photography, particularly of our nearest and dearest, I can’t think of anything more precious than gift vouchers for a session to a trusted photographer. You’ll no doubt have your favourites – but I’ll recommend my friend, and winner of Muddy Stilettos Best Photographer in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Helen Rowan Photography. Sessions start from £165.
I also love a pampering treat. Support your local salon, or try the divine new Botanicals Bakewell salon where I particularly recommend a Timeless Rose Age Confidence Facial or a pedicure. Read my review.
Or how about tickets to independent cinema, QUAD in Derby? You can buy a range of vouchers online – including a bargain Cine Supper for 2 Gift Voucher which allows the recipient to enjoy a meal from the Cine Supper menu after 5pm and two tickets to any standard film screening for just £35, with film for one voucher at £10. Read my review.
It’s a bit random, but another experience I thoroughly enjoyed last year was having my car fully valeted by The Car Cleanser who also sell a range of gift vouchers.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Derbyshire Christmas gift guide and that it’s provided some festive inspiration. Happy shopping!
Still not found the perfect gift for that special someone? Why not check out my previous Christmas gift guide for more inspiration.
There’s also a Valentines, Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day gift guides for even more lovely, local, indie small businesses.
If you’re a Derbyshire small business who would like to feature in future gift guides, please register your interest here.
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Some of the brands have kindly offered secret discount codes which will be available exclusively for my newsletter subscribers – don’t miss out by signing up here!
Discount codes will be sent to subscribers Saturday 5th November.
