Have a very merry indie Christmas
Now we’re well into November, I think it’s OK to mention the ‘C’ word. Christmas, that is. In this post I tell you about some of my favourite local, independent food and drink businesses that can help you have a wonderful indie Christmas. Whether you’re looking for gifts for family and friends or stocking up on goodies for your own celebrations, I hope you’ll find loads to love here.
FOOD FOR AN INDIE CHRISTMAS
Cottage Kitchen Café and shop run by the folks at Cottage Delight. Huge range of foodie products, many made in the Staffordshire Moorlands. You’ll find lots of their products used in the café and you can buy many in the adjacent shop. Loads more local food and drink in the shop too. Situated on the A523 between Leek and Ashbourne.
Denstone Hall is a great destination for local produce in Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Loads of Christmas foodie gifts and goodies in the well-stocked farm shop. Excellent deli and butchery counters, plus chocolates, biscuits, cakes, cheese, wines, beer and more. Stop by the cafe and sample the dishes created from local quality ingredients – local meat, eggs, cheese, homemade pies, cakes and desserts. Read my review of Denstone Hall here
Miscos Chocolates Excellent handmade, fresh chocolates and truffles from a charming little shop in Leek’s treasure trove of independent businesses, Getliffe’s Yard. At Christmas, there’s also loads of longer-life stocking fillers like baubles filled with chocolate buttons, hot chocolate stirring sticks, bags of hot chocolate powder, lollies and boxes of chocolate covered coffee beans. Read my review of Miscos here
Pronto Delicatessen, Leek Fab deli with an enormous range packed into this tiny shop. Get panettone, chocolates, biscuits, chutney, local honey, oils and just about everything else here. Great variety of cheeses, meats, pork pies etc. for your own feasts plus loads of foodie gifts, tailored hampers and gift bags.
Seed Chocolate One of only a handful of ‘bean to bar’ chocolate makers in the UK. Stoke-on-Trent based Seed Chocolate imports cacao beans direct from family farms and cooperatives and makes chocolate from scratch. The result is a bespoke product you won’t get anywhere else. Besides their standard sized bars, there’s mini ones, great for stocking fillers. Also cacao bean infused booze. Create a gift bag with your own choice of products. Catch them at the monthly Totally Locally Leek Sunday Supplement Markets, World of Wedgwood Artisan Markets or buy online. Read my review of Seed Chocolate here
Staffordshire Cheese Company Once part of Staffordshire Brewery, the Staffordshire Cheese Company is now run by Mary Button. Still produces fantastic cheeses in my home village of Cheddleton. A number of varieties including the excellent Dovedale Blue – perfect for your Christmas cheeseboard. Buy direct from their premises in Cheddleton or find them in quality stores such as Pronto Deli, Cottage Kitchen and Denstone Hall.
Village Butcher Ipstones excellent butcher in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Order your Christmas meats here including free range turkeys, Packington pork and top quality, grass-fed, dry aged beef from their own farm. Read my review of The Village Butcher Ipstones here
SOMETHING A LITTLE STRONGER
Titanic Brewery Founded in Burslem, Stoke on Trent in 1985, Titanic produces a fabulous range of beers including one of my favourites, Plum Porter. As well as buying bottles of beer from their seven pubs, there’s a brewery shop, you can buy online and you’ll find their beer in local stores such as Cottage Kitchen. Titanic also now produces two gins; a House Gin and a Plum Gin.
Staffordshire Brewery Another great independent company from my home village of Cheddleton. They started out in 2002, brewing hand-crafted beers in a garden shed and bottling them in the kitchen. Under the Staffordshire Brewery name they now have six bottled beers including Double Sunset amber ale, Black Grouse stout and Danebridge IPA. New for 2018 is a range of gins. Buy direct from their shop, online or at outlets such as Denstone Hall and Cottage Kitchen.
Beer Dock Leek A huge selection of craft beer, cider, lager and real ales from around the world in bottles and cans. Luckily, it’s also a bar so you can try before you buy!
Wincle Beer Company Actually just over the border in the Cheshire Peak District, but I couldn’t leave them out. Produces a range of great cask ales and bottled beers under the tagline ‘Eccentric English Ales’, including one of my favourites; Sir Philip premium bitter. Buy direct from the Wincle Brewery or from a range of shops in Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire.
RESTAURANT GIFT VOUCHERS
Stuck for a gift for foodie friends and family? How about a restaurant gift voucher?
Here’s just a few examples of those offering gift vouchers for anything from a bottle of champagne to accompany a meal, or perhaps an afternoon tea or dinner for loved ones.
COOKWARE, TABLEWARE & MORE
Denstone Hall A recent addition to their excellent farm shop and cafe is Denstone Hall’s extended gift shop. Includes kitchen and dining textiles, bakeware, cookery books and more. For Christmas, there’s also the impressive Christmas Gift Barn with even more goodies. Read my review of Denstone Hall here
Era of Leek Eclectic Rustic Artisan. Fab shop that packs a lot into its tiny space. Vintage, rustic, hand-crafted and antique items including kitchen and dining related e.g. bowls, trays, tea-towels.
Gallery Twenty The retail shop for a collective of eight Staffordshire Moorlands artists, designers and makers. Original arts, gifts and homeware including ceramics, bowls, trays, jugs.
Moorlands Cookshop It’s lovely to see this independent business still thriving after more than forty years of trading in the market town of Leek. Offers high quality cookware, bakeware, kitchen gadgets and electrical goods. Lots of gift ideas for foodie friends and family, or just treat yourself! Will source non-stock products for you.
Tea-Cake More than a tea and coffee shop serving homemade cakes and sandwiches, Tea-Cake sells gifts and homeware made by local designers. Includes beautifully decorated fine bone china made by ceramic designer Amy Clarke who just happens to be one half of the mother and daughter team that runs the place. Read my review of Tea-Cake here
Whispers of Wood Beautiful, handcrafted wooden products for the kitchen and for dining: chopping, cheese and serving boards, cheese knives and more. These would make excellents gifts. Also undertakes bespoke work. Catch them at local artisan markets or buy online
INDIE CHRISTMAS EVENTS
Here’s just a selection of Christmas food and drink events taking place in Staffordshire, where you’re sure to find a number of the businesses I’ve recommended:
1 – 2 December Staffordshire Christmas Fair at Uttoxeter Racecourse wide range of exhibitors in the main grandstand
2 December Totally Locally Leek Sunday Supplement Food & Artisan Market award winning food & artisan market. 80+ stalls of locally produced food and drink, independent shops, cafés, restuarants and pubs open plus arts, crafts, live music.
7 December Leek Twilight Market street food, bars, live music, artisan stalls, shopping, children’s art workshop
8 – 9 December Christmas Artisan Market at World of Wedgwood over 50 stalls of festive gifts and treats from local producers, street food and live music.
16 December Totally Locally Leek Sunday Supplement Food & Artisan Market award winning food & artisan market. 80+ stalls of locally produced food and drink, independent shops, cafés, restuarants and pubs open plus arts, crafts, live music.
22 December Stone Farmers Market: Festive Edition ‘packed with festive treats from the county’s finest artisan ‘farm to fork’ producers. The perfect opportunity to stock your Christmas larder or pick up last-minute gifts for foodies.’
Which of your favourite local, independent food and drink businesses will you be using this Christmas?
Have a very merry indie Christmas!