Shopping Local: Part One

Bunting by Noah's Ark & Crafts

One of the things I missed while living abroad was the ability to buy good quality, local items. Products would either falsely claim to be local, be of poor quality or really expensive. While things did begin to pick up a year or so before I left, I still loved the farmer's market, craft fairs and art shows that fill up Sundays in Winchester, Hampshire. As it is Christmas, I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite local companies (plus a few from nearby counties) with you as you get a couple of last minute present ideas. Here's part one of my best picks.

Pitfield Winchester
This is a pop-up shop/cafe that needs to stay up! Located in The Brooks Centre, Winchester, this collaboration between a group of friends (a designer + the couple behind The Chesil Rectory), combines some of my favourite things - funky products for your home and cake by Little Bee Bakery! They really channel local products in the cafe and include a Hampshire Larder where you can buy locally made food items such as chocolate from the New Forest and tomato ketchup from the Isle of Wight.

Noah's Ark and Crafts
It is no secret that I love reading and since the birth of the Mini Grumpy Egyptian, I want to surround us with fantastic children's books. Not content with just having the books themselves, I came across this clever lady on Etsy who makes bunting out of the books themselves. Priced at just £8.50, which I think is a bargain, this beautiful paper bunting comes in a variety of themes including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Cat in The Hat, Guess How Much I Love You and The Gruffalo. It looks beautiful in real life and I can't wait to see the Oh The Places You'll Go bunting.

Hawthorn Leaf Necklace by Glover & Smith

Glover & Smith
Located in Wiltshire, I best know this company for their gorgeous nature-inspired jewellery that is made from lead free pewter and silver. I'm hoping a couple of items from their The Forest Floor collection end up under my tree! They can also be found at Winchester Christmas Market until December 22.

TRex necklace by DesignosaurYEAH

Josephine Chisholm - Artist
I LOVE this artist's work. While living in Oman, my family would buy her Winchester-themed Christmas cards for me and my parents bought my husband and I one of her paintings a couple of years ago. She doesn't just paint Winchester though and her new collection includes some designs inspired by her travels.

DesignosaurYEAH
Ok so I might be pushing the local angle with this one as these guys are in Brighton, but I had to share this company with you that make dinosaur inspired jewellery from plexiglass and wood. I saw their designs at another pop-up shop in Winchester and am REALLY hoping Santa drops a T-Rex design in my stocking. These won't be for everyone, but I think they are pretty great!


What do you think of my top picks? Do you make an effort to find out interesting local designers and products? Will I be bumping into you in our matching dinosaur necklaces any time soon?

The Egyptian Mummy x

Note: I did not receive any payment or products in return for writing about these companies, I just like what they are doing and wanted to share it with you