Sometimes it feels like gift-giving occasions are always around the corner – birthdays, graduations, housewarming celebrations. Often it can leave you feeling caught out; however, I hope to alleviate your worries by providing some of my top places to find gifts from small local businesses right on your doorstep.
For the food lovers in your life, a tempting charcuterie board might be the way to go. Kemball & Franklyn on Fairland Street offers some well-arranged grazing boards and hampers filled with various yummy treats. Their seating area outside the front of the shop provides an enticing spot to sit and have a coffee to spur you on in your shopping endeavours. Speaking of beverages, Reno Refills has a great range of alcoholic drinks, including vegan, organic, and biodynamic wines. They also have some attractive hamper options and a great cashew nut cheese which I particularly enjoy.
If something with more longevity is your style, Elementals Magickal Emporium supplies a wide variety of spiritual-themed gifts at a range of price points. Jewellery, candles, clothing, crockery, and crystals are just a selection of the items on offer in their very welcoming shop. I find their horoscope bracelets a particularly great birthday gift. On the topic of homeware, Ebony on Damgate Street provides a range of giftable items including handbags, picture frames, and unique trinkets.
Keen readers would be pleased to receive a book and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices charity shop has a large room upstairs dedicated to second-hand books with an assortment of genres on offer. Kett’s Books, across from the Market Cross, has a great collection of both children’s and adult fiction and is even able to order specific titles. To accompany your gift, they also have a selection of illustrated cards. A great alternative to a typical card is a vintage postcard; you can find some at Wymondham Antiques Centre alongside numerous other alluring artefacts.
Flowers can be a nice accompaniment to a card, and The Enchanted Willow has lots of stunning bouquets for purchase. If your loved one would be grateful for an experience-based gift, The Enchanted Willow also offers workshops in flower arranging which can be a fun way to gain a new skill and create happy memories. If the idea of a workshop resonates with you, stART Studio delivers classes in painting, clothes making, and poetry to experience with a friend, perhaps even exchanging your creations with one another as a lovely handmade gift.
With luck, my picks have helped to lessen any gift-related concerns you may have had, or in the least reminded you of an upcoming gift-giving celebration that slipped your mind. Whatever, or whoever you are buying a gift for, rest assured that you can find that perfect item in Wymondham.