This year has been full of adjustments and reimaginings, and Christmas is looking to be no exception. Whilst the tradition of meeting with many to share food, wine and gifts will be a little abridged this year, the act of giving doesn’t have to be.
Many retailers are urging consumers to ‘shop local’ and spend their Christmas shopping budget with smaller businesses, who have felt the impact of various COVID-19 restrictions far more than their larger, multinational counterparts. As holders of the Trade Mark Surrey Hills, we appreciate the importance of this community-facing initiative and are proud to be counted among a group of local businesses who share the ‘outstanding local provenance, quality and sustainability’ that this accreditation is measured against.
If every person in the Surrey Hills spent just £5 per week in their local shops and businesses, that would add approx. £9.6 m to the Surrey Hills economy. Here are some of our personal recommendations from the Trade Mark Surrey Hills award holders. This is by no means an exhaustive list – there are many excellent businesses who hold the Mark, who you can discover in the Surrey Hills Virtual Artisan Market.
Hill House Farm
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A hamper is a timeless and versatile gift, and Hill House Farm offers them filled with delicious local produce. They have several options, from more classic wine and cheese pairings to Sunday lunch hampers for something a little different. We personally recommend The Ultimate Surrey & Sussex Christmas Hamper, which includes wine, tea, beer, cheese, coffee, meat products from the farm, chocolates and homemade preserves, to name a few.
https://www.hill-house-farm.com/collections/gifts-hampers
Bramble Farm Turkeys
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Skip the queues at Waitrose and opt for a locally-reared, high quality turkey for your festive celebrations. You can order them whole, or in crown or roll form. The frozen options are all sold out already, so we recommend not waiting around to pre-order your fresh one.
This year’s home delivery date is 22nd December, so you can guarantee that you’ll have the turkey you need fresh and in plenty of time for the big day.
https://www.bramblefarm.co.uk/order-online
Surrey Hills Wines
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English wine has been on the come-up recently, and we’re very fortunate to have not just one, but five award-winning vineyards in our local vicinity which offer sparkling, rosé, red and white wines direct from the premises.
Each one of Albury Organic Vineyard, Greyfriars Vineyard, Chilworth Manor, High Clandon Vineyard and Denbies Wine Estate offer tastings, wine tours, vouchers for each, and gift boxes.
Surrey Gins
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Much like hampers, gin is a classic, timeless gift and Christmas staple. It has been a firm favourite amongst Londoners and Surrey residents for centuries, and the present day is no exception. Nearby we have The Surrey Copper Distillery, Thundry Hills Gin, Wessex Distillery and Silent Pool. Each distillery offers gift boxes and sets, as well as gift vouchers for distillery tours and tastings.
Chimney Fire Coffee
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Make your Christmas morning coffee a local one. Chimney Fire Coffee is hand roasted in the Surrey Hills, and all of their coffee is ethically sourced. They sell a range of gift sets which pair their coffee blends with AeroPress, filter set-up, or a full-on brewing station, as well as their unique Coffee Tasting Experience.
Chalk Hills Bakery
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For delicious, locally-made, artisan baked goods we recommend Chalk Hills Bakery. Their sourdough is exceptional, and they offer a variety of homemade celebration cakes which would be a wonderful centrepiece at your Christmas table.
https://chalkhillsbakery.com/how-to-buy
Sweet Treats
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Gifting for those with a sweet tooth is easy in the Surrey Hills. Sweet C’s Chocolates are a local classic, and Shere Delights is a quintessentially British sweet shop with plenty on offer. And, of course, there’s The Cookie Bar, a social enterprise serving delicious handmade cookies made. The Cookie Bar provides an environment for young students with disabilities to experience all aspects of running a business and helps young people in their journeys to become social and economic contributors.
Flowers
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We’ve all given flowers, but not many of us have given flower farm experiences. Plant Passion in Guildford offers pick-your-own experiences, as well as group and one-to-one workshops in flower arrangement and floristry.
Surrey Hills Enterprises has created a new self-motivated pledge to encourage individuals and families in Surrey to buy at least one in every five purchases from a Surrey Hills based business this Christmas. 61% of all jobs in the UK are with SMEs – by supporting your local businesses you are helping to support the creation of new jobs in the Surrey Hills.
Sign up to make the pledge here: https://www.surreyhills.org/surrey-hills-buy-1-in-5-pledge/
Categories: Business Owners, Philanthropy, The Full Picture
