Sparkling wine, Canterbury, Kent
Stock up on festive fizz with a trip to the heart of Kent’s flourishing wine region. Start the tastings at Simpsons’ wine estate, 10 minutes’ drive from Canterbury, then head to Domaine Evremond, Taittinger’s UK vineyard, where its first release, Classic Cuvée Edition I, is available at the Cellar Door shop. Nearby, the medieval village of Chilham makes an ideal stop for lunch at the Woolpack Inn. Back in Canterbury, Corkk is a specialist English wine shop with more than 100 labels to try, and cheese and charcuterie platters to nibble on while you decide what to buy. Stay at the Millers Arms, in the heart of town, with B&B doubles from £93.50.
Foodie treats, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
Swap Tesco’s crowded aisles for Narberth in Pembrokeshire, fast becoming Wales’s premier foodie hub. Wisebuys is a great first stop; pick up locally produced goodies: laverbread and rapeseed oils, handmade chocolates, chutneys and cheese, available in a range of hampers. Pop into Rock ’N’ Dough Bakehouse for fabulous freshly made pastries and coffee, before stocking up on Mediterranean treats at Ultracomida, a tapas bar and deli offering authentic Spanish cured meats, patés and cheese to take away, along with classic paella pans and ceramics. Stay at Top Joe’s Townhouse, with rooms above a buzzy pizzeria, from £90 B&B.
Outdoors kit, Bakewell, Derbyshire
Blow away the winter cobwebs with a Peak District weekend and bring an empty rucksack to snaffle gifts from Bakewell’s plethora of outdoorsy shops. Trespass is good for van lifers and campers, with folding furniture, lighting and clever cooking stoves, alongside ski, surf and hiking gear; while Mallon & Green has rods, lines, tools and accessories for the angler in your life. Pause for coffee at Summat, the in-house café at Inov8 – a shop that sells everything from bags and beanies to running and hiking footwear and nifty accessories – and reward yourself with a Bakewell pudding (never a “tart”) from The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop. Stay at the Rutland Arms Hotel, a grand old coaching inn right in the centre of town, with doubles from £104 a night, room only.
Jewellery, Birmingham
Whether you’re seeking a bespoke pair of cufflinks, a one-off pendant or something for a Christmas proposal, Birmingham’s jewellery quarter has more than 100 shops, offering everything from vintage pieces to handmade designs. Browse the historic workshops on Legge Lane, pop into Deakin & Francis, where jewellery has been designed and created in the same building since 1786, and take a guided tour of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter. Ponder your purchases over lunch at 1000 Trades, a historic pub that was originally a jewellery workshop. Stay at Saint Pauls House, a bar, restaurant and slick boutique hotel with room-only doubles from £99.
Art, Cambridge
Cambridge’s historic streets are dotted with galleries and elegant museum shops, which makes it a great place to pick up a one-off artwork or unusual gift. Byard Art, opposite King’s College, is a good place to start, with works by more than 50 contemporary artists, while Cambridge Contemporary Art, just along the road, specialises in handmade prints, ceramics and crafts. Get inspiration from browsing some of the half a million artworks at the Fitzwilliam Museum, before picking up more art-themed gifts at the excellent museum shop; or dip into the shop at Kettle’s Yard for art-themed books, homeware, fashion and stationery. Stay at the Varsity on the banks of the River Cam, with room-only doubles from £155.
Books, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway
Home to 17 bookshops and book-related businesses, Wigtown is the perfect place to find literary treats, vintage titles and specialist books that make unusual Christmas gifts. Allow plenty of time to browse in the Bookshop, where more than a mile of shelving holds about 100,000 new and secondhand books, dip into the Old Bank Bookshop for vintage books on everything from art and architecture to travel and memoirs, and pick up presents for younger family members at Foggie Toddle Books. Pop into Books & Bakes (6 Bank Street) for hearty sandwiches and coffee, and stay at the Creebridge House Hotel, around 15 minutes’ drive away in Newton Stewart, with doubles from £120 B&B.
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Chocolate, York
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without an unseemly amount of chocolate, and few places have a more cocoa-rich history than York, home to Rowntree’s, Nestlé and Terry’s. Kick off a chocoday with a visit to York’s Chocolate Story, where the interactive displays cover everything from how chocolate is produced to the history of the most familiar brands, with plenty of tastings along the way. Then pop into York Cocoa Works where the Christmas collection includes stocking fillers, hampers, vegan chocolate and mince pie-flavour caramels. Finish up at Monk Bar Chocolatiers – the oldest artisan chocolatier in town. Stay at the Fat Badger, a cosy inn with room-only doubles from £119.
Ceramics, Stoke-on-Trent
There’s no such thing as too many mugs – or vases, dinner plates or jugs – particularly when they’re handmade in one of Stoke’s historic potteries. Middleport Pottery is a great place to start; it’s the UK’s last working Victorian potbank in continuous production, with guided and self-led heritage tours, a well-stocked gift shop and the Burleigh Factory Shop, where the shelves brim with affordable seconds. For quirky, contemporary designs, head to Emma Bridgewater; while for something more classic, World of Wedgwood has a large outlet centre and a store selling Waterford crystal, alongside chinaware. Stay at the Hilton Garden Inn, with room-only doubles from £132.
Craft beers, Sheffield
There are 58 breweries in and around Sheffield, making it the perfect place to pick up unusual ales and beers for the festive period, or gifts for any enthusiasts in the family. Choose from more than 200 beers – from Belgian to barrel-aged – at Hop Hideout, while the Bear offers everything from lagers and sours to dark beers and IPAs. The wonderfully named Saint Mars of the Desert is also worth tracking down; the taproom is open from 2pm to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with cans and bottles of fruity, hazy bitters to take home. If coming by train, start with a pint or two at Triple Point Brewery, a five-minute walk from Sheffield station, where all the beer is brewed on site, and stay at the Crow Inn, known for its range of cask ales, with room-only doubles from £50.
Toys, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
A small market town on the edge of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Llandeilo punches above its weight in terms of shops. Eve’s Toy Shop is a gift when it comes to buying Christmas presents for younger family members, with hand-carved wooden games and puzzles, mini gardening tools and “kidnoculars” for junior explorers, along with all the unicorns you can carry. Once the kids are ticked off, pop into Davies & Co for handmade Welsh blankets; Peppercorn for culinary-themed gifts; and Dot Clothing for elegant womenswear from niche designers. Stay at the Cawdor, a revamped coaching inn on the high street, with B&B doubles from £115.
