Folk Features has featured a brilliant bunch of people this year, including countless small business owners. If you are looking to support local businesses, or perhaps an author from this part of the region, here is a thoughtful gift guide:
Duration Brewing is a multi-award-winning farmhouse brewery in West Norfolk making fresh modern beers and barrel aged wild ales that reflect their landscape. They offer a next day delivery service from their online shop and have a family and dog friendly brewery taproom and shop at their historic West Acre priory brewhouse. To order visit SHOP.DURATIONBEER.COM
Louise Thomas-Minns is a skin health aesthetician and expert with over 25 years of experience who has developed a skin care range formulated in the UK
Discover the world’s most weird and wonderful plants and fungi with hortpreneur, traveller and TV presenter Michael Perry, AKA Mr Plant Geek, author of Hortus Curious
From Suffolk With Love, founded by Vicki Harris, offers planet conscious, plastic free gift boxes filled with carefully selected, handmade items from some of the best small producers in Suffolk
Zeb Soanes presents Smooth Classics at Seven on Classic FM, the UK’s most popular classical music station. He is the author of the bestselling Gaspard the Fox series of books and presents concerts with the UK’s leading orchestras. His latest book, Gaspard’s Christmas, has been named ‘Best Charity Book’ in The Independent’s 11 Best Christmas books for Children. It is raising funds for St Martin in the Field
Lulu et Compagnie offers eco-friendly self-care handmade products by French artisan Agnes Leggett, who took a leap to turn her passion into an occupation 10 years ago. Made in Norfolk
Piglet & Chestnut, named after Gem Spalding’s sons, Elijah and Chester, creates handcrafted macramé and art for the home. Gem strives to be as eco-friendly as possible, and so use high quality, recycled cottons as well as packaging in recyclable materials and even liaising with a company to plant trees, to offset carbon emissions produced via transport of orders
Fall From Grace was born out of a desire to create unique and inclusive clothing products. All of the original artwork/designs are created in house by founder, Grace Ridge
Sage & Seasalt was created through Jo Barrett’s love of the ocean and flowers. She creates handmade Sterling Silver and sea glass jewellery, and takes orders for wedding flower preservation and memorial flower keepsakes
Grow My Wellbeing was founded by Chantal Dawson, who decided on a complete career change during the 2020 Covid pandemic as she wanted to pass the mental health benefits of keeping and caring for plants on to others. She offers unique plant bundles, plant gifts, mindful planting workshops, and plants for workspaces
Mahn House, founded by Bryony Ball, is a candle brand founded in the heart of Suffolk. The candle formula is that of 100% natural wax with ingredients all ethically sourced in the UK
Gardening expert Ellen Mary takes you through every step of gardening, in How to Grow a Garden, from the basics of understanding your space and decoding plant labels, to common pests and how to keep your plants alive once they’re in the ground
Playberry offers a range of eco-friendly sensory dough and ‘Discover Nature’ Craft Kits for little nature lovers. Sarah had the idea of whilst searching for vegan and nature-kind sensory play resources for her little one and launched it in 2020
Apothekelly Skincare was founded by Kelly Clark, who carefully selects ingredients for her natural vegan skincare range, for their natural active properties but also for the environmental impact on the planet, for example by using seed oils the product is a by-product of the fruit or vegetable
Little Green Lung stems from Kayleigh Jowers, who became interested in propagation and house plants during the pandemic. All plants are mindfully sourced and housed in tins that can be recycled
Sunfire Spirits is a family business, in the heart of the Norfolk countryside. Daniel Thurston and his family use locally sourced ingredients to handcraft a huge range of Award-Winning Gins, Vodkas, Rums and Liqueurs
Award-winning Norwich poet, Tim Lenton presents a new collection of his work, Under cover of day. Written between 2010 and 2020, Tim’s poems have been inspired by a wide variety of subjects, notably the Norfolk landscape, UK and overseas travel, Norwich Cathedral, The Rosary Cemetery, Norwich and the Covid-19 pandemic
Stellabox Designs is the creation of Haychley, a traditional linocut printmaker based in Norwich who designs, carves and prints original linocut designs, both open and limited edition, using a wooden spoon or small printing press
Stokes Sauces make everything to its own treasured recipes in the Old Stable, Rendlesham. Some of the classics are traditional, proven and delicious. Others challenge tradition, creating refreshingly scrumptious variations on conventional compositions
Non-fiction author Keiron Pim spent the best part of five years researching and writing the biography of novelist and journalist Joseph Roth (1894-1939), published by Granta Books. He is a Creative Non-Fiction tutor for the National Centre for Writing and the University of East Anglia
The Feed Hampers are packed with great Norfolk products, and make an ideal gift for family, friends or as a corporate gift. By buying a hamper you’ll help fund our work preventing poverty, hunger and homelessness in Norwich, as well as supporting local food and drink businesses
Eat With Ella is Norwich based and run by Ella Marsham. Her business journey began during the first lockdown in 2020 – whilst in isolation and home from university, she wanted to do some baking that could be shared with her friends, family and local people. Since then, it has grown into a small business and a full-time job for Ella.
Gorse + Elder is Mother Nature’s Apothecary. offering herbal tea and self-care gifts inspired by Mother Nature. Created by folk herbalist Donna Duncan, who uses 100% plastic free and recycled packaging materials.
RoweyCoops is an illustrator and designer based in Norfolk. Her work is inspired by the natural world, and all of its curiosities.
Fashion from Vintage specialises in new garments individually upcycled from vintage textiles. Cat Nash handcrafts clothing to suit every size, featuring a free-flowing fit that is comfortable yet flattering. She also makes Cat Coats, for humans who love their cats!
Equal Brewkery, based in Norwich, is the UK’s only microbrewkery, teaching people with learning disabilities and mental ill health how to brew and bake. The Equal Brewkery was founded in 2017 by Bill Russell with the vision to show that people with learning disabilities can be at the heart of a successful business.
A Wellbeing International book
This beautifully illustrated book and accompanying story shows the tender loving connection between a mother seal and her pup. Suitable for babies and toddlers. Written by Louis Pigeon-Owen and illustrated by Kirsten Hamilton, The Seal Who Was Scared of the Sea is a collaboration with Wellbeing International, founded by Kate Pigeon-Owen.
