Warrington businesses that need your support this Christmas

Luckily for us, there are some fantastic local businesses to choose from in Warrington.

Most of them have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and would be appreciative of your support and custom at during the festive season.

Last year, over £800m was spent with small businesses across the UK on Small Business Saturday, and a record turnout of 17.6 million people choosing to shop small on the day.

Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday UK said: "This year, with the impact of Covid-19 and another lockdown, it is vital that we continue to support small businesses as this crisis continues and keep them high on everyone’s agenda.

"Not only are small businesses at the heart of our economy, but they play a vital role in supporting our communities"

From local butchers, to unique gift shops, here are some independent retailers you should consider purchasing from this festive season:

Christmas meat

While you could get your Christmas turkey from the nearest Aldi or Tesco, there are plenty of local butchers who would appreciate your custom this year.

Not only will you be supporting a local business, you will also be purchasing top-quality meat.

John Cross and Sons is a well-established butcher in the town; it has been serving the people of Warrington since 1860.

John Cross & Sons

(Photo: Geograph/Matt Harrop)

They sell British Bronze Turkeys (£10.50 per kg) and also serve more alternative meats such as geese, ducks and pheasants.

Festive decorations

We have already outlined the best places to get a real Christmas tree in Warrington.

Once the tree is up and the pine scent fills your house, it’s time to get decorating.

Grappenhall seller, Kath Hearn, runs Amore Garlands and was even featured on the Warrington Virtual Christmas Market.

(Facebook/ Amore Garlands)

She told the Warrington Guardian:"At Christmas I have plenty of hearts, stars and garlands in lovely Christmassy fabrics. You are welcome to collect from me, or I can deliver or post, depending on where you live.”

There are some beautiful, festive items up for grabs on her eBay site including Christmassy door hangings and seasonal bunting.

Christmas Gifts

Have you considered getting your Christmas gifts from a local business this year?

Once you delve into the world of the town's independent retailers, you might be surprised at just how many unique and fantastic gifts there are on the market.

Gifts for children

(Facebook/Tell Tales Books)

Lesley McFarlane owns Tell Tales Books in Padgate, which specialises in selling children’s books.

She only started the business in 2019 and could not have predicted the struggle small businesses would face the following year.

She told The Warrington Guardian: “When I locked up my shop on that Friday night in March I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever open it again…  I was eligible for a local government grant, without which, I would not have been able to reopen.”

Ms McFarlane started to sell her books online- and the people of Warrington supported her through the worrying time.

Lesley added: “Folks seemed to genuinely want to buy from independent businesses.

“They wanted to make sure that all their spending wasn’t with big, online retailers. A more ethical, rather than cost driven way, for some of their shopping.”

(Facebook/Tell Tales Books)

The shop reopened earlier this week, with a booking system in place- and you can support Lesley’s business by shopping with her this Christmas.

‘Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopaedia; What We Know and What we Don't Know’, ‘A Story About Afiya by James Berry’ and  ‘The Snowflake by Benji Davies’ are just some of her recommendations.

Clothes

Assortment Boutique is located in the heart of Warrington Town Centre and has been open since 2013.

They stock some beautiful clothes, as well as home accessories.

The company is passionate about body confidence, which is why they have an entire section on their website suited to curvier customers who want to feel confident in the clothes they wear; ponchos, hoodies and oversized dresses are just some items for sale.

The homeware items are very unique; some are unlikely to be found anywhere else on the high street.

The majority of the pieces are inspired by phrenology and the imagery can be found on cups, candles and even storage jars.

Secret Santa

Scented candles are a classic stocking filler or secret Santa gift- and you could buy some fantastic and unique products from Gentoo Scents.

This local business was started by Beth Paterson, who makes every candle, soap and every other “nice smelling product” by hand.

Beth started this online business during the pandemic when she lost her job as a travel agent.
Gentoo Scents
She said: “For me personally it has been a very hard journey.

“I felt like I had no control over my life and was struggling to find another job so being able to turn my hobby into a job has been life changing for me.”

Her favourite product and current best sellers are the Christmas Tree Candles.

She added: “In particular my favourite is the Gingerbread Christmas Tree (currently priced at £7.99) because it smells so strong you don't even need to light it!”

Boozy gifts

Do you know someone who loves a tipple of gin at Christmas?

Then Warrington-based 3 Pugs Gin could be the ideal company to shop at.

They have some fantastic Christmas gift sets available, including the Big Night In Box (£35) and personalised ceramic coasters for your gin.

They also sell gin bundles which give you a chance to sample some of the company’s quirky gin flavours; lemon sherbert gin and candy floss are just some unique flavours avaliable.

3pugsgin.co.uk

Where are your favourite independent sellers in Warrington? Leave them in the comment section.