The Great British Christmas Markets are proving hugely popular this year, with record numbers attracted by the range of independent stalls on offer.
Ahead of Small Business Saturday, we’ve asked 10 stall-holders to tell us a bit more about some of the things you can get from Altrincham Market this Christmas. There are of course many more – all timings for the twilight and weekend markets up to Christmas are here.
Handmade scarves from Carafe
Jenny Gibson of Carafe:
“These are all handmade by me and are fully machine washable. I make scarves in two different sizes, a really big adult size and a more petite size that’s really good for kids. We also do blankets. I have a 10-week old baby and make them in between feeds and changing!”
Recycled twig reindeers from The Salvage Gallery
Richard Brown of The Salvage Gallery:
“Everything that we do, so far as we can, is based on recycled stuff. It’s twigs that we have bound, cut up and slowly put together. The antlers are made from reconstituted old Christmas wreaths that we’ve taken apart. We also use things like old pine cones, scrap pieces of wood and old coat-hangers, and just construct things with what we find.”
“Useful but beautiful” dog treats from Poppy & Rufus
Sue Barrett of Poppy & Rufus:
“We sell things for your dog that are useful and beautiful. We’ve taken everyday dog things and made them really useful and practical but also beautiful, and everything is made in the UK. Our Beano treat bags can be used as a treat or a tennis ball that’s all wet and soggy, and we’ve also thrown in some Billy and Margot treats as well.”
Cranberry, chilli, orange and lime preserves from Sam’s Chilli Preserves
Sam Jennings of Sam’s Chilli Preserves:
“The cranberry is my own take on cranberry sauce for your turkey, or with brie sandwiches – a lot of the restaurants are using it with their hot brie melts. It’s got fresh cranberries, lime, orange and chilli, and some sugar. Perfect for Christmas!”
Christmas craft sets from Five Little Monkeys
Sarah Rushby of Five Little Monkeys:
“The aim of the company is to create gift craft sets for children, and the point of these is that it’s always nice when the things on your tree have been made by someone. It’s an opportunity for children to get creative. They all come in packs of three, so there are three wooden baubles to decorate and you get all the paints, glues and brushes – everything you need to decorate. We have sets to suit different ages, too.”
Oak wine rack from Bark and Burr
Nathan Millar of Bark and Burr:
“It’s a wine-rack made with locally sourced oak – we’re based in Wilmslow and the sawmill is about 10 miles away. We only use locally sourced timbers, and we have the stainless steel hooks specially made for us. They’re very easy to hang on the wall, and it’s just a nice way to display your wine, especially if it’s full!”
Christmas wreaths from Flowersmith
Aidan Nolan of Flowersmith:
“We’ve made these wreaths ourselves, the base has come from Holland but we’ve then made them up. All our fresh flowers come from a place called Aalsmeer in Holland.”
Recycled elephant on wheels from Libby Bower
Libby Bower of Libby Bower:
“Steiff, the toy company, used to make them but they don’t anymore. We thought they were really cool, so we started making them out of recycled material like old wool coats. The base is made from old pallets that we take apart. So it’s all recycled and they come with their own name, which you can change!”
Handmade Christmas cards from The Card Emporium
Sally Durd of The Card Emporium:
“I make all the cards myself and only sell them here at Altrincham and on Etsy. There’s more of a range here though. I make them out of anything I can get my hands on – I love making cards. I use fabric, buttons, bows, fimo clay. Paper fascinates me!”
Handmade foot stools from Nellie K
Sarah Kelly of Nellie K:
“I make them from a basic wooden frame, then finish the legs to order either painted or waxed. They all have a proper hessian finish to the webbing, two different types of foam inside so you have a really nice cushion to it, and they’re all hand-buttoned and then hand-finished underneath.”
