Spotlight on: Christmas Gifts

Choose a unique gift, locally made with love, this Christmas…

Wearable gifts

The farmer’s market is a haven for luxurious natural knitwear, stunning silver jewellery, beautiful leather accessories and more…

For knitwear, head to In a Spin for gorgeous baby and children-wear including retro tank tops and cardies. Here you’ll also find adult neck and wrist warmers, as well as felted jewellery and ingenious felted bowls which squash flat – perfect for Christmas posting! Cashoo offers affordable quality cashmere wrist warmers and accessories, made using recycled cashmere in the Cotswolds. More cashmere upcycling takes place at Nimpy Clothing, which turns used cashmere into new and delightful children’s snoods, leggings and hats, as well as wrist warmers for adults.

For something special, take a look at Sally Hamspon’s beautiful spun scarves, shawls and blankets at The Weaving Shed. Handmade Christmas stockings and socks can be found at Cymbal Knits while lust-worthy leather wallets, belts, bags and pet items can be picked up at NG Leather. If it’s something shiny you’re after, check out the stunning range of artisan silver jewellery made by Tania Harvey, which includes truly unique pieces, all with a captivating raw quality to them.

Liquid gifts

A gift box containing the best of our local beers or ciders is always a popular choice and our stall holders have a great variety on offer…

At Stroud Brewery, we love the Great Taste Award-winning gift pack, containing three of the brewery’s Great Taste winners, while at Hillside Brewery and Gloucester Brewery, there are gift packs available containing a choice of beer and branded glass if desired. Corinium Ales’ selection packs contain their festive ale, Saturnalia, blended with Christmas spices and dried orange peel, while cider drinkers can get into the Christmas spirit with Beard & Sabre’s festive offerings – enjoy a cup of mulled cider while you mull over their cider-soaked gifts, which include mulled cider kits, four-pack selection boxes and a hamper containing a locally-compiled recipe book, Yardarm Medium cider and a jar of Cider & Herb jelly…

VQ Country Wines have a lovely tasting gift pack containing 4x50ml bottles of Elderberry; Raspberry; Raspberry & Peach and Bramble Tip wines, PLUS a 20% off voucher to put towards the purchase of any full size wine. For gin lovers, Sibling Gin have some cute gift packs, while a Selsey Fine Foods mulling pack makes a lovely gift for hosts this Christmas.

Gourmet gifts

Stroud Farmers’ Market is a food-lover’s dream – why not put together a gorgeous hamper from all your favourite stalls for the ultimate Christmas gift…

Or you could keep things simple with a gift pack from Lishkins Preserves – the festive flavoured Seville & Ginger marmalade, Cranberry chutney and Blueberry & Cointreau jam perhaps? Severn Spots Charcuterie also offers Christmas gift packs with a choice of their homemade British salamis while fudge favourite, Katie Crunch, has a wonderful gift selection of Christmas flavoured fudges including Brandy Butter, Christmas Pudding and White Chocolate & Orange flavours. Of course, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Christmas cake or Christmas pudding, and Gemma Faithfull’s handmade puds make a wonderful thank you gift for hosts, or you could put together a charming cheeseboard with some of our finest award-winning local cheeses form Godsells, Bath Soft Cheese, Brinkworth Dairy and Simon Weaver Organic.

Decorative gifts

Stroud is a hub for artists and artisans and the Christmas farmers’ and flea markets are a wonderful way to see the creative work on offer…

There are a number of potters and ceramicists at the markets, each bringing their own unique style to their creations. These include star-studded hot chocolate mugs from Cloth & Clay, Claire Powell’s hedgerow-inspired ceramics, Ann Sohn-Rethel’s sparkly olive dishes, and hand-decorated fine bone china from As the Crow Flies. You’ll find gorgeous decorations for the Christmas tree as well as festive candle-holders from Dorcas de Marco, Lansdown Pottery, Taena Pottery and Ascot Gardens.

For 3D art, Liz Dart’s stained glass Christmas decorations are divine, as are Ye Green Men’s hanging glass creations. For something that’s both gorgeous as well as useful, take a look at Woodchester Cabinet Makersbeautifully crafted chopping boards. More things for the home come in the form of Otter Cottage Studio’s upcycled textiles where Liz Lancashire has been busy creating hot water bottle covers, cushions, purses and shopping bags from recycled cashmere and other materials. Her ornamental chickens are adorable.

Beauty Gifts

Natural soaps and beauty products make gorgeous gifts – they contain no synthetic ingredients, are kind to skin, and created using a range of divine-smelling essential oils…

The Christmas soap from College Green Soaps, with its scent of orange, cinnamon and pine, smells just like Christmas should, and comes ready-wrapped in beautiful festive artisan paper. You can also create gift sets from the other amazingly scented soaps, each with their own beautiful wrapping, while taking advantage of the Christmas 3 for £12 or 4 for £15 offers.

Escento Soaps has a cute soap bauble gift set, containing a selection of their delicate, skin-friendly goats’ milk soaps, while Cotswold Handmade Soap has a range of Christmas-themed soaps and gifts with their Cranberry and Orange & Cinnamon soaps and the wonderfully aromatic, slightly spicy Frankincense & Myrrh soya wax candle.

Kalya’s range of holistic beauty treatments are just the thing to ease stressed minds at Christmas time. Sleep Easy, Skin Soothe and Relax Body Cream will be on anyone’s wishlist, while the Energising Oil could be the most needed gift this year!