Shopping
6 Super-Cool, Out Of London Indie Shops You Should Know
Venture beyond the Big Smoke and you’ll find fabulous independent boutiques in every nook and cranny.
Stylish shops of every kind are thriving in the pretty corners outside the capital. Some keep a sharp focus on local makers; others showcase little-known brands from around the world. All are a pleasure to visit.
Here, we’ve rounded up our favourites.
The clever team behind The Hambledon describe it thus: ‘We like to think of The Hambledon as a kind of department store but just selling the good stuff.’ Well, a department store it may be, but it is a very special one. Located in an elegant Winchester townhouse, it sells fashion for women, men and kids, homewares, beauty and stationery from a variety of inspired brands. Explore the collection.
Recently described by The Sunday Times as ‘the country’s buzziest interiors store’, Philo & Philo has just opened in the trendy Somerset town of Bruton. The shop, selling vintage furniture and special pieces by local makers, is the brainchild of a mother and daughter duo Celia and Frankie Philo (who are the mother and sister of fashion designer, Phoebe). They say: it is ‘the result of a long-term dream for a family business that harnesses our passion for beautiful objects and furniture’. Explore the collection.
Celebrating the simple everyday rituals of home, Freight opened in Lewes in 2014. Its owners, Helene and Adele, strive to make sure that almost all of what they sell has been produced here in the UK. Their bone china tea mugs, made in Stoke on Trent, are among the loveliest we’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, the clothes on offer are as chic as they are utilitarian. Boasting exquisite taste between them, they say: ‘Our hope would be for a Freight product to be used repeatedly with no reason to consider an alternative.’ Explore the collection.
Located in a pretty pedestrian street in Bath, where the shops are exclusively independent, Berdoulat sells everything from herbs and spices to dried and fresh flowers, wines, beers and ciders, to kitchenware, cookery books and furniture. The majority of the gorgeous things they stock have been made within an hour’s drive of the shop. Visit the website for a gripping history of the building itself. Explore the collection.
When Phoebe Clive opened Tinsmiths in 2004, her intention was to present ‘a carefully curated range of timeless fabrics, lighting and homeware’. Customers repeatedly tell her that the shop, nestled up a Dickensian alleyway in Ledbury, is ‘a tonic for the senses’. Look no further for fabric that will make your heart sing, original prints from a staggering roster of local artists and homewares you won’t see anywhere else. Explore the collection.
Interior designer Jessica Buckley’s Edinburgh shop stocks the sophisticated and timeless bits and bobs that will perfectly finish off your home. Every item in the shop, which opened in 2017, is to die for. While we save up for one of her luggage racks, we will console ourselves with a beautiful marble pen pot. They say: ‘Our selection of fine homewares and accessories encourage an easy, fresh and achievable style for all to enjoy in their home.’ Explore the collection.
By Becky Ladenburg
February 2023
Here, we’ve rounded up our favourites.
The Hambledon, Winchester
The clever team behind The Hambledon describe it thus: ‘We like to think of The Hambledon as a kind of department store but just selling the good stuff.’ Well, a department store it may be, but it is a very special one. Located in an elegant Winchester townhouse, it sells fashion for women, men and kids, homewares, beauty and stationery from a variety of inspired brands. Explore the collection.
Philo And Philo, Bruton
Recently described by The Sunday Times as ‘the country’s buzziest interiors store’, Philo & Philo has just opened in the trendy Somerset town of Bruton. The shop, selling vintage furniture and special pieces by local makers, is the brainchild of a mother and daughter duo Celia and Frankie Philo (who are the mother and sister of fashion designer, Phoebe). They say: it is ‘the result of a long-term dream for a family business that harnesses our passion for beautiful objects and furniture’. Explore the collection.
Freight, Lewes
Celebrating the simple everyday rituals of home, Freight opened in Lewes in 2014. Its owners, Helene and Adele, strive to make sure that almost all of what they sell has been produced here in the UK. Their bone china tea mugs, made in Stoke on Trent, are among the loveliest we’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, the clothes on offer are as chic as they are utilitarian. Boasting exquisite taste between them, they say: ‘Our hope would be for a Freight product to be used repeatedly with no reason to consider an alternative.’ Explore the collection.
Berdoulat, Bath
Located in a pretty pedestrian street in Bath, where the shops are exclusively independent, Berdoulat sells everything from herbs and spices to dried and fresh flowers, wines, beers and ciders, to kitchenware, cookery books and furniture. The majority of the gorgeous things they stock have been made within an hour’s drive of the shop. Visit the website for a gripping history of the building itself. Explore the collection.
Tinsmiths, Ledbury
When Phoebe Clive opened Tinsmiths in 2004, her intention was to present ‘a carefully curated range of timeless fabrics, lighting and homeware’. Customers repeatedly tell her that the shop, nestled up a Dickensian alleyway in Ledbury, is ‘a tonic for the senses’. Look no further for fabric that will make your heart sing, original prints from a staggering roster of local artists and homewares you won’t see anywhere else. Explore the collection.
Jessica Buckley, Edinburgh
Interior designer Jessica Buckley’s Edinburgh shop stocks the sophisticated and timeless bits and bobs that will perfectly finish off your home. Every item in the shop, which opened in 2017, is to die for. While we save up for one of her luggage racks, we will console ourselves with a beautiful marble pen pot. They say: ‘Our selection of fine homewares and accessories encourage an easy, fresh and achievable style for all to enjoy in their home.’ Explore the collection.
By Becky Ladenburg
February 2023
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Becky Ladenburg
Features Editor
As The Guide's features editor, Becky has her discerning finger on the cultural pulse. She's also our go-to expert on the property market.
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