A unique gift guide from Chichester independents
In the city of Chichester, nestled among the well-known high street names, a growing number of unique independent shops and businesses can be found on the main high streets and picturesque side streets. This Christmas, Chichester BID is encouraging everyone to ‘Have Yourself a Very Indie Christmas in Chichester’. Here are just some of the unique gifts you can only find in Chichester’s indie stores this December:
Artisan Gallery, 58 North Street, Chichester: Located on North Street, Artisan Gallery represents 26 local artists and makers and has grown from a pop-up gallery to a permanent fixture on the high street. With prices at the gallery starting from £3, items include jewellery, pottery, original artwork, prints and more. This beautiful handmade silver sterling hare pendant, made by Sussex-based jewellery designer Katherine Lawrie, features beautiful paisley textured detail on the hare and a tear drop Prehnite pendant. This A4 print named ‘Marjorie’ is made from papercut collage by Bec Hopkins, a local artist known for her fearless, expressive artwork.
Cherry Vintage, 41 South Street, Chichester: Recently relocated to a fabulous new home on South Street, Cherry Vintage has a wonderfully eclectic range of fashions and accessories which can be found in store and on their website, such as some adorable ‘Snoopy Loves’ socks and Gingerbread House Wooden Stud Earrings, made from responsibly sourced wood. Both are perfect stocking fillers or secret Santa gifts. Cherry Vintage was set up by Chichesterbased Kelly Mitchell in 2019, who is passionate about offering a personal approach and likes to get to know her customers and find the right pieces to help them feel good.
ESP, Unit 2 Cathedral Courtyard, Chichester: Owned by Jamie Stenner, ESP brings all the rolling sports together under one roof to offer anyone with a passion for skateboarding, rollerblading, and scootering everything they could want, as well as clothing and accessories. Jamie and his family have been at the centre of Chichester’s skateboarding culture for many years and opened ESP in 1996 to provide a hub for skaters to hang out and discover new products and meet like-minded people. A fabulous ESP Mainblock
Beanie is one of their bestsellers and comes in five seasonal colours.
Refilled, 30 North Street, Chichester: The award-winning Refilled on North Street is not only your go-to store for refilling your groceries, wholefoods, household and cleaning items, they also have a wonderful array of gorgeous and sustainable gift boxes. These include the Chocolate Lover’s Gift Box which features a beautiful enamel mug, a refillable bottle of raw hot chocolate flakes, and Fairtrade milk chocolate Christmas Santas. Opened by husband-and-wife team Harry and Esther Darrah, their aim is to help reduce waste and plastic. Since launching in 2018 at Draper’s Yard they now have their own premises on North Street.
Vintro Chichester, 24 South Street, Chichester: Sustainable fashion store Vintro is where to go for gifting inspiration for tricky teens. Retro jeans, jackets, joggers you name it, Vintro has an amazing selection of unique, vintage fashion finds, such as the repurposed Carhartt jacket, each hand finished meaning no two jackets are the same. Vintro was set up by Steve Jenkinson who grew up in the area. During time away in Manchester, he fell in love with the retro pre-loved clothing trade and wanted to bring that back to his hometown.
Whirligig Toys, 62 South Street, Chichester: If you’re looking for gifts for children that will spark imaginations and get them away from screens, Whirligig on South Street is a must visit. Owned by former teacher Peter Allinson who tests and selects all the products himself, Whirligig has a wide range of educational but fun toys and games for all ages. This Sharks Top Trumps game is a new version of the classic card game and will make a much-loved stocking filler.
Winter’s Moon, 29 North Street, Chichester: Winter’s Moon is an independent gift and homewares shop selling beautiful things for living and giving. Located in one of the prettiest shops in the city, on North Street, the store was set up by Chichester-based Julia Grant who carefully researches and chooses all the products, which include a mix of vintage one-off pieces, fairtrade and handmade items. This Green Fingers’
Gift Box contains all they'll need for a morning spent pottering in the garden including your choice of 10+ varieties of seeds, 20 wooden seed labels and a handmade soap, made especially for hardworking hands.
For more inspiration, visit chichesterbid.co.uk/chichesters-independents/