Guest post by Clare Tollick of Feast & Glory
Every year I tell myself I’ll be more organised when it comes to Christmas. Every year I tell myself that I’ll make my own gifts. AND every year I end up down the booze aisles of my local supermarket buying the inevitable selection of beer, whiskey and gin for my family and friends.
Sound familiar? Well, not this year! I’ve scoured the internet (and my Twitter feed) for the best that Sheffield has to offer and, kind soul that I am, I’m going to share them with you… Merry Christmas!
Jessica Flinn Designs
Sheffield designer, Jessica, is just 23 years old and she already owns her own company based in Lion Works down in the industrial quarter at Kelham Island. With fifty independent stores stocking her jewellery and examples of her work making the glossy heights of Vogue and GQ magazines, Jessica certainly has a bright future ahead of her… and it’s good to know that she is proud of her South Yorkshire routes, using local skills and expertise at every stage of production.
Jessica’s website has a number of beautiful pieces but my favourite is the French Lace collection and I especially like the wide cuff (RRP £75). The etched design is pretty and delicate, but the feel is solid and chunky as it’s made from good ol’ Sheffield steel. Head over to Jessica’s online shop and enter Sheffield2012 at the checkout to get 25% off (one per customer).
PJ Taste
Sheffield is hardly known for its culinary delights, but there are a group of producers and restaurateurs working hard to see that change. Peter and John of PJ Taste are just two advocates of Sheffield food and what better way to spread the news of our fine food than to gift a hamper full of it? Head over to the café on Glossop Road and you’ll find an amazing array of tasty treats including Sheffield Honey, Tea Box tea, Kelham Island beer and Catherine’s Choice chutneys and jams.
Staff are on hand to guide you through your foodie choices and they’ll prepare a bespoke hamper to suit all tastes (prices for the packaging start at £5). My advice? Make sure you stick some Tea Box Sheffield Brew in there and treat yourself to a PJ Taste lunch in the café whilst you wait for your hamper.
Pete McKee
Pete McKee can do no wrong for Sheffield. His bright, cartoon like prints are fun celebrations of the lesser known side of Sheffield’s past and present. He’s been known to take inspiration from the fish tank in the Hole in the Road, fishermen at the canal and kids playing in the Peace Gardens. Fans of either of Sheffield’s football teams, or our fine music scene will also do well.
With so many prints depicting the Sheffield that Pete remembers as a child, there may be one or two that really stand out and capture someone’s own childhood and this would make an amazing gift. For everyone else, there’s the calendar. With 12 images from the 22 Views of Sheffield collection for just £12, this is perfect for anyone who’s ever lived in Sheffield.
Our Favourite Places
Eleven (creative designers) love Sheffield, so much so that they’ve written a short guide to not only help people find the best that Sheffield has to offer, but to entice people to visit the city. Selling itself as an ‘informed travel guide for curious folk’ this little book is fit to bursting with independent and unique gems; restaurants and pubs to galleries and antique shops, it really does give you a feel for the city and is an excellent starting point for anyone visiting, or moving here. In fact, long standing residents will also enjoy the read as there were a few gems that I hadn’t yet discovered (including the Alpacas café and Lantern Theatre)!
Priced at £4 this guide is a bit of a bargain; it is essentially the gift of all of Sheffield’s secrets. Find it at Waterstones (Sheffield), Site Gallery, Millennium Gallery and Nichols Building and pick one up for yourself whilst you’re at it…
The Milestone Cookery School
The Milestone is the highly acclaimed ‘gastro-pub’ in the Kelham Island area of Sheffield and their cookery school offers the perfect gift for both the enthusiastic foodie and the ‘can’t cook, won’t cook’ in your life. There’s a variety of classes to choose from, all set at a variety of prices. The Make and Take priced at £25 is excellent value as the chefs will teach the class how to cook a certain meal which is then packed up ready to take home for dinner. Half day and full day courses will focus on specific areas, such as knife skills (£50) or fish (£95).
For that really special someone I would go the whole hog (and yes they do nose to tail pig courses) and go for the Weekend Experience (£345). The experience includes a top notch meal at The Milestone’s sister restaurant, The Wig & Pen, and a stay in a nearby hotel making for a good break.
Revitalize Fitness
Revitalize Fitness provides fitness training in Sheffield for women and is operated by personal trainer Aimee Rogers. Promising that you will lose inches and get fitter without joining a gym, Aimee doesn’t practice any hocus pocus nonsense, but provides her clients with exercise programmes that work around the individual’s life style and home.
The Online Personal Fitness Plans particularly caught my eye. They’re suitable for anyone who’s keen to get fit, but lacks the know how, or needs support and motivation. A one off consultation (£35) will provide you with four fitness plans and some basic nutrition advice which is a good starting point, but sign someone up for the monthly programme (£30 p/m for a minimum of 3 moths) and you’ll get all this plus regular support by text and email. Just make sure you buy for the right person… telling someone they need to get some exercise as a Christmas present won’t go down well with everyone!
Gee And Tea
Handmade Barbaloots knickers have recently hit Sheffield thanks to 22 year old Sarah Hunt, who is part of the Gee And Tea craft collaborative. Using original patters from the 1950’s the barbaloots are cute shorts made from locally sourced lace. With sizes ranging from 4 to 22 barbaloots are said to ‘embrace the natural curves of a ladies shape’. Practical and comfortable, they ooze sassiness for all shapes and sizes.
Priced from just £5 a pair these dainty smalls will see any Sheffield lass right. Find them at various Christmas markets in Sheffield including High Storrs School on 1 December, Heeley City Farm on 8 December and Nichols Building on 9 December.
Lovely Cosmetics
Lovely cosmetics are truly lovely. None of their products are tested on animals so they’re cruelty free and they’re kind to us humans as they’re free of chemicals and preservatives. With a range including Intensive Body Butter or rich whipped body butter with elegant bergamot and sweet orange (£5.99), Moisturising Body Scrub made with Sheffield Honey (£4.99) and Solid Lotion Bars which melt into warm skin (£5.99) you just know that these are going to be, well, lovely to use too.
Everything is hand made in small batches in order to keep quality consistent and the range is
available from Wickwire in Nether Edge, or you can order through the Facebook page.
We Live Here
Jonathan Wilkinson takes inspiration from the ‘brutalist surroundings of Sheffield’s urban landscape’ and although to some ‘brutalist’, as a word, can be interchangeable with ‘ugly’, there is something rather pleasing to the eye about Jonathan’s work. His Sheffield collection is clean, full of straight lines and lots of pale blue. Maybe I’m drawn to the prints because the blue would work well in my lounge, but maybe it’s also because Jonathan takes some arguably ugly (yet iconic) buildings and makes them look pretty, or at least tidy…!
There’s the Roxy Nightclub, Park Hill Flats and the Arts Tower and they all look like they’ve had a bit of a face-lift (of course the Arts Tower did actually have a face-lift a few years ago), but best of all there’s the much missed Tinsley Cooling Towers (from £22). But anyone who’s worth their salt in Sheffield won’t be settling for no print… not when there are Tinsley Cooling Tower earrings available. At £12.50 a pair, these are simply ace.
William Turner, Master Cutlers Sheffield
Of course I couldn’t let this list go without including a cutlery set! If you don’t know why then I suggest you go find Google. For everyone else, I’m liking the London design (from £155).
So that’s Christmas sorted I’d say. There’s no need to thank me, just try and shop Sheffield this year, and do mine while you’re at it!