Citywide Financial resides in the beautiful Surrey Hills area of South East England. As well as having a reputation for being one of the prettiest places to live, it is also known for being home to the most wonderful array of small artisan businesses that produce innovative, sustainable and high-quality goods and services. The Surrey Hills area has even created a pledge called the ‘one in five’ where one in every five items you purchase is from a local artisan business.
This Christmas, Gemma Cockrell, the founder of a local Surrey business, Puremess, has created the ultimate month of advent by asking 24 local businesses to collaborate with her in providing an advent box full of goods and services sourced from the Surrey Hills area. Gemma and Citywide are both proud to promote these local business alongside the Surrey Hills Enterprise and bring about some much-needed Christmas joy. So here we bring you the month of advent, a gift guide to support our local area and find some hidden gems to add to your Christmas list…
INZHO
Based on the concept of HOZHO (a Native American’s wellness philosophy to provide balance for mind, body and soul), Inzho provides hand-made, vegan, and wellness-inspired aromatherapy fragrances and only uses the best quality, pure essential oils within each range. We cannot imagine a better gift to convey our wishes of well-being to our team members and clients!
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HORNY PANTS
The owner of Horny Pants Keri has created Men’s and Ladies Premium Bamboo underwear and Organic Cotton T Shirts. She has also just introduced Children’s Organic Cotton ‘Little Ranger’ Tees to the Horny Pants family and donates a percentage from all sales to Wildlife Conservation! So there is literally something available for the whole family whilst giving something back – talk about all-in-one!
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DELIGHTFULLY DECADENT
We all know Christmas is about two things: the presents and the sweets. Well, combine those two and you’ve got Delightfully Decadent! From handmade fudgy brownies and indulgent Belgian chocolates to the most scrumptious holiday specials, you’ll find everything needed to be delightfully decadent. We promise it will be a fantastic treat for both the eyes and the mouths of whoever is lucky enough to find them in their stocking.
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ABINGER STAINED GLASS
Show your clients and team members exactly how significant they are to you by gifting them an aesthetic masterpiece, hand created by Amanda Winfield in Surrey for Abinger Stained Glass. Help them make their homes and offices beautiful and spread more love through art in this season.
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SILVER ANVIL JEWELLERY
If anything could say Merry Christmas, we would like to believe it’s hand-crafted, natured-inspired, sterling silver jewellery. Whether it’s a custom-made order or a piece from Victoria Phillips’ carefully curated ready-made jewellery, it’s a gift that’s set to impress.
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BINARY BOTANICAL
When we think beer, nobody thinks gluten-free. Well, Binary Botanicals did just that! They produce vegan, gluten-free, AND sugar-free wine-lovers’ beer and also have non-alcoholic options. This sparkly beer also has half the calories and alcohol content of a glass of wine. In fact, Binary Botanical 0.5% won gold in the ‘Free From’ Food Awards 2020, which also had judges with Coeliac Disease on the panel. So if you know someone with Coeliac, you might’ve just found THE perfect gift for them.
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PUREMESS
Actions speak louder than words and if you want to show your team and clients you care, then it might be time to gift them some all-natural, and cruelty-free skincare products from Gemma’s range. After being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, Gemma decided it’s time to stop putting toxins in and on our bodies. We think it might be time for us (and our loved ones) to do the same with this beautiful range of organic skincare.
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SILENT POOL DISTILLERS
The area of Silent Pool is wrapped in many tales, legends, and myths and this is reflected in the most elegantly and royally designed bottles of Silent Pool Distillers. Even their labels represent a famous legend of a woodcutter’s daughter and the future King John the First of England. We can just imagine ourselves sitting by a crackling hot fire, cradling a glass of this Scottish whiskey-inspired gin this Christmas.
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FLOURISHING HEALTH
Whether it’s aromatherapy, hypnotherapy a workshop or retreat, Flourishing Health want to help make a significant difference in your life. This Christmas why not pass on this kindest of gestures and gift a service from their wide range to your team members to show your appreciation for all their hard work or to you clients to show just exactly how much they mean to you.
CHIMNEY FIRE COFFEE
Most of us need a good ol’ cup of joe to help us wake up for work; that makes finely roasted, aromatic, and locally-sourced coffee the best gift imaginable. Every purchase you make from Chimney Fire Coffee sends a portion of your money to a small charity which recycle bikes from the UK and ships them to rural communities in Africa. If Christmas isn’t about spreading the joy to everyone possible, then what is it about? So, if you know someone who loves their coffee just like we do, it might be time to head over to their website.
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LONG ACRE PRESERVES
Inspired by the quince tree in her new home and motivated by her mother-in-law, Victoria discovered her love for jam and jelly making and officially decided to share this love with everyone else in 2019. Since then, her business has boomed and everybody who tries her handmade, rich, fruitful jellies and jams falls in love at first bite! We think it’s time to spread that love this Christmas season with one of her preserves.
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LORRAINE CLIFTON CERAMICS
Why not gift your clients and team members some earthy, handmade, and individually crafted ceramics, not just to help them bring beauty in their spaces but also into their lives? Our surroundings have an immense effect on our creativity and productivity and pieces like the ones created by Lorraine might just be what is needed for the positive effect we’re all seeking. She also has a few new additions especially for Christmas season.
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SIAN T. PHOTOGRAPHY
If you’re looking for an out-of-the-box and original gift, then Sian should be your go-to. She strives to create a relaxed and fun photography experience for everyone and helps build confidence – in yourself, or your business, with a positive environmental impact.
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SALLY RULE
If someone in your team or one of your clients is looking to or has just moved to Surrey Hills, a consultation with Sally Rule might just be what they need this Christmas! With over 30 years of experience under her belt, Sally excels as a property consultant in providing stellar styling opinions and finding the best properties for you according to your preferences. Located in the Surrey Hills community, she can help someone you know find their dream home.
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MANDIRA’S KITCHEN
When they say the stomach is the way to the heart, this might show you why! Mandira’s gift range has so many options, including but not limited to, vegan and gluten-free food; spicy and colourful chutneys; aromatic chai mixes; utensils inspired by traditional Indian designs and a cookbook to bring it all together! You can also book a Mandira’s Kitchen Festive Supper Club serving scrumptious, traditional Indian cuisine with a twist for an intimate Christmas gathering for your team or your clients.
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NAKED NANNY SOAPS
What we put on our skin (or use to clean it!) might be one of the most important things to make sure is natural. At Naked Nanny Soaps they use all-natural ingredients and their new collection has been the belle of the ball at Cranleigh’s Surrey Hills Artsian Market. They’ve recently introduced many new soaps for the festive season, AND also introduced an all natural dog soap that also acts a bug repellent. So there’s a gift for our furry little friends too!
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S.O.L.D
Surry Outdoor Learning and Development is committed to achieving positive personal development through outdoor experiences that challenge the mind and body. They have a special programme dedicated to corporate team development with four kinds of program that would make an awesome Christmas present for your team. This could be the team-building opportunity you were looking for! And that’s not all they offer – there are multiple other schools, programs, clubs, and training – so the options are unlimited.
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SWEET C’S CHOCOLATES
Sweet C’s Handcrafted Chocolates have aimed to bring chocolate-making back to its simple roots. They use single-origin chocolate, fine handpicked natural ingredients and combine them with the care that only a handcrafted chocolate business can provide. They also offer assorted pralines, truffles and vegan and gluten-free options. There is even an added option of bespoke corporate boxes containing chocolates branded with your logo!
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RUTH WHEELER
Ruth pours her heart and soul into her wooden sculptures which are inspired by the natural world. Any nature lover would truly cherish her masterpieces as gifts and would love to adorn their personal spaces with them. There is even a bracelet option for those who prefer nature-inspired jewellery.
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ODDIE & HOPE
Four years ago, Dominy Hope decided to turn her love of design, combined with her business acumen, into Oddie & Hope. Her unique designs are inspired by her surroundings and she tries to ensure that the silver she uses is recycled and the gemstones are re-purposed. SO it’s highly likely that the earrings you end up buying were a spoon collecting dust in an old cupboard!
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REWARDS DOG TRAINING
Rewards Dog Training specialise in home training for dogs and puppies to help you work on any behaviour issues or basic training needs. By carrying this out in your own home, you get the chance to work on the basics in the place you need it most. They also offer Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme classes to take the next step and show how good your dog really is. This might just be the gift that your dog-parent team member is waiting for!
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HEDGES & HURDLES
Hedges & Hurdles offers MANY things to make you familiar with and fall in love with Surrey’s nature. One of those things is their nature-inspired online shop that houses a selection of products, willow kits and tutorials for you to purchase. You can also commission anything from their range of country crafts produced from the woodland material coppiced locally or even contact them if you have a specific bespoke product in mind. Their latest additions are Christmas-inspired decorations.
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ADAM AARONSON GLASS STUDIO
Adam started his glassblowing journey nearly 40 years ago and continues to be inspired by the ceaseless mutability of light on the landscape, sky and water, with the idea of change as a continual theme. His bright artwork brings light to whatever space it is placed in, so if you want to brighten up the lives of your loved ones, this could be the perfect gift.
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SARAH COZ
If you know someone who needs a landscape painting to brighten up their space, then head over to Sarah Coz‘s store/studio. Her bright colours blended together with immense expertise make her canvases become alive so this Christmas we urge you to share the Surrey Hills with others through Sara’s paintings.
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