For all of you who love local, independent, and unique for Xmas, here’s a pick of our favourite member items. Check out the #SHOPLOCAL Directory for more great makers, producers, and great gifting. Hello Ruth Handmade paper angel Xmas tree decoration Puddingstone Distillery Pud Pud Gin Apothaka skincare SOS recovery skincare duo Vida Eco Recycled […]

I launched the Creative Collective gifts and lifestyle pop up shop in Berkhamsted in November 2019, to offer an opportunity for my own and other small sustainable brands & start-ups to have a presence on the High Street. We have a lovely shop in the middle of town, which is home to an exclusive selection […]

Once a royal residence to Henry VIII and Princess Elizabeth I, today Ashridge House is an award winning meeting, events and wedding venue. Set in 190 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Please visit ashridgehouse.org.uk to view our upcoming events calendar. For event enquiries, please email events@ashridge.hult.edu VISIT WEBSITE > Email: events@ashridge.hult.edu Phone: […]

Hello, my name’s Emma and I’m an illustrator, embroiderer and maker! I’ve spent the past 24 years working in the design industry and my work has been stocked in many places including Liberty, Fenwick, JoJo Maman Bebe and John Lewis. Over the last few years, I’ve combined my two passions for illustrating and making into one with the embroidery technique called Punch Needle. […]

Aiming to introduce a new way to relax, recharge and enjoy time together for individuals across the UK and NZ, Haylee Benton is passionate about providing access to the very best in personal care experiences.  This passion led to her founding The Silver Fern Group, a portfolio of four brands: Alchemy & I, Cecily Spa, […]

There’s a lot to love about Tring, it’s a town of just the right size to have life and colour, not to mention a flurry of wonderful independent businesses to support every need whilst retaining the feeling of intimacy. In recent years it’s developed its foodie credentials with more and more culinary businesses appearing, meaning you don’t have to travel out for great food. Of course, the real jewel in the crown of Tring is its location, right among the Chiltern Hills, so the countryside is quite literally on your doorstep. With the trainline to London a short distance from the town centre, it’s no wonder this is an increasingly popular commuter town.

I am Jemma Palmer, owner of Halo & Wren Bridal. Halo & Wren is a modern bridal store located in Old Town, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. Halo & Wren has a small team of stylists and an in house seamstress. It’s very much for the non traditional bride or the brides who doesn’t want to look like all of her friends. H&W is a nationally renowned boutique for its welcoming and relaxed bridal shopping experience, independent designers and doing bridal the modern way.

Have you ever tried Temple Spa products? I’m always amazed by how beautiful they are – such potent and sensual aromas. Once you open the cap, you find yourself immediately transported to the feeling of being in an exclusive spa. They smell so incredibly good…and it’s that kind of smell that comes from essential oils and active ingredients that you know are going to do amazing things for your skin too.

If you’re looking for something special to buy for the men in your life, we’ve put together a selection of great gifts from some of our members for you to choose from.

Situated in the heart of beautiful, historic Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, ‘Creative Collective’ is a gifts and lifestyle pop up shop that brings together small, independent businesses, sharing space under one roof. Founded by Sinéad Bernhauser of lifestyle brand ‘Hot Haveli’, we’re home to an ever-changing selection of around 45 sustainable makers, designers and artists. We provide an opportunity for start-up and small brands to have a presence on the High Street in a bustling, supportive and friendly space.

Give a brief Introduction to you and what it is you do.  Who is involved in the business? We are a husband and wife team (Sarah & Wayne) running a small batch speciality coffee roastery in Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire. Speciality coffee has to be graded 80+ points and above on the Speciality Coffee Association’s grading […]

As a small business owner with over 15 years of running my own business building it from my bedroom, I can safely say that dealing with the COVID pandemic has been the single most stressful and hardest thing I have had to do. Having rebuilt in the 2008 economy crash and dealt with many other […]

Castaway Cottage is a family-run business offering beautiful hand-crafted products for the bath and home. From colourful bath bombs and crumbles to a range of natural wax melts and soaps; all made with care for skin and the environment using essential oils or carefully selected fragrances.   The packaging is compostable, recyclable or upcycled. We […]

“You have two choices: You can make a living, or you can design a life” (Jim Rohn)    I’d love to write about the mindset for success, without mentioning #COVID-19. However, I fear that if l ignored such a large elephant in the room, that has no doubt impacted most of our lives in some […]

KIN Training debunk myths surrounding HIIT and yoga and provide tips on overcoming your fitness fears. Persistence. Patience. Strength. Adaptability. Kindness. If the last three months have taught us anything, it’s certainly recognising the importance of these qualities in ourselves when overcoming uncomfortable and uncertain situations. What if we could use these skills and qualities […]

It seems everyone (in the skincare world!) these days is talking about the importance of the skin barrier, which whilst a good thing, many brands have jumped on this in terms of products which promise to repair the skin barrier. It’s a classic case of treat rather than prevent – the same conundrum seen in […]

I’ve heard talk of 4th July parties and planning of big days out to mark the occasion.  Whilst many businesses are still not able to open and others are open with adjustments, there is no denying that seeing hairdressers, pubs, cafes and restaurants will bring both excitement and a greater sense of normality to our […]

The last few months have been “challenging” to say the least, whether you’ve been home schooling, full-time parenting little ones, or juggling a bit of everything. I think we can all agree it’s certainly taken its toll. For many of you (myself included), this probably means your business has taken a back seat. With the […]

by Amanda Badger ‘This is the Royal Free Hospital, you recently came in for a chest x-ray’ said the voice on the phone. ‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘Can you come back in right away? We think you may have TB.’ I began to see stars as the information sunk in. What do I tell my fiancé? […]

I’m sure I’m not the only person who wishes they’d bought shares in Zoom back in February…whether chatting with family and friends, conducting meetings or joining a fitness class, the demand for, and use of, this online meeting platform has been huge. In the past week, with shops reopening, social bubbles expanding and some children […]

This week sees the re-opening of many of our favourite high street and retail businesses.  Whilst many businesses have adapted to offer online, postal, or adapted services, re-opening of physical stores is probably the biggest step towards normality we’ve seen since lockdown started. We are thrilled at the boost it will give these businesses and […]

Meet Hannah and Oli from Home County Candle Co. and hear about their passion for making their beautiful UK inspired scented candles and reed diffusers.   MEET OLI WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU STARTED THE HOME COUNTY CANDLE CO.? My background is in sales management and just before we started the business I was […]

It’s that time of year when we get to celebrate the men in our lives and treat them with thoughtful, carefully selected gifts.  I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I find men so much harder to buy for…they just seem to come with less “stuff” than us ladies! I’ve loved watching the Father’s […]

by Dania of Moo Boutique, Tring A lot of things have changed during this period of lockdown – some of us have stayed working as normal, some of us have had to completely re-think how we’ve been working and some of us have sadly lost a lot of work. whatever our circumstances we need to […]

by Jamie Smith of Tring Winery It’s that time of year! Sun is out, windows are open, and BBQ’s across the country are getting fired up. Whether you side with gas or charcoal, fish, steak or veggies, there is always the question – what should I be drinking?   So here at Tring Winery, Jamie […]

by  Claire Gillespie from Oglee Poglee   At Oglee Poglee HQ, you’ll often hear us raving about the power of creativity and just how vital it is to help our children unleash theirs! But when traditional education pushes the arts to the sidelines, how can you know creativity is something worth nurturing in your kids? Let’s take a […]

by Margarita Salomó – Personal Stylist Let’s talk about the benefits of clothes, fashion, style, accessories, a dash of make-up and getting properly dressed every day during this lockdown If I have learnt one thing while being isolated at home, it’s the value of the small things that we take for granted, like: preparing to […]

by Natalie Halliwell-Jennings With many Ashridge House staff working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked Ashridge House Events Sales & Marketing Manager Natalie Halliwell-Jennings how she has adapted to working from home… “Ashridge House is a former royal palace to Kings and Queens, a grade II listed stately home with 190 acres of beautiful […]

Dunsley farm egg, asparagus, wild garlic pesto, and Culture Bakery sourdough Recipe by Scott Barnard of Crockers Tring Serves 4  For the wild garlic pesto  The following quantities makes plenty of Pesto – save what’s left for a pasta dish: INGREDIENTS: 250g wild garlic  25g raw wild garlic  75g olive oil 75g vegetable oil 120g […]

By Sarah Clarke from Shine Brighter Consulting If you’re anything like me, your working day is now punctuated by endless demands for snacks and refereeing. Working at home, be that in your own business or working remotely for a corporate, can be really tricky right now. Particularly if you have small people to care for. […]

by Lisa Pantling of Clutter Free Living All of a sudden we are spending an awful lot more time at home, some of us are also working at home, possibly while also entertaining (teaching?!) our children. For many, this set of circumstances has highlighted an issue they hadn’t really acknowledged before…… stuff! And far too […]

by Natalie & Helen Gerrish from Hiya Bucks Authentically local, trusted and valued, hiya bucks is written for, and about, Buckinghamshire. Buckinghamshire is our home. It’s where we live and do business. With hiya bucks we support and nurture the local business community and want to see the county thriving in all areas. Our passion […]

  I saw a meme this week that showed a lockdown budget where all items in the budget were £0, but food was about £2k a month. It’s a pretty fair assessment of lockdown life, isn’t it?  Suddenly our main preoccupation is getting food and what to have for our next meal…and actually constantly feeling […]

I’ve been asked a few times about local delivery services for food to support those in self-isolation, so here is a  quickly put together list, which I hope helps those in need. I’ve tried to capture as many as possible, but if we’ve forgotten your business, please let us know as we will keep the […]

In modern society it can be hard to find community. Families are often disparate, with children and siblings working in geographically different locations. Older and younger generations lose touch and it’s uncommon for full families to live together. It can be easy to live side by side with people in your town or village and […]

By Olivia Church It’s amazing to think that OPEN Hairdressing Hemel Hempstead has only been in business for just over a year. It may be the baby of the family, but it has a loyal and ever-growing clientele.  For those of you who haven’t heard of this business, OPEN Hairdressing is a chain of independent […]

We thought we would catch up with one of our favourite local personalities and all round spiritual & colourful being Angie Litvinoff.  Angie talks all things wedding and also about her unique talents and skills.  If you want a wedding with a difference or just some spiritual healing, Angie is your woman, so find out […]

Woodland Trust interview with Hannah Burgess – Visitor Experience Officer Hi Hannah lovely to meet you.  Can you tell us a bit more about what you do for Tring Park? My role covers all sorts of jobs across the park, designing leaflets, running events, visiting scouts groups and answering public enquiries. I generally aim to […]

How lucky are we to have been invited for a sneak peak of the lovely new Rosanna’s bar and restaurant in Berkhamsted? It’s another venue to open in Berkhamsted that brings Hertfordshire up a notch with exquisite decor and oh so yummy food. Alessia and Rosanna (sisters no less) have poured their heart and soul […]

When I think of Crockers and the places they’ve gone and are yet to go, it makes me realise just how long we’ve been blogging!  Although it was still only just over a year ago they were out at Potten End in their first and somewhat petite chef’s table venue.  Driving through Potten End it […]

Earlier this year we were blown away by the arrival of the Copper House to the Berkhamsted High Street.  Taking over the beautiful old listed building previously occupied by Carluccio’s, the champagne, cocktail & fine dining bar were a much longed for addition to the cosmopolitan community of Berko. From the moment we saw the […]

It’s always a tough gig when a high street favourite disappears and is replaced.  Jack & Alice was a highly popular Tring venue for it’s casual dining, laid back vibe and vintage inspired décor.  We were so sad to hear of it’s closure….but news of it’s immediate transformation to “Coluco” meant that we didn’t have […]

As you probably know we love a bit of Chilfest. So we were excited to hear that Steve Butcher, the creator of Tring’s very own slice of 80’s heaven was back with a bright new shiny festival to shake up the Chilterns. What’s it all about? Well this time he’s sourcing the 90s & 00s […]

It had been the perfect day a couple of weeks back when the sun came as a surprise, but there was still that chill in the air.  The skies said shades, but the air said keep your coat on! I couldn’t think of a more welcoming site than the Lazy Pig that night.  Set against […]

by Ruth Buckingham from Kandu Marketing This is partly a blog about networking and partly about presenting as I feel the same way about both.  I recently had a birthday party for my “big” birthday. It came to the time when one might be expected to make a speech.  I have to admit it, I […]

What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than by chatting to a local female Entrepreneur – Sarah Cooke.  Sarah did what many of us dream of doing and found inspiration in her motherhood for a business that helps mothers look and feel great.  Halia Rose has achieved both local and national recognition and has […]

Yes I know it’s been a while!  Sorry guys the summer of work has taken it’s toll but I promise to get back to some great inspirational blogs and reviews!   We’ve had this lady’s story for a little while and I’m super keen to get it out there.  I genuinely feel privileged to meet so […]

Just a couple of weeks now until we’re back at the Autumnal foodie extravaganza that is Feast on the Farm. Excited? Just a bit! We loved this event last year, so we were thrilled to hear it was coming back for a second helping at it’s Peterley Manor Farm home. Of course we’re a nosey […]

Here I sit, the morning before the dream becomes a reality. Tonight we open the doors to our new restaurant in Tring and I couldn’t be more excited and proud. This thing we call Crockers nearly didn’t happen. Two years ago the idea came to me after months of trying to find the money to […]

Do you find there aren’t enough hours in the day and you‘re becoming increasingly stressed with your long to do list?  Me too! Since becoming a mum, I have put a lot of pressure on myself to tick everything on my to do list off and I have sacrificed time for myself to get this […]