Over the past few years working across various sectors I have observed many great brands in the UK and beyond. I thought that it may be beneficial to share some of my favourites from my home county and beyond across the great UK and Europe. To start off with I have chosen to look at one of my favourite spots in the North of England, Barnard Castle in County Durham. Home to one of the jewels in the North, the Bowes Museum.

However there is so much to offer in this ancient market town, the town has a ruined castle run by English Heritage and the town centre runs from the bottom of the castle hill, the area known as the Antique Quarter to the top of the hill where you’ll find quint shops and cafes in the Georgian area close to the castle entrance.

It is there that you’ll find one of my very favourite interior and gift stores in the UK, Niche. A family run business based in Barnard Castle with a Scandi twist to the interiors and gifts on offer, It houses some great British brands too such as Farrow & Ball but it has a magical mix of traditional and contemporary. It is where new brands meet established brands and there is always something new for the returning customer. In what has been a challenging time for so many retailers based on our high streets up and down the country, to see a store thriving and offering exciting new products is great. We must support our local independent businesses if we want to see them for years to come on our high streets so do think of that as you buy your Christmas gifts this year.

You can find Niche at -

42 Galgate DL12 8BH Barnard Castle