Where better to source what you need for the season than the places with a reputation for making it? From fizz and food to fine art, here’s our festive shopping guide
Stock up on festive fizz with a trip to the heart of Kent’s flourishing wine region. Start the tastings at Simpsons’ wine estate, 10 minutes’ drive from Canterbury, then head to Domaine Evremond, Taittinger’s UK vineyard, where its first release, Classic Cuvée Edition I, is available at the Cellar Door shop. Nearby, the medieval village of Chilham makes an ideal stop for lunch at the Woolpack Inn. Back in Canterbury, Corkk is a specialist English wine shop with more than 100 labels to try, and cheese and charcuterie platters to nibble on while you decide what to buy. Stay at the Millers Arms, in the heart of town, with B&B doubles from £93.50.
Swap Tesco’s crowded aisles for Narberth in Pembrokeshire, fast becoming Wales’s premier foodie hub. Wisebuys is a great first stop; pick up locally produced goodies: laverbread and rapeseed oils, handmade chocolates, chutneys and cheese, available in a range of hampers. Pop into Rock ’N’ Dough Bakehouse for fabulous freshly made pastries and coffee, before stocking up on Mediterranean treats at Ultracomida, a tapas bar and deli offering authentic Spanish cured meats, patés and cheese to take away, along with classic paella pans and ceramics. Stay at Top Joe’s Townhouse, with rooms above a buzzy pizzeria, from £90 B&B.
