Hometown Glory


Every time you buy from a small business, an actual person does a Happy Dance – this is really, really true – especially right now when businesses have had to close their doors to customers over several lockdowns.
The team who launched the Kitchen Disco range learned all about working for a small business when they were both 14 and worked in a family run coffee shop in their hometown of Leighton Buzzard.  It was a thrill every time we heard the footsteps of a customer coming up the stairs for a cup of tea and a slice of cake.  This was in the days long before the nation’s High Streets were brimming with Starbucks.  It meant more because we were working for a family business.


Leighton Buzzard High Street has seen a lot of changes since then, with proud local businesses opening up all over.  When Creighton’s Chocolate opened it’s doors in 2011, it was a gamechanger for the High Street.   The quaint market town’s very own chocolaterie created an incredible range of confectionery and were soon stocking in Liberty of London.
The former site of Creighton’s is now home to the wonderful Happydashery who proudly sell “Little Bits of Happy” and regularly dedicate shelf space to other local businesses such as giftmaker Love Happy Apple which really helps the local community thrive.  


Small businesses do not operate from yachts in Monaco, they are developed at the family dining table with business owners working hours and hours of unpaid overtime to get their ideas off the ground, and even then it often takes a long time to start turning a meaningful profit.
This year, think about buying your Christmas gifts from the small businesses you have seen dotted about your hometown or online.  Make someone do a happy dance today!
Shoutouts to some of our other favourite small businesses – Bermondsey 167, Reclaimed Reloved, Lovely and British, Me, Me, Me, Leighton Buzzard Brewing.  Comment below with some of your favourite small businesses and let’s share the love!

By Marie Claire Traynor