Need some goodies for your Bank Holiday weekend?
Pop down and see us – we are open until 6.00pm and have plenty of delicious food and drink to tempt you including local beer, cider, sparkling wine, spirits plus a wide array of BBQ marinades, oils, desserts, chutneys and sweet treats. Even better, they are all sourced locally from small businesses in Herts & Essex. We even have stock of the sold-out Kebab Club marinades
We are just off Edinburgh Way at 5 West Place, Harlow, CM20 2GY
#shoplocal #harlow #sawbridgeworth #bishopsstortford #essexproduce #hertsproduce
Yes, our much loved Advent Calendars are back. Available by pre-order only, these beautifully designed calendars contain no less than 24 5cl bottles of our Riverside Spirits range.
If you would like to get your hands on one of these beauties then drop us a message or come in and visit us at 5 West Place, Harlow, CM20 2GY. We are open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week as well as over the weekend.
The 19th October is a day that we will always remember. In 1997 Emma's much loved Nanny passed away very suddenly - she is still missed today. Several years later Emma purchased her first property and, 3 years ago today Stort Valley Spirits & Gifting officially opened for retail. Every year we have grown and this year we are so proud of our growth - we finally have our hamper hub and the reason we have posted this so late today is that we have spent the day with several potential new clients for our corporate gifting.
Normally we would've had a celebration but unfortunately the past few months have been a bit of a whirlwind with Emma in and out of hospital due to illness. We would be going out for dinner, and be having a little gathering with some of our partners. However, given recent events, we are taking it a bit easy.
From our tiny Safestore unit to Allen House Business Centre and now our very own showroom, events space, offices, warehouse and tasting rooms, we feel like we are a million miles from where we began. There are so many memories.
Thank you to all of our team who have been there for us, particularly since we moved into the new premises, to Emma's parents for their help and support, all the people who have been there for us, but most importantly to all of you; our supporters. Without you we wouldn't be here today.
Just a few highlights of the past few years....
This weekend we were at The Harlow Hotel by Accorhotels attending our first ever wedding fayre. Our personalised ribbon is perfect for bouquets, favours, gifts and more, plus we can supply items such as ribboned chocolate bars, jams, miniatures, hampers and much more. We even work with the lovely Betty's Bubbles to assist with bar services using locally sourced drinks from our producers Riverside Spirits Redchurch Brewery and Essex Spirits Co.
We are delighted that we will be at Manor of Groves Hotel on Sunday from 11am - 3pm attending their wedding showcase alongside lots of other amazing suppliers including Enchanted Bridal Boutique where Emma got her own wedding dress.
Here is a little video we took on Sunday giving you a sneak peak of some of the things we might be bringing along with us again this week!
Happy birthday to 2 incredible ladies who share their special day with each other. Sylvia Coelho, Emma's Mum who always supports us, makes sure our freezer is filled with meals when we are busy and is there when we need us, and Fig who many of you know as our Chief Happiness Officer aka best cuddle giver. We hope you both have a lovely day.
This week is Mental HealthAwarenessWeek. Many of our customers know, and love, Fig. Fig is a 3-year-old cockapoo and her absolute favourite thing to do is cuddle and the amount of love she has to give is immense. Everyone adores Fig, even the non-doggy people, because when she flops at your feet for a stroke, you just can’t resist. When we first moved into Weston House she was scared of everyone but gradually her confidence grew and she takes her role as the unofficial security dog of the complex very seriously with regular patrols to ensure that tenants are behaving themselves and that the ducks are not trespassing.
So, how does Fig relate to Mental Health Awareness Week? Someone in our building once said to me that when they are having a bad day, they pop into our office just to have a cuddle with Fig. She makes them feel calm, relaxed, and the love she shows just makes them smile. She allows them a break from their computer, time to reflect and reset. We all have days where we struggle or things don’t go to plan, but Fig listens, never judges and always loves you. She has changed our lives, and that of so many others. We know she will be missed by many when we move but our doors will always be open for a coffee and a Fig cuddle.
#officedog #stortvalleyspirits #stortvalleygifting #pet #mentalhealth #nojudgement #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawarenessweek #mentalhealthawareness #anxiety #stress #therapydog #mentalhealthmatters
Rob took over Emma's role as company spokesperson today, featuring on Greatest Hits Essex talking about today's speech by Jeremy Hunt.
Thank you to FSB Essex for putting us forward for this opportunity!
Who spotted the Riverside Spirits Apple and Cinnamon whisky on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh this morning. It seems like it was a great hit with them all, especially Alan!
Grace's inaugural voyage!
All of our vans are named after our Grandparents. First we had Elsie. Then Gwen joined us. Ivy is on order and today Grace joined the fleet. Fittingly her first outing was with Rosie who also happens to be Rob's cousin.
Sparlings Farm Felsted looks amazing today! Pop down and say hello. Rob and Zoe are there along with some wonderful other stalls
The 19th October is a special date for me. In 1997 we very suddenly lost our Nanny, a kind, caring lady who was always there for everyone else. Then, in 2007 I completed on my first property. However, it will now always be remembered for a happy reason. A year ago today Stort Valley Spirits received our first alcohol licence. I say first because a year ago we were in a 5x5ft SafeStore Unit. Within 6 weeks we grew out of that and then in May 2021 we moved to a 550 sq ft office in The Maltings meaning we needed a second licence.
There are so many people who have been there for us throughout our journey and if we were to list them this would even longer than it currently is. On a personal level ,my family and our friends. On a professional level our incredible team. You are all amazing and we wouldn’t be where we are without you. Our suppliers who have trusted us to stock and promote their brands particularly my cousins Hugh, Charlotte and Christine who back in August after my receiving a redundancy letter, allowed me to turn a crazy idea into reality. The teams who worked on our website, branding and copy. Those who loaned us a van because we couldn’t get one and needed it over Christmas. The markets that allowed us to trade and supported us. But most importantly thank you to all our customers- those of you who stock us, those who purchase from us, and those who recommend us. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you.
As you can see from our mini video, we have come so far in 12 months and have big plans for our second year. This week we are working on launching our local produce gifting- all sourced from Herts and Essex. We are hoping to have all this online by next week. In the meantime though we are planning on celebrating tonight with our team, food from local producers and some tasty tipples. Cheers!
Hamper sneak peak
We have been busy bees this week working on the final elements of our local produce Christmas gift boxes. From ketchup to kimchi, fudge to salted caramel sauce, we have spent months researching all the amazing produce we have in Herts and Essex.
We will be launching the hampers next week; we are just waiting on the final items to come in. We will be offering 4 different options plus custom corporate gifting. If you would like more info please do drop us a message.
