With lockdown restrictions slowly easing, we were excited to see some of our favourite shops reopen their doors to their wonderful customers! Read our Q&A with the lovely team at Bakewell Cookshop, our first stockist of the month after stores in England reopened.
Tell us a little bit about your shop
The shop consists of three rooms filled with design-led kitchenware and gifts for the home, as well as commodity lines you would expect to find in your local cookshop. There is an impressive glass walkway that leads through into the extension at the back of the shop, which is where you will discover our favourite brands, so of course; this is where you will find our wide and ever-growing range of Sophie Allport products.
What do you love about being a shop owner?
The deep discount, ha! The buying part is fun, especially when something you really like is well received by the customer. Merchandising, sometimes it can be like a game of Tetris, finding space for products when a new order arrives, but when you get the balance right between stock on shelves and an attractive display, it can be very rewarding.
Have you ever had any famous faces pop in?
Jessica Ennis came in with her family a few years ago, and she was really nice. Hopefully, we didn’t come across star-struck! Pete McKee also visited us. I actually drink my tea from a Pete McKee mug, and I'm glad that wasn’t out at the time. I would have looked like a bit of a fanboy.
Three words to describe your shop
Beautiful useful kitchenware.
Tell us a little bit about the place you are located…
We are located in Bakewell, most famous for their pudding and tart, there is a long-standing debate over which came first, although if you believe that it’s the tart, you run the risk of being chased out of town by an angry mob and definitely don’t mention Mr Kipling. There’s a good mixture of shops, restaurants, nice places to stay and some great traditional pubs to kick off your muddy wellies and enjoy a pint in after a long walk in the Peak District.
Your favourite time of year in the shop?
It's hectic but definitely Christmas. Dressing the window/shop, receiving all the Christmas products you had forgotten you had ordered earlier on in the year, the Christmas playlist for the first few days anyway – there’s only so much Bublé you can listen to in a day.
Your favourite moment in the shop?
Probably the day we opened in our current location. It was a bit of a gamble moving to a larger and more expensive location, but the opening day was comfortably our most profitable at that point, and there was champagne and snacks for customers and workers. The local football team we sponsor, Baslow FC sent players to help out for a few hours distributing snacks and champagne, although you could substitute the word distributing to consuming after the first hour. It was a successful day which justified the move and all the hard work involved.
What first attracted you to Sophie Allport products?
We had seen Sophie Allport in a shop in Leeds, loved the illustrations and colour palette and felt it fitted in well with the sort of products we wanted to stock. Some items in the shop we stock because they are just a great seller, in the case of Sophie Allport it’s all a great seller and we love it!
What is your favourite Sophie Allport collection?
Bees is the best seller, however, I am more drawn to the Zebra/Cheetah/Elephant. I love the colour of the Elephant range, it’s a slight departure from the usual colour palette, but I’m a sucker for anything mustard.
Finally, where can people find you?
Bakewell Cookshop
10 Matlock Street
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1EE
Or follow them on social:
Instagram: @bakewellcookshopFacebook: BakewellCookshop
Twitter: @10MatlockStreet