New shop celebrating 'best of British' produce opens in Harrogate

A new shop celebrating 'the very best of British' produce has opened its doors to Harrogate customers in the popular Montpellier Quarter.
Isles of Wonder is now open in Harrogate.Isles of Wonder is now open in Harrogate.
Isles of Wonder is now open in Harrogate.

The British lifestyle store, Isles of Wonder, is the brainchild of Harrogate man, Stewart Aldred, who has returned home after travelling the world.

The new store claims to support and showcase the 'very best of British craftmanship and design, artistic flair and the nation's entrepreneurial spirit'.

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Explaining a bit more, Mr Aldred said: “Since recently moving back to Harrogate, having worked in Hong Kong, Philadelphia and London, I’ve been energised by the creative community and entrepreneurial spirit in the town and particularly the Montpellier Quarter – it has a personality and spirit of its own.

Isles of Wonder is now open in Harrogate.Isles of Wonder is now open in Harrogate.
Isles of Wonder is now open in Harrogate.

"Local brands and businesses alike, each with a story to tell, are thriving in the area. It was imperative for me that Isles of Wonder would be in the heart of this buzzing, independent shopping destination.”

Isles of Wonder will boast goods from a range of ndependent British artisans with products spanning British spirits, ales and lagers; books; homewares; beauty products andfood.

The store will even give visitors to the store the opportunity to meet some of these talented makers personally as well as take part in small workshops, tasting evenings and special events.

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Celebrating everything about independents, Mr Aldred said that everything about the shop down to its location has been carefully selected to stand out from national retailers.

He added: “We want to celebrate the doers, the thinkers, the entrepreneurs who’ve bought their products to market (many from a backroom or studio).

"We want to create a unique proposition in the town and that’s what drew us to the Montpellier Quarter. We wanted to stand out from the ubiquitous national retailers in the centre of town.”

Having already opened the doors to the shop, an online offer for Isles of Wonder is said to be launching later this summer - watch this space!