Tonbridge Bean

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At Tonbridge Bean, we love to celebrate the brilliant local businesses that make our town special. As the saying goes, “use it or lose it” — and that couldn’t be truer when it comes to our high street. This festive season, we’re championing the joy of shopping local and encouraging you to discover thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gifts right here in our community.

Here’s your guide to finding unique presents while supporting independent shops and making the season a little more meaningful.

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1/Tonbridge Candles

Hand-poured in Tonbridge, The Tonbridge Candle Co. offers a wide range of candles, including wellbeing essential oil candles. These aromatic candles make for a lovely stocking filler or a cosy gift for someone who appreciates a touch of local craftsmanship.

You can find them online on the Tonbridge Candle Co. Shopify website.

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2/Tonbridge Brewery Beer

For beer enthusiasts, beers from Tonbridge Brewery would make a great gift. The Coppernob ale is a rich, copper-coloured beer with a medium dry, biscuity malt flavour and a robust hoppy finish. They also have a wide range of IPAs. Available in cans or mini kegs, or cans, it’s a great way to share a taste of Kent this Christmas.

You can buy beers online direct from Tonbridge Brewery – I’ve also found cans in Morrisons on the High Street and in Maid of Kent (if you just want to buy one or two for a stocking filler.)

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3/Local wine or wine tasting gifts

We are lucky enough in Tonbridge to be surrounded by some fantastic vineyards. Our three favourites close by are Balfour Winery (Staplehurst), The Mount (Shoreham) and Mereworth Wines (Mereworth).

All three vineyards are well worth a visit (side note), but for Christmas gifting, you can buy a bottle online or purchase a gift voucher for a wine tasting experience.

Find our guide to the best vineyards, breweries and distilleries here.

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4/ Second hand books

Whilst not strictly a small business, we are always keen to promote our fantastic charity shops. Every Christmas, I like to buy second hand books from Oxfam Books on the high street. I love how curated this store is – browsing is a pleasure.

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5/ Adventure Gifts

Give the gift of adventure with a paddleboarding voucher from Stand Up Paddleboarding with Ana. Perfect for those who enjoy being on the water, these vouchers can be used for lessons, guided trips, or equipment hire.

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6/Homemade Tonbridge Biscuits – A Personal Touch

Bake a batch of traditional Tonbridge Biscuits and package them in a festive bag. These simple yet delicious treats are a heartfelt gift that shows you care. You can find our guide to making these biscuits here.

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7/ Fancy Coffee

For coffee aficionados, high street coffee shops – 65mm Coffee and The Market House both sell fancy coffee beans. Sure to satisfy even the most snooty of coffee snobs.

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8/ Wellness Gifts

Treat someone to a local wellness experience. Aquavie spa offers fantastic treatments – like massage and facials. Or, consider a voucher for some local yoga classes – or a special yoga workshop, like this release, reflect, renew yoga session taking place a few days after Christmas.

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9/ DIY Hamper – Curate Your Own

Create a personalised hamper filled with local delights. Include items like Kentish wine, Tonbridge biscuits, 65mm Coffee beans, and perhaps a candle or two. Wrap it all up in a stylish basket for a thoughtful and unique gift.

If your gift recipient is a meat eater, why not include a gift voucher from Ian Chatfield butchers too.

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10/ EMF Theatre – Comedy Night Tickets

For those who enjoy a good laugh, tickets to a comedy night at the EMF Theatre in Tonbridge make for an entertaining gift. Check their schedule for upcoming performances and secure tickets in advance.

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11/ Creative Experience

Gift a creative experience, like a painting workshop. There are regular “paint nights” at the Maid of Kent on the high street, run by artist Raymond Warren Art. You can find details on the Maid of Kent Facebook page.

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12/ Homeware

Explore the charity shops in Tonbridge for unique homeware pieces. Items like vintage pottery, tea sets, or posh champagne glasses can add a touch of nostalgia and charm to any home.

If you’re not a vintage fan, visit Little Blue Finch (a few doors down from Waitrose) for some lovely homeware items – like photo frames and candles.

Tip – I love pairing a nice set of wine glasses or coffee cups with a bottle of wine or fancy coffee, to make a complete Christmas gift.

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13/ An evening out

One of our favourite bars, Fuggles, offers gift vouchers. This would be an excellent present for a local pub lover – they can redeem the gift vouchers against craft beer, a wide selection of wine or cocktails.

For foodies, Verdigris also sells gift vouchers – available to redeem against meals or drinks.

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14/ Kids toys

The Hospice in the Weald has a dedicated kids store now on the high street. For little ones, this is a great place to gather a few stocking fillers, especially if you’re on a budget. They always have a lovely range of toys, books and clothing.

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15/ Gifts for pooches

We couldn’t write a gift guide and fail to mention gifts for the dogs in our lives. Wolfit on the high street is always my go to for dog gifts. They have a lovely selection of toys, as well as treats (it’s like a doggy pic n mix.) The peanut butter biscuits were always popular in my house!

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