How to support local businesses
It has always been important to support our local businesses, but now, during these uncertain times, they need our help more than ever.
In Aberdeen you can find a local business for all your needs, and although many shops are closed for the time being, plenty of outlets are offering contact-free delivery or collection to ensure customers and employees are kept safe.
To help you support local and small businesses, we’ve created a list of some of the many that you can reach in Aberdeen. We’d love to hear who you are supporting – let us know on our Facebook page.
Food and Drink
There’s no shortage of places in Aberdeen to find high quality and fresh produce. Butcher at the Brig is a local family-run business in the Bridge of Don and is currently offering home deliveries of meat packs. They’ve also teamed up with other local businesses, including The Bread Guy and Katy’s Eggs, so that customers can receive all of their groceries in one order. This not only reduces the number of times you need to leave your house, it also means you are supporting a local business and getting fresh, quality produce straight to your door.
Enjoy a gin tasting in your own home with an array of spirits local to Aberdeen, including Teasmith, Esker, and Porter’s. The North-East of Scotland has been named the world’s best destination for producing gin, so what better way to celebrate them than raising a glass from the comfort of your own home?
Local vegetarian café Foodstory is bringing the cafe to your very own kitchen with contact free deliveries, online recipes and advice, arts and crafts and live yoga sessions. The café has also set up a fundraising platform so that people can place orders and help vulnerable groups, those in isolation or NHS workers by providing food packages delivered straight to their door. By supporting Foodstory, you’ll also be supporting those in the community who need help the most at this time.
Things to Do
Plenty of companies are taking to offering online activities and classes to keep people occupied during COVID-19. North East production company Right Here Productions has produced an online murder mystery game for people to play at home, with plans for family-friendly games to be launched soon. Get your friends together and take part in some virtual games at the weekend.
Hairdressers and barbers including Linton and Mac, Harris and Fox, Vanity Studio and Sovereign are also offering online tips to help everyone look after themselves until they can welcome customers back to their salons.
It’s important at this time to keep our bodies and minds healthy and fit, especially when we are indoors more often. There are lots of free online fitness and wellness classes to join, so why not get your whole family involved, or get your friends together (virtually) to do an online yoga class at the same time each week? Urban Wellness Hub is running online yoga classes with local yoga instructor Emma, and live wellness sessions on the Facebook page throughout the week.
Home and Interiors
As we spend more time at home than ever, we’ll all begin to notice things that we’d like to update and refresh – and what better time to do so? Aberdeen’s version of Marie Kondo, The Tidy Coo, is offering support via her blog, social media, and has plans to provide virtual webinars to help people organise their space. Get the whole household involved to give your home a big spring clean.
Local independent furniture shop Annie Mo’s dates back to 1992. While the shop is closed for now, Annie Mo’s is offering delivery in the Aberdeen area for those looking to give their home a spring revamp.
Curated Stories is an independent store in Aberdeen offering fashion, accessories, toys, gifts and books. Its online store is perfect for a browse, with hand packaged goods being delivered to your door until you can visit the shop in person.