While Bedminster may have its share of high street chains such as Boots, Asda and Aldi, it's also home to some great independent shops and businesses.
North Street in particular is a great destination for those seeking extraordinary gifts that are far more fun to unwrap than that Lynx gift set you were going to resort to:
Rhubarb Jumble
Rhubarb Jumble
Rhubarb Jumble is a well loved treasure trove of ‘nifty threads and oddities for the home’, including vintage clothes, bags, hats, pins, scarves, homeware, furniture and kitchenalia.
It’s the sort of place where hunting down presents is as much of a treat as the gift itself, as you’re surrounded by an enchanting world of retro Babycham coupettes, ornate mirrors, Lea Stein glass brooches and old children’s toys.
Rhubarb Jumble, 52 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1HJ
Auraura
Auraura
A family run store founded back in 2010, Auraura is one of North Street’s favourite gift shops, known for packing its small space with perfect present potential.
Its range of homeware and gifts span everything from retro style tins to artisanal soaps, as well as Christmas products like twee decorations and alternative advent calendars.
Auraura, 26 North Street, Bristol, BS3 IHW
Paper Village
Paper Village
Paper Village is an art, craft, wool and fabric shop, which doubles up as a community resource and workshop space. Here, you’ll be able to cater for the crafty, creative types this Christmas with high quality sketchbooks, decopatch and decoupage kits, seasonal patterned fabrics, rubber stamps, handmade paper and more.
Over the Christmas season Paper Village is also extending its opening hours, throwing the doors open on Sundays 11am–3pm, along with later closing times on selected days.
Paper Village, 200 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1JF
Upfest Gallery
Shaun Curnow
From the team responsible for Europe’s largest free street art and graffiti festival, at the Upfest Gallery –the city’s longest running urban art gallery – you can peruse a huge and varied selection of urban, illustration and contemporary artwork.
You'll also find spray paint, limited run artist-shirts and street art, graffiti and Bristol related books.
Upfest Gallery, 198 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1JF
Glass Designs & Gallery
Glass Design & Gallery
Glass Designs is a stained glass gallery and gift shop on North Street managed by Claire Dadswell, who has worked as a professional stained glass designer and maker for almost two decades.
In-store you’ll find stained glass mirrors, hangings and lamps as well as handmade ceramics, prints of local scenes, wine glasses and more. Priding itself on stocking pieces for people of all ages, there’s also a playful selection of glass animals and birds that may prove particularly popular with children.
Glass Designs & Gallery, 261 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1JN
Tobacco Factory Christmas Market
Tobacco Factory Market
The Tobacco Factory hosts a weekly market every Sunday. But come December it gets the festive treatment, allowing you to make your Christmas one that supports local and independent traders.
With over 50 stalls from some of the area’s favourite names in food, drink and crafts, you can also warm up with mulled drinks and hot chestnuts while cracking on with your shopping.
Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Bristol, BS3 1TF
Looking for more shopping suggestions? Take a look at our guides for Clifton Village and Gloucester Road.