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Who knew Essex produced pasta And why should you be thinking about gifting locally.

Our county is known for some fantastic produce and is home to many internationally renowned delicacies such as Mersea oysters, Maldon sea salt and Tiptree jams. However, did you know we also produce a range of pasta. Based on the borders of Herts and Essex in Lower Sheering, Carleschi uses locally grown, organic grains to craft their dry pasta which they sell both online and to the trade. 

When, in 2021, Stort Valley Gifting, a Harlow based business, began offering personalised gifting using local food and drink sourced from Herts and Essex, Carleschi was just one of the producers they discovered. Today they work closely with more than forty-five locally based artisans offering custom gifting from individually ribboned chocolate bars suitable for thank yous, on-boarding or webinars, to large gift hampers. Producers are located throughout the region, including Temprd Chocolate in Maldon and The Essex Spirits Co in Chelmsford who are so passionate about sourcing locally that they even use Essex Spring water in their distillation process. Some of the more unusual items you can find include shish marinades from The Kebab Club in Southend-on-Sea and the paper wine bottle from The English Vine in Chelmsford. 

In the run up to the festive season, showing appreciation for both staff and clients is at the forefront of many of our minds, but how can we make our gift memorable and stand out from the crowd.

Local – If you have a favourite local company or somewhere you regularly order from why not ask them if they can assist with your gifting. Even companies who typically may not offer package options throughout the year will often adjust their offerings in the run up to their busy period. Local businesses offer more flexible approaches, adapting to suit your requirements, allowing both collection and direct shipping as well as a more personalised experience. 
Sustainability – How often do we receive a gift and not know what to do with the wicker hamper. It sits at home or on a desk, gathering dust before being donated to a local charity shop. Many companies, Stort Valley Gifting included, provide more sustainable options using recyclable boxes which still look stylish and personalised but are eco-friendlier and cost effective. 
Dietary requirements – Catering for dietary preferences show you care and have taken into consideration the recipient’s needs. Three years ago, a local Electrician chose to include a selection of gluten-free items in their hampers. Unbeknownst to them, the Director was gluten free. Within hours of receiving the hamper she reached out with a personal thank you commenting how no one had ever catered to her allergy and subsequently, the amount of business they are doing together has increased by over 50%. 
Personalisation – It isn’t just about the note you write, it is about ensuring that your branding and message is at the forefront of your gift.  Investing in a ribbon printer – Essex sourced of course – enabling companies to print their logo onto ribbon meant that Stort Valley was able to offer custom messages and branding with no minimum order numbers resulting in 200% growth just over the Christmas period. 
Inclusivity – Remember, not everyone celebrates Christmas. Stort Valley has a policy of avoiding items such as Christmas pudding or Mince Pies and offer Sticky Toffee puddings and Florentines instead. This means that you are not sending people something that they are likely to have received in several hampers but you are enabling the business to reduce waste by using something they can stock year-round.
Adding your own special touch – Unlike larger brands, smaller gifting companies may be willing to work with you to include your own merchandise as part of your package. For example, a plumbing company last year created branded radiator keys and a travel company designed a universal travel adaptor.  This service could even be free of charge. 
Maximising your exposure – With social media playing a key role in the marketing strategies of businesses today, your gifting company, though their channels, can offer you some valuable exposure to others, both regionally and nationally. In 2023, Emma Robson, founder of Stort Valley Gifting, was named one of the UK’s F:Entrepreneur #ialso100 a national campaign by Small Business Britain championing female entrepreneurs. From this, Emma began working with F:Entrepreneur on their gifting. To date, they have sent out over 2000 gifts on behalf of Small Business Britain. When Stort Valley print the ribbon, a story is shared to social media, tagging Small Business Britain, F:Entrepreneur and the products going into the gifts. This often leads to the recipients sharing the gifts once they have been received which in turn gets shared again by Stort Valley, F:Entrepreenur and in many instances, the producers. The reach can be vast. 

A final point to remember is that gifting doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive, nor does it have to be seasonal. Miles Phillips of Miles Marketing, a marketing consultancy and member of the Essex Chamber of Commerce, regularly sends his clients on-boarding, anniversary and birthday gifts.

“Sometimes, at Christmas when people are receiving several hampers they can get lost in the crowd. We find that sending items at other times during the year have a greater impact. In addition, using a small business such as Stort Valley Gifting has meant that we get to personalise it to our budgets and dietary requirements as well as build a relationship with Emma, meet their team, try some of the products and add Miles Marketing branded ribbon onto the packages making it stand out and showing our clients just how much we value their support.”  

Stort Valley Gifting pride themselves on supporting local and extend their passion for everything local to the suppliers they work with, from the carpet and furniture in their offices to their packaging and ribbon printers all being sourced from Essex based companies. Their goal is to share their love of local with others and showcase our region and the food and drink produce within it.

To hear more about Stort Valley Gifting or have a conversation about how they may be able to assist you, please get in touch

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