Born of Botanics

Founded in 2016, Born of Botanics started out as ‘The Little Yorkshire Candle Company’ but has since expanded to offer much, much more. The shop is owned by Alex, who spent her childhood experimenting with scents while making perfumes from the flowers in her garden. Now a mother herself, she turned to candle making after struggling to find a brand that didn’t affect her and her son’s asthma. Born of Botanics natural candles are made at the company’s unit in York’s Eco Business Centre using a soya, coconut, and beeswax blend and aromatic essential oils. There are many enticing scents to choose from, including the ‘Sleep’ candle with sweet lavender, lavandin and chamomile, or ‘Beachcombing’, which features ‘ozonic notes of sea mist and rainfall’. There’s also ‘Puddle Jumping’, which conjures up memories of playful days spent outdoors with its scent of damp soil, flowers, golden amber and dry woods. Each candle is supplied in a metal tin, glass jar or decorative bone china pot. If you’re after a different kind of fragrant gift, Born of Botanics also sells handmade home, bath and bodycare products, including atmosphere mists, soap and shampoo bars. 

Drake’s Fish & Chips

Drake’s came to York in 2010, rising from the ashes of the former Petergate Fisheries after it was destroyed in a fire. This family-run fish and chip shop serves up freshly battered cod and haddock, which is sustainably sourced and cooked the traditional way in beef dripping. You can enjoy chips cut from Yorkshire potatoes here and many of the other ingredients used are also grown or made locally. Drake’s is currently managed by Sara Drake, who has seen the business go from strength to strength since she took over two years ago. The restaurant has recently undergone a transformation and now boasts a stylishly updated interior with a brand new conservatory to dine in. You’ll still find all your chip shop favourites on the menu here, including banana fritters or battered mars bar for dessert. Drake’s also offers plenty of gluten free options and has a great, varied drinks menu, which is curated by Barrique Fine Wines and York Gin.

Crumbs Cupcakery

Situated on College Street, this cosy coffee and cupcake shop has an outdoor seating area which offers an impressive view of the nearby York Minster. Crumbs is owned by twin sisters Charlotte and Jennifer Davison, who bake all of their delicious cupcakes on site. There are many tempting flavours to choose from and each cake is creatively styled with swirls of frosting and sweet decorations. You can try a tribute to Snickers, made with peanut butter buttercream and caramel. There’s also the Chocolate Orange, Raspberry Bakewell and the Victoria 99 – a fluffy vanilla sponge that’s filled with jam and topped with buttercream, sprinkles and a chocolate flake. For special occasions, Crumbs also offers a ‘posh’ afternoon tea with dainty finger sandwiches, brownie, scones and cupcakes, served with tea or coffee.

Ossie Studio

Located in SPARK, Ossie is a modern self-care space where you can relax and enjoy some much needed pampering time or work on your fitness. The studio was founded by hair and make-up artist Alice Lindsay and her talented team offer a wide range of services, from brow shaping and lash tinting to hydrating facials and Swedish massage. You can up your nail game here with gel polish by Alex or a Bio Sculpture manicure from Olivia. You can also join in with fitness classes such as yoga, barre, aerobics or dance fitness. These classes are suitable for all levels of ability and take place in a chic, contemporary environment. Ossie hosts regular social events and workshops with some brilliant guests – keep an eye on their website to find out what’s happening next.

Melk

This friendly bakery and coffee shop started its life in a shipping container at SPARK before moving into its premises on Clifford Street. It’s owned by pastry chef and chocolatier Georgia Victory, who is inspired by the Scandinavian style and the idea of keeping things simple. Melk has a light and airy interior with lots of natural wood and pastel hues. You can eat brunch here with options like indulgent sweet and savoury waffles, brunch burritos or a cooked breakfast. Alternatively, those with a sweet tooth can enjoy sampling the cafe’s scrumptious brownies and blondies, or their homemade marshmallows. ‘Melk’ means ‘milk’ in Norwegian and you can also sip a warming Belgian hot chocolate here, made with real white, milk or dark chocolate flakes.

Studio & I

Run by Lisa Harding and JJ Motto, this welcoming shop and studio can be found on Goodramgate. Studio & I sells art prints, clothing and Wax Lass candles, as well as offering beautiful and intricate tattoos by JJ herself and piercings by Julia Ward. The shop has a cool, creative vibe and aims to be a LGBTQ+ friendly space with a ‘fun atmosphere where self expression is encouraged.’ If you’re a little nervous ahead of your next inking, the team here will soon have you feeling at ease and can advise on size and positioning to get your tattoo just right. As well as having their own skilled artists, Studio & I regularly brings in guest tattooists like Kaylum Mann and Bunnie.Tatz. The shop also hosts one day takeovers from some brilliant artists, creators and brands.

Flori Bakery

Seasonal neighbourhood bakery Flori can be found on Nunnery Lane, where it sells freshly baked pastries four days a week. Flori is owned by Charlotte Rodgers, who ran Lotte the Baker at SPARK before expanding into her own city centre cafe, which is named after her son. One of the bakery’s best offerings is its pastel de nata, which Lotte learned to make while working in Lisbon. You’ll also find pastries topped with fresh custard, cream and fruit here, along with seasonal specials like handmade semla – Swedish Shrove Tuesday buns. Flori has its own allotment where some of the fruit and herbs used in its pastries are grown. If the cafe continues to be successful, Lotte and her team have no plans to open further stores. In an Instagram post they say, ‘Growth has never been about expanding the bakery. Growth is working with more local farmers and millers… learning how to successfully grow our own allotment produce [and] connecting to our customers who have become little producers and makers.’

Howl

Situated on Castlegate, Howl is a laid back café bar that specialises in natural wines and craft beers. Hannah and her team work with importers from around the world to offer a small but expertly curated wine list that champions small and independent makers. You can buy red, white, rose and orange wine by the glass here and, if you’re not sure what to try, the friendly staff are always happy to share their knowledge and help you pick. If you’re feeling hungry, Howl serves a range of small plates that perfectly complement their wines. On the menu here, you’ll find sourdough from the Bluebird Bakery, which can be topped with Lishman’s ‘nduja or Ortiz sardines. Alternatively, you could opt for a Howl Sharing Plate, which includes your choice of two charcuterie meats, two cheeses and olives, accompanied by bread, chutney and crackers.

Angela Bare

This quirky clothing and accessories shop was established in 2013, when founder Angela Langton found herself bedbound after a serious accident. Looking for a way to stave off boredom, she began to sell corsets on Facebook. This enterprise rapidly grew, leading to her opening her first physical shop in Bridlington in 2014. Angela Bare’s York store on Clifford Street now stocks fun and exciting designs by nearly 30 different brands from across the globe. You can pick up character clothing by Cakeworthy here, along with pretty retro dresses from Hearts and Roses, handbags by Yoshi and unique shoes from Hot Chocolate. Angela herself hails from a family of shoemakers and has recently launched her own Alice in Wonderland-inspired shoe collection, which can also be found in the shop.

LICC

York-based luxury ice cream company LICC started out in 2010 and their mouthwatering gelato can now be found in shops around the city, including their own. LICC’s traditional Italian gelato and sorbets are freshly made by owner Steph Blair and her family, and there are 24 inventive flavours to try each day. These include Turkish Delight, watermelon, birthday cake, kiwi, Pina Colada and espresso with chocolate coffee beans. If you’re dairy free, there’s no need to worry – LICC serves vegan, dairy free and gluten free gelato and they have even created an extra special ice cream for your doggie friends! At their cafe on Back Swinegate you can buy an ice cream to take away or dine in and enjoy desserts such as waffles, sundaes, cookie slabs or an extravagant freakshake.

The Bishy Weigh

This much-loved eco shop on Bishy Road was founded in 2018 by Alice Hildred and offers refills of hundreds of ingredients, toiletries and cleaning products. You’ll find all of your store cupboard staples and personal care essentials here, including rice, pasta, dried fruit and nuts, oils, syrups and tofu, as well as laundry detergent, washing up liquid, shampoo, conditioner and much more. The Bishy Weigh sells a variety of great plastic free gifts and you can also pick up locally baked cake to take away with you. As you only pay for what you need, shopping here helps you to cut down on both your spending and waste. You can bring your own reusable containers to fill, but if you don’t have any yet you can purchase these from the shop. For those living locally, there’s also the option to order online and collect or even have your shopping delivered to your doorstep by an emissions free courier. 

Little Blondie Bakehouse

Run by Rachel Chambers and her husband, Adam, this bijou cafe sells delicious cakes to eat in or take away. The business started in Rachel’s kitchen at home, when she started to bake brownies and other goodies to sell in local farm shops and cafes. Last year, she opened her own shop in Flori’s former premises on Walmgate. The Little Blondie Bakehouse is a fabulous place to stop for a coffee, with an eye-catching pink exterior and neon signage inside. The cafe is open four days a week and sells all kinds of enticing baked goods, including impeccably decorated cupcakes, NYC style cookies and, of course, its signature blondies. On the Little Blondie Bakehouse’s drinks menu, you’ll find fresh coffee from Darkwoods in Slaithwaite, which sometimes comes adorned with impressive latte art. You can also choose from a range of iced fruit teas and matcha.