PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA'S No.1 for ARTS, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Make and The Craft Kitchen

You may remember that last year boutique craft store Make which was based on Albert Road moved home to a bigger and better premises in Fratton. Due to high demand for classes and a serious lack of space, owner Nicky decided to start searching for a larger shop. On an island city such as ours space really is at a premium and the hope of finding such a place in Southsea proved fruitless.

Fortunately, a retail space became available in Fratton which had a history of textile retail and plenty of room for learning, crafting and socialising. By this time Nicky had decided to join forces with Hesta who dreamed of having a cafe and functional kitchen which would allow her to teach baking and cooking skills. After much waiting, and some serious hard work refurbishing the building, Make and The Craft Kitchen opened its doors late last year.

The space is large, inviting and multi-purpose. With an excellent retail selection of fabric, yarn, paper crafts and haberdashery alongside a cafe serving breakfasts, lunches and homemade cakes. There is also a young children’s play area where babies and toddlers can play safely whilst parents and carers sit with a tea and maybe a craft project.

I feel that Make is more than a shop; it is a social community space which is already being accessed by various local groups and benefiting the people around it.

I spoke to Nicky and Hesta and asked them how they’re settling into the local area. They said that the Fratton Traders Association are working together to attract more visitors to the area which recently benefitted from a National Lottery grant. Nicky mentioned that in many cases businesses and individuals from the creative industries have moved into struggling areas and really helped to improve things (projects that may be of interest such as New York’s High Line or areas of London like Peckham and its Bussey Building). The statistics do support that these changes do indeed occur, take a look at this Financial Times article for proof.

Another benefit is that the mezzanine floor of the building offers an affordable studio space for artists, designers and makers. The studio is currently my home (Ooh la Lapin) and also that of illustrator Roma-May Daly of Roma May Design. There is currently space available to rent so get in touch if you are looking for a creative studio space.

It is hoped that Make and The Craft Kitchen will encourage other creatives and businesses to make Fratton their home. There are lots of events to look forward to this year including a Spring Make Off competition, exhibitions, talks, workshops and much more.

You can find Make and The Craft Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.


 


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