Meet some of our vendors.
My experience with TBG began last Summer at the Village Green Festival. I had been creating for a year prior and working to build more brand awareness which is tricky when its solely you working on all parts of the business alone, from creating to marketing. I was and still am so grateful to have taken the step in taking part in that first Trade Fayre. I was nervous, but each event I have taken part in has , made me feel uplifted, brought business growth and one that is really great is community building! Meeting and supporting other like-minded individuals who are going through the same tough work, and with Tillie & her team’s support is truely amazing! I wouldn’t be at this stage of my business so far without TBG, thank-you!!
@lidiarosannarusso
When I first joined TBG, I have just moved to Colchester and I was looking to expand my brand outside London, where I used to live. Right from the 1st event I took part with TBG, I knew I had joined a club on a mission to achieve greater things. 2 years on, and TBG has achieved what they set out to do, ‘Take Over the High Street’. They are now standing tall and competing with the big department stores in town. The TBG are professional, organised, determined yet humble and easygoing. They are fair and they have the Makers/Traders at heart. I have now established a great following around Essex, thanks to the exposure I got through TBG. Our gorgeous African print fabrics and products are now part of many households which is an awesome thing. Thank you TBG for being awesome and for thinking outside all the boxes to ensure us small businesses continue to thrive.
@afrocentric805
The Bearded Gypsy Trade Fayre has been such a supportive community to be a part of. Tillie and her team welcomed me when my business was no more than a few months old. I now feel like I am part of the pop up club family. Tillie works incredibly hard to champion small, independent, creative businesses. I have really appreciated the support received through lockdown, thank you TPUC!
@beadedblooms
Being a part of the Bearded Gypsy Fayre has been the highlight of my past year of business. Every event and Pop Up Shop has been executed with such fun and professionalism and I have gained not only amazing sales but lovely customer feedback, social media growth and met some amazing small businesses like myself to share our stories and highs and lows. It’s truly a great community to be a part of and I can’t wait to see what I can be a part of in the future years to come!
@rickusra
Tillie and her team at the Bearded Gypsy are passionate and dedicated in the promotion of small creative businesses. I have been lucky to be part of two of their Pop Ups on Bond Street Chelmsford. I loved that I could sell my jewellery in a unique shop with gorgeous products that stand out from anything you would find on the high street.
You can see the love of what they do in every detail from the professional and original shop displays, the promotion of the traders, to the dedicated work they do behind the scenes. They also have fantastic knowledge to adapt and change, like hosting virtual pops online when the shops have been closed during covid 19.
I work from my home workshop in Leigh-on-Sea so becoming a trader with TBG means I can be part of a community of like minded creatives. Having this platform has allowed my creativity to grow and put my jewellery out there in a way I never would have had the confidence to do before, thank you Tillie and her team!
@metallustjewellery
I am delighted to be part of what is now my second pop up shop with The Bearded Gypsy. Their first pop up last Christmas was just amazing for me and my brand so I jumped at the chance at a second opportunity. The customers I gained and the exposure exceeded my expectations. If you are a small business making and selling your own hand made products, its very difficult to get yourself noticed amongst the sea of larger high street brands. Tillie and Lena from The Bearded Gypsy champion businesses like mine and have been an absolute lifeline to helping me grow, be seen and heard locally. I already have many repeat customers who initially discovered me from the Christmas Bond Street pop up.
The pop-up shop has been a great opportunity to introduce my business to more customers. The shop is lovely, very well decorated, organised and has a cosy atmosphere. It’s layout makes it easy for people to browse all of everyone’s products. The Pop-up Club team is made up of wonderful people who appreciate handmade work and small businesses. They are always ready to help us even in difficult times like the lock-down. I will continue recommending and participating in all their great events, thank you very much guys!
@latinoaccessories
‘The Pop-up Club has given me a great place to present my work, in a brilliant location, with minimal stress! Everything can run in the background while I continue working on other things. The atmosphere in the shop was so relaxed and inviting, the whole team really nailed it, and I can’t wait to work with them again.’
TBG is an incredible initiative for independent makers to engage with through events and pop ups, and gave me one of my first experiences of selling my work outside of Colchester. As a small business selling handmade items, stepping into a world that feels completely saturated with mass produced products can feel really daunting – but the work they do to support, showcase and empower small businesses is like no other I’ve experienced. I’ve taken part in one market and one pop up shop so far, and can’t wait to be involved in more alongside other wonderful makers I have met through TBG.
@croucherli
photo credit: Grace Elizabeth Photography
Tillie and the team are professional, supportive and they really care about supporting small businesses like myself. I love working with them, and I give them credit with helping me be the small business I wanted to be and have become.