Serving the Teesside Business Community | 87
street
Focus – local businesspeople including Steve
and Laura Claxton (Top of the Hops, above)
and Claire Dalkin (Claires Blooms, below) are
encouraging people to ‘big up’ Stockton.
shops selling the stuff too.
“There was nothing like this in Stockton
and I thought ‘We’ve got to do it before
anyone else does.’
“We sell specialist craft and bottled beer,
and you can come in and enjoy a beer on
draught too. It is great just being able to see
your customers enjoy something and know
that you’ve found it,” says Steve.
“Customers know they are going to get
good service, good beers and they love the
fact that they can come in and we’re here to
serve them.”
Steve and Laura’s knowledge and sheer
enthusiasm is infectious and is the very
essence of Top of the Hops - and perfectly
sums up the warm welcome that Stockton
is keen to offer.
ne
r
gh
hi
“We are here to do what
we can to help. There’s
more and more of a
focus on what the local
shops, businesses and
services have to offer,”
never had anybody come in who hasn’t
produced something they love from one of
the classes.”
A few shops down is iStation, run by
Brian Holmes and his partner Kelly. Got
an iPhone that needs repairing? An iPad
in need of attention? Repairs are their
specialism - but there’s more to it than that.
As a certified independent Apple support
specialist, the business uses its IT expertise
to provide companies across Teesside with
hardware and software support.
“We are licensed by Apple to display
their logo, we repair Apple products but
also serve other businesses,” says Brian.
Customers often seek iStation out on the
internet but the store also sees footfall from
people who need repairs.
“We are seeing repeat customers, so
we also have a loyalty scheme going,” says
Brian.
“We’ve also just taken on an apprentice -
someone who we were put in touch with by
the Daisy Chain charity.”
That very local nature is something
reflected in many of Stockton’s other High
Street trailblazers.
Claire Dalkin owns Claire’s Blooms, a
florist on Dovecot Street. She’s been open
for seven months and has already done
eight weddings - one with just four days’
notice.
She’d love to see more shops coming into
Stockton.
“I enjoy all of it,” says Claire. “There’s lots
of creativity to it, which I love.
“I had a customer who wanted a four-foot
snooker table display - I ended up carving
out all of the base for the flowers by hand
using a spoon, it looked really great when it
was finished!”
Ditto for Top of the Hops. Owned and
run by husband-and-wife team Steven and
Laura Claxton, the craft beer shop is in the
town’s Regency West Mall.
As well as selling a range of specialist and
craft tipples, the premises sells its nectar on
draught and looks and feels just like a cosy
Bruges beer bar - which is where Steve got
the inspiration.
A former upholsterer, he always loved
craft beers and on his stag do in Bruges
came across bars that doubled as retail
BIG UP
#bigupstockton
show some love and sUppoRt FoR yoUR
town oF stockton this sUmmer
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