Passionate about gifting
How it all began
After nearly 20 years working in the educational travel and international sector including periods travelling in the U.S. designing bespoke student programmes – Emma found herself made redundant during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Never one to sit still, Emma didn’t waste a moment. That same day, she along with her husband Rob made the bold decision to pursue Emma’s idea of starting a small business to share their love of artisan drinks and independent producers with a wider audience.
Within 24 hours, Stort Valley Gifting was born and Emma, with the support of Rob, embarked on a journey selling Riverside Spirits – a collection of flavoured gin, vodka, rum and whisky – directly to customers and to local retailers on a wholesale basis. Riverside Spirits, a small family-run business based in Cheshire, is owned by Emma’s cousins and shares the same values of quality and authenticity.
FROM LOCAL ROOTS TO NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The business grew rapidly; mere months after launch, Stort Valley Gifting had outgrown its original unit and was being approached by local companies eager to collaborate. This prompted a move to Weston House in The Maltings, Sawbridgeworth, where the product offering expanded to include sparkling wine, craft beer, cider, locally roasted coffee, handmade chocolates, and artisan, local produce hampers.
In July 2023, the team relocated to their current home at West Place, Harlow, known as the Hamper Hub which is home to their showroom, offices, event space, and warehouse, allowing them to expand and meet the needs of even more clients and customers.
Today, Stort Valley Gifting partners with over 45 independent producers from across Hertfordshire and Essex, offering a curated selection of more than 300 premium food and drink lines — many of which feature in their branded corporate hampers and personalised gifting solutions.
Over the years, Stort Valley Gifting has gained respect both locally and nationally beginning in 2022 when the company was proud to be featured in Small Business Saturday’s #SmallBiz100, spotlighting outstanding small businesses throughout the UK. This led to Emma being recognised as one of the UK’s Most Inspirational Female Entrepreneurs by the F:Entrepreneur #iAlso100 campaign in 2023.
More recently Stort Valley Gifting was named Micro Business of the Year – East of England by the Federation of Small Businesses which led to Emma being invited to speak on a regional panel at the FSB Essex Boot Camp 2024.