Not on the high street – Valentine’s Day gifts from Brixton’s own markets

If you’re keen to avoid the high street in the run up to Valentine’s Day (Saturday!), read on for Brixton Blog contributor Sophie McIntyre’s local gift ideas.

First to the essential part, the card… Hallmark-style ‘Valentines’ cards are unsurprisingly not easy to find in Brixton’s markets, but you can safely head to the following boutiques for something romantic, and a little off-beat: Brix, 20 Storey, Turpentine and Diverse (both Coldharbour Lane).

Flowers – a Valentine’s staple. The flower man by the tube is always a good bet, but pop into Brixton Village’s only florist and vintage shop, Leona, to order something a little more special.

Jewellery’s always a winner. If this is your bent, head to Turpentine for local Brixton designers, such as Jude de Berker, Rodology and Katie’s Bike, or to Brix for designs from BY Emily, Daniel Darby and Bobbin and Bow. The latter also stocks fantastic heart tiles from Juan is Dead and amusing and alternative cards from Faye Moorhouse.

Quirky boutiques aside, there is also Full Moon Designs for beautiful natural stones set in a simple and elegant way.

If your lover’s a bit of a foodie, then the order of the day might be breakfast in bed, fresh from the market. Why not pop down and pick up some treats from the delis of Wild Caper, Salon or Cornucopia?

If they have a sweet tooth, then Ms Cupcake has fantastic a selection of sweet treats, including the red velvet variety.
And there’s always the last minute bottle of fizz, and at Market Row Wines you can currently get two bottles of prosecco for 20 quid and bottles of champagne starting at £16.99.
Good luck!