For all small businesses, the last year or so has been a strange one for all of us here at the Taylor Yates team. It has been a time of great change, from wearing masks to navigating the perils and pitfalls of zoom meetings. However, for us, one of the greatest challenges of the lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland has been the temporary closing of our beautiful boutique’s door.
While we are incredibly lucky to have such a thriving website and the wonderful support of our online customers, our little boutique holds a special place in our heart. Nestled in the middle of stunning Bushmillls, a quaint village-cum-creative hub located right in the heart of the north coast, we have worked hard to carve out a space which is uniquely ours.
Since opening our boutique five years ago, Bushmillls has become a true home for us. Just a stone’s throw from the Giants Causeway, White Rocks beach and the picturesque seaside towns of Portstewart and Portrush, Bushmillls really is the ideal destination for everyone, from the globetrotter to day-tripper to local explorer.
But location is not all this village has to offer. For while Bushmillls may be small in stature it is host to a large number of artists, creatives and small boutiques with more than enough talent and skill to rival the shopping centres of Belfast and Derry. Whatever it is you are looking for you are sure to find it in Bushmills, be it a glamorous new outfit from Therapy Style Studio, a day’s pampering at Bespoke Beauty or a delicious meal from the award-winning Tartine.
But what makes Bushmillls an utterly unique shopping experience is the clear sense of drive and purpose shared by each business and boutique.
Just one example of this is our neighbour, the Designerie, which not only does a wonderful job of exhibiting local artistry but also provides a nurturing workspace for artists and encourages local communities to learn and engage with art. Similarly, we have the famous Bushmills Inn, which is committed to showcasing fine local produce in their world-class restaurant and working to preserve and honour the historical significance of the centuries old building which they inhabit.
This sense of purpose is something we here at Taylor Yates can really appreciate and relate to. We pride ourselves on being an ethically minded and purpose driven brand who strive to keep social innovation at the heart of everything we do. This is why we choose Bushmills as the ideal place to open our very first boutique – and the decision has really paid off. Being surrounded by like-minded businesses has been invaluable in helping us establish ourselves within the community and the overwhelming friendship and support we have received has allowed us to confidently develop our own distinct presence on the high street.
Just like when creating our bags, we wanted our boutique to be thoughtfully designed and beautifully made and we are proud to say that today our boutique offers a warm, friendly, tranquil space which not only showcases our beautiful bags, but which highlights and embodies the strong values and principles that sit at the forefront of everything we do here at Taylor Yates: sustainability and social consciousness.
But what we have missed most of all about our boutique is the customers. There is nothing we enjoy more than welcoming customers in with open (and socially distanced) arms. At Taylor Yates we love meeting new people. We love answering questions. We love giving stye advice. We love telling our story. And most of all we love talking about our bags, because we believe whole heartedly in our products and our mission and are always enthusiastic to share our excitement and passion with our customers.
That is why, with restriction lifting and the summer months promising some sunny days ahead, we are overjoyed that the boutique is now reopened, and are welcoming customers back. So if your in the area feel free to pop in and say hello and see all the exciting changes we have made to the boutique while you’ve been way.