Celebrating Sherborne and Our Community of Independent Businesses
Visit Dorset’s new Nature & Culture campaign is launched today, and, as our shop The Country Crib is featured, we thought we’d take this opportunity to celebrate our vibrant town of Sherborne, where our shop is situated, along with the beautiful surrounding areas of Dorset.
Check out Visit Dorset’s new video below. We were delighted to be featured in Visit Dorset’s campaign. The potted dahlias looked amazing outside the shop and it was a pleasure to help promote tourism for Sherborne and the rest of Dorset!
Why We Chose Sherborne
We were originally drawn to Sherborne for its welcoming high street, the lively atmosphere of Cheap Street - where our shop proudly stands - and the sheer abundance of independent businesses like ours.
We spotted a clear gap for high-quality, sustainable home, garden, and self-care products, and were attracted by the strong support locals show for the town's many small independent shops, just like ours.
Our Ethos at The Country Crib
The Country Crib is grounded in a deep appreciation for nature and gardening, as well as a commitment to ethical, sustainable practices.
The Country Crib is dedicated to using natural materials, prioritising local sourcing, and maintaining a plastic-free commitment. Our own collection of handcrafted apparel and accessories is entirely designed and made in-house at our Sherborne studio, using GOTS-certified organic cotton and linen.
For our curated range, we conduct thorough due diligence on every brand, ensuring the materials, ethical manufacturing, and origins of the makers meet our standards. For self-care products and greeting cards, we prioritise small-batch and independent UK makers. In certain cases, we intentionally source specific, high-quality items from further afield—such as garden tools from Japan and terracotta pots from Tuscany. We are committed to being plastic-free and try to avoid single-use plastics in both products and packaging (for example, all greeting cards use compostable covers), and all incoming packaging is recycled or reused for online orders.
Celebrating Sherborne’s Independent Spirit and Focus on Sustainability
We love the town of Sherborne and are fortunate to know some amazing small independents who share our ethos of sustainability, local sourcing, and a passion for design. Here are a few of our favourites:
· Lemon
One of our favourite destinations for designer vintage finds, Lemon offers a carefully hand-sourced selection of sustainable pieces curated by its owner, Claire.
Address: Lemon, 81 Cheap Street, Sherborne
· The Green – A local institution, this family-run restaurant is renowned for its dedication to locality and freshness, creating innovative dishes with seasonally and locally sourced ingredients from Westcountry suppliers. The Green is always a firm favourite.
Address: The Green, 3 The Green
· Olivers Coffee House – With deep local roots, Olivers is owned by a Sherborne native who is committed to supporting the local economy and minimising waste by sourcing ingredients from other local businesses within a few miles.
Address: Olivers, 19 Cheap Street, Sherborne
· Bean Shot – This speciality coffee roaster is known for its “Bloody Good Coffee” (their slogan, and it’s true!). The expert team of baristas is committed to social and environmental sustainability, forging fair partnerships with coffee farmers worldwide. Their intricate latte art is not to be missed—be sure to visit next time you’re in Sherborne.
Address: Bean Shot, 3 Johnson’s Courtyard, South St, Sherborne
Blackshed Flowers – A family-run cut flower farm, Blackshed Flowers is dedicated to sustainability, growing a wide variety of beautiful, seasonal flowers and foliage without chemicals or pesticides, using the No Dig method. The blooms for our Friday Flower bouquets are sourced from the lovely team at Blackshed. We are in awe of their passion and hard-working dedication to flower farming.
Address: Blackshed Flowers, Dodds Cross, Sherborne @blackshedflowers
· Ogilvy and More – This shop curates fine foods and gifts, including local artisan products, and is active in waste reduction through the Too Good To Go initiative. Located just a stone’s throw from Sherborne Abbey, it’s the perfect spot for people-watching.
Address: Oglivy and More, Half Moon Street, Sherborne
· Blue Zebra – Situated in the heart of Cheap Street, Blue Zebra offers organic children’s clothes, wooden toys, and traditional gifts. Polly, the founder and mother of four, warmly welcomes customers to her beautiful store and is a true champion of fellow independents.
Address: Blue Zebra, 46B Cheap St, Sherborne
· Vineyards – An independent wine merchant in Sherborne with several accolades, Vineyards carefully sources excellent quality wines from honest winemakers.
Address: Vineyards, 9 Old Yarn Mills, Westbury, Sherborne
We want to give a special shout-out to the Sherborne Times, a wonderful monthly publication that champions local talent, crafts, and the brilliant community we love so much.
The Country Crib’s studio and store can be found at 18a Cheap Street, Sherborne, DT9 3PX. Online store here
https://www.visit-dorset.com