Steppr: Brilliant Gifts From Small UK Brands, For Less

If you love supporting small UK businesses (especially around Christmas!) you’ll know the best gifts often aren’t found on the big platforms. The only problem? Shopping at smaller businesses can get expensive. And, finding something thoughtful takes time.

Recently, I found a clever website that makes it easy to support smaller businesses and save money at the same time. It’s called Steppr, and honestly… I wish I’d found it sooner.

With Steppr, you can explore fantastic independent businesses from across the UK, all in one place, without needing to hunt them down yourself.

Below, I’ll explain how it works and share a few of my standout finds for amazing Christmas gifts this year.

What’s Steppr?

Steppr is a UK-only platform full of independent businesses: from skincare and cookware to English wine, hampers, jewellery, dog accessories, flowers and more.

You simply:

1. Choose a brand
2. Buy a voucher 
3. Pay less than it’s worth

If you buy another one, the discount increases even more. For example:

• £50 voucher → you pay £35
• Buy another £50 voucher from the same brand → you pay £25

Some brand discounts go much higher. Plus, during the buying process you can select that the voucher is a gift (I explain later), and they’ll send it to whoever you want at a specific date and time.

So instead of trawling aimlessly for great, non-run-of-the-mill gifts, Steppr gives you access to genuinely interesting independents at lower prices.

What’s in it for the businesses? They get new customers, and the Steppr platform itself doesn’t actually take a cut from their voucher sales, so it really looks like a win-win!

Why it’s brilliant for Christmas

December is expensive, increasingly so. Secret Santas, teacher presents, family gifts – whatever your relationships are, it all adds up. For me, it can be a little stressful, and that can take away from the enjoyment of the time of year we all look forward to.

Enter Steppr! It helps you:

• Shop small
• Save money
• Give something thoughtful

Vouchers are usually for a brand’s full range, not only individual items or services, so you don’t have to spend ages finding out exactly what you’re really getting from the fine print.

Sending Steppr’s vouchers as gifts

The feature I love: You can schedule gifts to arrive by email at a date + time you choose.

So you can:

• Send Christmas morning surprises
• Set up a Secret Santa reveal
• Get ahead and schedule everything now
• Cover last-minute gifting
• Send something lovely to friends/family far away

You just enter:

• Their name
• Their email
• A personal message
• …then choose the delivery date/time

It’s personalised, tidy, thoughtful, and only takes about 30 seconds. And of course, no prices (except the voucher’s redeemable value) are shown to the recipient.

Stand-out finds on Steppr

There are some great brands I’ve found on Steppr. And as with every business selling vouchers on Steppr, they all offer discounts on first purchases, followed by even bigger follow-on discounts. Each of their pages on Steppr shows you exactly what their discounts are. Here are some of the ones I’m eyeing up right now…

Grape Britannia

Award-winning English & Welsh wine specialist with 250+ wines across sparkling, white, rosé, red, orange and sweet. This will be great for celebrating or discovering new vineyards. (hic)

Grounded Body Scrub

Founded by former Dragons’ Den contestants, which is interesting! A leading UK skincare brand focused on natural anti-ageing + body care. Handmade products that support skin health while smelling incredible.

Wine Garden of England

These vouchers were featured in The Guardian. They’re different to Steppr’s other vouchers for wine businesses in that these ones are valid for tours, tastings and bottles at a number of different (award-winning!) vineyards in Kent. So if you’re near London, it’s easy enough to get to vineyards like Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Balfour, Westwell and more. This looks brilliant!

Earthy Gifts Limited

Premium cookware from the Berlinger Haus collection. They look stylish and durable, so I’m thinking of friends who have recently moved house and need cookware urgently.

Elizabeth Rose Wines

Independent English-wine specialists showcasing standout UK producers. I like these because they almost have a boutique feel. Stocking filler anyone?

Rita Farhi

Luxury chocolatier featured in Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. This will be dangerous for anyone who doesn’t finish them before making their anti-chocolate New Year’s resolutions. 

QWERTY Beer Box

This looks like the perfect thing for craft-beer fans, and people who like trying different flavours. I have a few people on my list, so will definitely be making use of Steppr’s follow-on, higher discounts.

Plants By Post

This looks similar to Patch plants. You can buy hand-picked indoor and outdoor plants that are sent to you in the post (they state UK-wide).

Amber Hue Candles

Who doesn’t love fancy candles! They’re featured in Tatler and Close Up. They state their candles are hand-poured, and they also have wax melts and reed diffusers, designed to create calm, cosy ambience.

Monty & Ridge

Award-winning personalised hampers inspired by the outdoors (filled with artisan food, drink, pampering sets and mini-adventures). I love receiving hampers as Christmas gifts, so this makes a lot of sense to me.

Using Steppr for Christmas presents

If you’re trying to give thoughtful gifts this year, and without blowing the budget, then Steppr is genuinely worth a look. They need to be better known!

You get:

• Access to vouchers from fantastic independent businesses
• Discounts that steadily increase
• Easy, personalised gifting
• Feel good supporting small businesses!

Whether you’re buying for a foodie, a wine lover, a skincare fanatic, a couple who’d love a vineyard day out, or, let’s be honest, yourself(!), there’s something for everyone.

Explore Steppr, and happy gifting!