Briony Whitehouse picks her top Cambridge traders for Small Business Saturday

Popular lifestyle influencer Briony Whitehouse has teamed up with Small Business Saturday – held on December 3 – to showcase some of Cambridge’s best products and services.

Briony is founder and editor of the award-winning blog A Girl, A Style, which was established in 2010 and is today recognised as one of the UK’s most popular fashion and lifestyle blogs. She moved to Cambridge around eight years ago.

Covering fashion, beauty and lifestyle, A Girl, A Style has been praised by Elle Magazine, Cosmopolitan Magazine and The Telegraph.

“I write and edit a blog, that’s a mixture of fashion and lifestyle and travel and things that I like doing in Cambridge,” said Briony. “I started that roughly when I moved here because I was working in a very intense job in the home office and this was a creative outlet for me. It was also a way to share the things I was doing and the exhibitions I was going to go.”

Small Business Saturday this weekend aims to encourage people to visit small local firms, and in 2015 around 25 million consumers showed their support- spending £623million in independent shops.

Following recent research that found 61 per cent of people will last-minute-shop for Christmas gifts and 85 per cent would go out of our way to go back to a small shop with a great product or service, American Express has partnered with influencers across the country to reveal the UK’s Shop Small ‘Signature’ products and services.

Briony said: “I’ve lived here eight years and one of my favourite things about Cambridge is the wonderful community of business, cafes, shops and independents that you can only find here. And

As a reward for supporting small businesses, and to further inspire people to Shop Small, American Express Cardmembers will be given £5 statement credit every time they spend £10 or more with their Card at participating small businesses between December 3 and December 18 – funded solely by American Express.

Here are Briony’s merchants and signature products/services:

:: Hot Numbers in Gwydir St and Trumpington Street

Signature product: Its signature flat whites come with a side of jazz with live music on Thursday and Friday evenings, as well as on Sunday afternoons, and a rotation of local art on the walls.

Set up by Simon Frazer the coffee shop has thrived since it opened in 2012, serving up coffee made from homemade beans by day and jazz gigs by night. Its success led to the opening of a second branch.

:: 6 Ice Cream in Benedict Street

Signature product: Cambridge Cream (its signature combination of honey, lavender and burnt cream)

6 Ice Cream’s menu combines a selection of gelato, sorbet, sherbet and ice cream made in its kitchen in Bene’t Street using seasonal, organic and local ingredients wherever possible.

:: Urban Larder in Mill Road

Signature product: The three-cheese toasties are something else.

Coffee shop and deli, Urban Larder celebrated it first birthday in March. From chutneys and jams to coffee beans and works from local artists, the shop is thoughtfully stocked with high quality, interesting items.

:: Pint Shop in Peas Hill

This is a firm local favourite beloved for its craft beers and modern twists on British classic dishes - their signature product is their homemade Scotch egg

The award-winning beer house that specialises in meat, bread and beer opened in Cambridge in 2013 - it has since opened a second site in Cambridge.

:: Garden Café

Signature product: Their homemade sausage rolls, perfect for a picnic

The Garden Café is situated in the beautiful surroundings of Cambridge University Botanic Garden

:: Cambridge Wine Merchants

Signature service: the extensive knowledge of the staff

:: Cambridge Satchel Co

Signature product: If in doubt, go for the classic satchel in tan, navy or oxblood.

Launched by Julie Deane eight years ago from her kitchen table in Fen Ditton. The company now has a shop in Covent Garden, London.

:: Boudoir Femme in King Street

Signature product: the perfect pair of MiH jeans, American Vintage tees, cashmere scarves and Yawn pyjamas.

Boudoir Femme started out life as Vera Vintage Clothing, a stall, in a local antiques centre, selling beautiful, high quality vintage dresses and accessories from the 1920’s onwards. Now, 10 years on Boudoir Femme’s boutique is in the centre of Cambridge.

:: Ark

Signature product: Their beautiful cards (that are good enough to frame).

Ark pride themselves on sourcing the best and most unusual products delivered with exceptional customer service.

Briony’s other top places to visit in Cambridge on Small Business Saturday include Afternoon Tease, Fitzbillies and Catesbys.