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About Northumbrian Gifts

A Northumbrian family business, built around good food, good drink and looking after people.

Northumbrian Gifts was founded by Katrina and Stephen Wanless in Ashington, Northumberland, in April 2004.

But our story with food, drink and hospitality began long before that.

Katrina grew up in pubs, surrounded by the hospitality trade from an early age, before going on to study hospitality and work within the industry. Stephen spent more than 20 years working in brewery sales, building relationships with pubs, customers and businesses across the region.

So when Northumbrian Gifts began, bringing together great Northumbrian food and drink felt like a natural next step.

  • Rooted in Northumberland

    From local beers and spirits to confectionery, tea, coffee and beautifully presented hampers, we’ve always believed that Northumberland and the wider North East have an extraordinary amount to offer.

    Over more than two decades we’ve built relationships with breweries, distilleries, food producers and independent makers throughout the region.

    Today we sell hundreds of Northumbrian products online, through our Ashington shop and to businesses across the UK, but the principle remains the same:

    Find great products, present them beautifully and give people genuinely good service.

    The next generation

    In 2026, Harry joined Northumbrian Gifts full-time as part of his Business Management degree apprenticeship.

    Having grown up around the business, he brings a new generation’s perspective to Northumbrian Gifts.

    He now works across the business, from packing orders and helping customers to marketing, social media, email and developing how Northumbrian Gifts looks and communicates online.

    So while Katrina and Stephen built Northumbrian Gifts, Harry is now helping shape what comes next.

  • A family business in every sense

    Northumbrian Gifts has never been about becoming a faceless online retailer.

    Customer service matters enormously to us. Like every family, we’ve had our share of difficult and challenging times over the years and those experiences have reinforced something we’ve always believed: people matter. Behind every order is someone celebrating, saying thank you, marking a special moment or simply trying to make someone smile.

    And when we say family business, we mean more than just the Wanless family. Some of our team have been with us for decades and have grown with the business alongside us. They are part of the Northumbrian Gifts family too, and their loyalty, experience and care are a huge part of who we are.

    That’s why you can still call us and speak to a real person. It’s why we’ll sort out a problem rather than hide behind a policy, and why after more than 20 years we still care about every parcel leaving our warehouse.

    Still proudly Northumbrian

    The business has changed considerably since 2004, but what matters to us hasn’t.

    We remain an independent family business in Ashington, proud of where we come from, proud of the producers we work with, proud of the team who help make it all happen, and incredibly grateful to the customers who have supported us along the way.

    From our family to yours — a little piece of Northumberland, wherever you are.

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