A Christmas Challenge: Keep It Local

Every year we all say the same thing: “We should support local more.” And we mean it. We really do. But then December hits, we’re tired, we’re busy, and convenience starts winning.

In this day and age when its never been harder to keep a business up and running, we must do more to help our favourite local independents.

Because the high street doesn’t survive on just good intentions. It survives on habits. It survives on people choosing the independent café over the chain, the family-run restaurant over the “safe” option, the local gift voucher over the last-minute panic buy that ends up in a drawer by Boxing Day.

The numbers back it up. New monitoring data showed the UK hospitality sector was seeing around 62 net closures per month in the first half of 2025 (roughly two sites a day), and there are 22.7% fewer independent restaurants than pre-pandemic.

And if we want a city full of brilliant independent venues, we have to act like we want it, especially in December.

Because here’s the truth: January and February are where independents get hurt the most. December might look busy from the outside, but it’s also the month of bigger costs, tighter margins, and people “saving the spend” for the big days. Then January lands… and it goes quiet overnight. And that’s when the rent still goes out, the bills still hit, staff still need paying, and those “we’ll come in soon” promises don’t pay invoices.

So here’s my challenge this Christmas: Keep It Local.

If you were going to get your nephew a gift card for Nando’s, because he goes there all the time, why not get him a gift card for your local Mediterranean restaurant, where they can be served at the table, treated like VIPs and enjoy what your city or town has to offer. Same budget. Bigger impact. And you’re introducing someone new to a place that actually needs your custom to survive.

If you’re in Chester, you already know we’ve got loads of businesses that are local to their core. Places like La Fattoria, a staple in Chester that has been here for years. A consistently good restaurant that delivers every time. Because they have to, they don’t have a big budget behind them to keep them going on rainy days, they prove in their service and food why their restaurant is the best Italian in Chester.

Same with Restaurant 209, they take local to a whole new level. From only using local produce in their ingredients, to explaining every dish and where it came from, they are an incredible venue. This is a restaurant that is putting suppliers and customers first the whole way. Located in a village it is hard for footfall, so they rely on regulars, and without those regulars they may not survive. Restaurant 209 is unique restaurant, and you would not get such a warm and local feel in your nearest Nando’s.

These are the places we need to spend our money with. The ones obsessing over your experience because they want to ensure you walk out feeling it was money and time well spent.

So… I’m offering you a very simple challenge.

The Christmas Hospitality Challenge

Try and accomplish all these things, between now and Christmas:

1. Buy one gift locally

  Not online. Not a chain. A proper local shop, a local maker, a stall at a Christmas market. One gift. That’s it.

2. Book one local experience

 A meal out, afternoon tea, cocktails, a stay voucher, a date night, whatever fits your budget. If you want an easy win, a restaurant voucher is the most underrated Christmas present going.

3. Treat yourself once, locally

   Coffee and cake. A lunch. A glass of wine. A solo meal. Something small. A massage.

4. Leave one proper review

 This costs nothing and it matters more than people realise. If you’ve had a great experience somewhere, say so publicly. In a world where one bad review can travel faster than the truth, good reviews are a lifeline.

If money’s tight, do this instead.

I’m not here to guilt trip anyone. Budgets are real. But if you can’t spend more, you can still support local in ways that genuinely move the needle:

Tag a local business in your socials stories and say what you love about them

Recommend them in a Facebook community group when someone asks “where’s good?”

Buy vouchers now, use them in January (quiet season support without spending extra overall)

Why this matters?

Independents aren’t asking for pity. They’re asking for a fair shot.

They’re the places that give people first jobs. They’re the ones sponsoring raffles, donating prizes, supporting local causes, and keeping the place feeling human. And they’re also the first to feel it when everyone quietly shifts spend to convenience.

If we want a city full of brilliant independent venues, we have to act like it.

So that’s the challenge.

Keep it local, between now and Christmas: one local gift, one local experience, one local treat, one proper review. Do all four and you’ve done more than most people will. And if enough of us do it, we keep the places we love open, staffed, and thriving into the new year.

Your move: comment one of your favourite independents everyone should try this Christmas.