Art & Culture
The Royal Docks Christmas gift guide
What's on your Christmas list this year? From delicious chocolates and locally-brewed beer to beautiful prints and Bauhaus-inspired kitchenware, here's our selection of Royal Docks-inspired Christmas gifts.
Anna Gibb print
White elephant in Westminster print by Anna Gibb, £25.
Anna Gibb
Local artist Anna Gibb has a selection of her prints available through the design website Urban Makers. Gibb worked as an architect for ten years before becoming an artist full-time and her detailed drawings of iconic buildings make excellent gifts.
Husk Brewing beer
Place a couple of bottles of Husk Brewing's IPA in someone's stocking or Christmas hamper. They're just £2.50 each.
Husk Brewing
Want to get something for your favourite beer lover? Then check out Husk Brewing beer. There’s no gift set, but a couple of bottles of IPA and porter will be a brilliant stocking filler. You can pick them up from the Husk Brewery in West Silvertown when the taproom is open on Fridays and Saturdays 5-11pm.
Sinead Taylor print
Royal Docks print. Signed and limited edition. £45 or £60 framed.
Red Faces Prints
Print maker Sinead Taylor may not be based in the Royal Docks, but she's still made it part of her graphic London series and really captured its unique beauty in her design. Be quick if you want to buy one as a gift - there are only 25 signed and numbered prints in each edition.
Well Bean Co gifts
Prices for a 50g bar of chocolate are £4.95, and they come in a hessian gift bag with a little book about the Well Bean story.
Well Bean Co
Tis the season to consume chocolate for breakfast, and chocolate makes the ideal gift. Local chocolatier Well Bean Co are a bean to bar chocolate factory and they’re particularly excellent if you’ve got vegans on your Christmas list. Your gift is doing good, too – not only does Well Bean Co donates its time to the charity Young Minds, they donate a percentage of their profits.
Their online shop is closed at the moment so you can’t buy directly, but you can stock up on all of your chocolate gifts by popping into their local stockist Lockside Kitchen.
Matt Ponting print
Matt Ponting's London landscape print is just £10, perfect for locals gift buying on a budget.
Matt Ponting
Professional doodler Matt Ponting lives in Beckton and is heavily involved in creating community art projects throughout the Royal Docks. He's often commission-only, but there are a handful of prints available to buy on his website for as low as £10. Snap one up if you're after a Secret Santa gift with a difference.
Darkroom wooden chopping board
Darkroom's chopping boards – £60 each – were made from London trees felled for construction sites – they would have otherwise ended up as chippings. This is one for your eco-conscious pals.
Darkroom's Bauhaus initial necklace
Pick any initial for a Bauhaus-inspired personalised pendant. £35.
Graphic notebook by Darkroom
This notebook makes the ideal stocking-filler. £12.
Darkroom
Darkroom is a bold design brand created by artists Rhonda Drakeford and Lulu Roper-Caldbeck. The design duo often team up with large scale brands for pop-ups and events all over London, but they're based in the Silver Building and their online shop is packed full of Christmas gift ideas.
Sunborn Hotel vouchers
Gift vouchers for the Symphony Spa start at £50.
Sunborn Hotel
What do you get for the person who has everything? Book them a day of rest and relaxation at the Sunborn Hotel Symphony Spa. Spa gift vouchers can be used for special treatment packages, or bought in multiples of £50.
