Month: April 2024

If you’ve got one of our fabulous and versatile Our Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Gift Cards and are wondering what to spend it on – then look no further than this guide to shops and businesses to help you find the perfect treat.

There are more than 70 different places in the town centre where you can spend your Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card – so whether you’re looking for a present for yourself, or you want to treat yourself to a break for a coffee or a meal there’s really something for everyone – which makes giving the Gift Card such an ideal present for any occasion.  Best of all you don’t need to spend the full amount at once so you can visit several places to spend your card if you wish.

There are gifts galore at Buy the Light where the regularly-changing featured fragrance offers 20% off.  And don’t forget that as well as accepting the Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card as payment, Buy the Light, in Whiting Street, is also a stockist of the card if you want to gift it to someone for a birthday, a thank you or just because.  Just pick one up and load it with the amount you want to give in a couple of taps on your screen – it couldn’t be easier.

If the youngsters in your family have an Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card to spend then Starlings in Charter Square is the place to start, with new toys arriving all the time.  Look out for some new lines at great prices – your town centre gift card might go a lot further here than you’d imagine.

Raise a glass with some of the fresh seasonal ales available at Nethergate in The Traverse.  If you’re a beer fan then there’s lots to choose from here with your gift card.  You could even purchase a voucher for a tour of the brewery or try a bottle of their own gins and rums.  It’s one of more than 20 bars, restaurants and cafes in Bury St Edmunds that accepts the town centre gift card.

If you want to treat yourself and a couple of friends then why not book a Cocktail Masterclass at The Wine Cellar in the Buttermarket.  Or use your Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card to pop in for a glass of wine or a bottle to take away.

For a more traditional gift Bury St Edmunds town centre has a wealth of unique and independent shops where you’re bound to find something you’ll treasure for a long time.  Head to Abbeygate Street and start at The Parsley Pot for the adorable Jellycat range.  At Quest look out for the Sweet William range of gifts that are perfect for dog lovers everywhere.  And nearby Javelin is always popular with Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card users and just the place to find a gorgeous new outfit or accessory.

Just around the corner in High Baxter Street you’ll find Bohemia Vintage and Lifestyle.  This treasure trove of retro delights offers unique items which make great gifts for all ages.  And for something completely different why not use your town centre gift card to book a visit to the cinema for the latest must-see or a classic film offering.  Abbeygate Cinema in Hatter Street always has an eclectic choice and its restaurant, No. 4 is also worth a visit.

There are gifts galore at Loft & Spires on the Cornhill.  It’s another of the fabulous independent shops that make Bury St Edmunds such a wonderful place to visit. Whether you’re after a pretty piece of jewellery or something that will put a smile on someone’s face you’re bound to find it here.

Look out for the latest spring collection at Joules in the arc Shopping Centre where there’s bound to be something to suit from jackets, dresses and of course their famous wellies.  If you want to dress the younger members of the family to impress then Bimbi in The Traverse will add a touch of European style to their wardrobe. And with toys and accessories too, how will you choose to treat the children or grandchildren using your Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card?

Sweets are a treat that always goes down well with all ages.  Mr Simms in the Buttermarket has sweet hampers, pick and mix as well as vegan, gluten free and even sugar free to choose from.

If you’ve absolutely loved spending your Our Bury St Edmunds Gift Card then so will someone else.  When there’s a birthday or another occasion coming up then buy the card online and have it sent to you in the post or visit one of our town centre stockists where you can load the card with cash yourself and have it ready to gift straight away.  Find the cards at: Buy the Light, ProCook, Lorfords, Vinyl Hunter and Shuffle Board Game Café.

There’s lots more to discover about the town centre including links to the full list of businesses currently accepting our town centre gift card at www.ourburystedmunds.com.  Do make sure you follow our social media channels too.  And for even more offers, deals and competitions download the LoyalFree app for Bury St Edmunds.

Two giant dinosaurs and a number of baby dinos are to be the star attractions at the Our Bury St Edmunds Spring Fayre at the end of May. A Stegosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus Rex will stomp into Charter Square at arc Shopping Centre where they’ll be just one of numerous free attractions as part of the bank holiday event.

Although the dinosaurs are first-time visitors to the Spring Fayre a group of baby dinosaurs entertained children at the Wednesday market recently to celebrate the end of the Our Bury St Edmunds Easter dinosaur egg trail. The hugely popular activity allowed children to get up close to a baby Spinosaurus and an Ankylosaurus as well as a number of others.

Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds, Mark Cordell, said: “We are really looking forward to having the dinosaurs here and they will offer a chance for our visitors to learn about these pre-historic creatures in a fun and interactive way. I know that dinosaur activities have been very popular in the town and it’s wonderful to see the way youngsters interact with them.

“Of course it wouldn’t be the Spring Fayre without the family-favourite urban beach and, as ever, we’ll have deckchairs and a Punch and Judy show to enhance the feeling of being at the beach, without having to drive more than 40 miles to the coast. Plus our town has so much to offer with all the food and drink businesses and other shops it promises to be a great weekend for all ages.”

The free admission event will also have numerous stalls focussing on flowers, plants, crafts and food as well as a vintage market area. Astronomy, face painting and virtual reality games are set to be among the free activities. The helter-skelter and carousel will also make a welcome return.

Admission to the Our Bury St Edmunds Spring Fayre is free and it runs from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 26 and Bank Holiday Monday 27 May. For more information visit www.ourburystedmunds.com or follow Our Bury St Edmunds on social media.

The wonderful hospitality sector that we have here in Bury St Edmunds has been very much in the spotlight this month with a visit from the Chief Executive of UK Hospitality Kate Nicholls. Accompanied by our MP Jo Churchill we were able to show a snapshot of our pubs, restaurants, hotels and the Greene King brewery to showcase why Bury is the foodie capital of Suffolk. It was therefore very pleasing to see Kate’s post on X with high praise after her visit to Lark and followed days later with warm words about the town and BIDs generally, when she gave evidence about town centres to a House of Lords committee.

As well as talking about hospitality, Jo Churchill also celebrated English Tourism Week with a visit to the Guildhall where she met tour guides and representatives of attractions associated with the Masters of The Air campaign which has been running alongside the Apple TV series. We’re also keeping our fingers crossed that the town’s tour guides will be successful in the English Tourism awards, which will be announced soon and thank you if you voted for them. Given that tourism is worth more than £50million to our local economy in and around Bury St Edmunds and supports over 1,000 jobs it was great to discuss these important employment sectors with Jo.

It’s been a big month for Bury St Edmunds with Primark opening in the former Debenhams building at arc shopping centre. When we’ve carried out town centre surveys in previous years, a lot of the answers to questions about what people would like to see here have mentioned Primark. And early evidence suggests that is the case. The first weekend that Primark was open, car park use in the town was up almost 20% on the previous year and we know that car park use was higher than usual on the second weekend too.

Giving people reasons to visit Bury St Edmunds is something we at the BID work hard at. During the Easter holidays we’ll be running a Dinosaur Egg Trail for all the family with a children’s competition in which they could win a lovely hamper of toys and goodies. I’m very grateful to the Bury Free Press which is supporting and promoting the trail and also to the large number of businesses who’ve signed up to be part of it. This trail has seen one of the highest levels of engagement from businesses in the years that we have been putting them on.

When the trail finishes we have a special Dino Adventure free event on April 10 in the heart of the market that day. There will be baby dinosaurs and other characters to meet and a family craft area. I hope you and your business have a good Easter weekend, whether you’re looking to be busy with customers or taking a well- earned break.

By Mark Cordell, CEO, Our Bury St Edmunds BID.