Quick shoutout to the little greengrocers on Broadway near the Peterboat – their veg has been miles fresher than the big shops lately, and the staff always have time for a chat. I grabbed a loaf from a bakery on Leigh Road afterwards and took it down to Belfairs Park for a walk and it made a cracking Saturday. Any other Leigh independents you’d recommend, especially for a decent coffee or a reliable plumber?

Big shoutout to the independent businesses keeping Witham buzzing, from the High Street cafés and barbers to the brilliant local trades and makers you find through word of mouth. If you’ve discovered a hidden gem lately, tell us who deserves a little extra love and why, and we’ll feature a few favourites next week. Where are you spending locally this month, and what’s one Witham business you’d miss if it disappeared?

If you’re in Colchester and haven’t yet made a habit of popping into the independent shops around the Dutch Quarter and along Sir Isaac’s Walk, this is your nudge — there’s brilliant coffee, thoughtful gifts, and genuinely helpful faces behind the counters. We’d love to shine a light on a few local favourites this week, so tell us: which Colchester business do you always recommend, and what’s the one thing they do that keeps you going back?