Neighbourhood Guide: UW Nottingham

Community is important to us, and it goes without saying that we wouldn’t be where we are today without a little help from our friends. With this in mind, we thought it would be nice to shed some light on the independent businesses surrounding our retail stores, and what better place to start than in UW’s hometown.

A stone’s throw from Nottingham’s Market Square is a neighbourhood worth visiting, centred around one of the city’s most architecturally impressive streets, Derby Road. Accessible via a rather daunting hill, we think it’s more than worth the trip, not only to come and say hi to our store team but also to meet some of our friends and neighbours. This impressive bunch are all doing interesting things in the world of food, art, interiors, and more, and contribute in their own way to what makes this area so special.

Read on for more about some of the best spots in Notts!

Little Brickhouse – 110 Derby Road, NG1 5FB, Nottingham. 

Little Brickhouse is a team favourite spot for seasonal home cooked food and natural wine, and they have recently added events and late night shindigs to their offering, aptly naming their basement area “Below Bricks.” When asked how they feel about Derby Road, they tell us, “We have always loved Derby Road, for the architecture, the view down the road, and a few unique Nottingham businesses.”

Danish Homestore  – 88-94 Derby Road, NG1 5FD, Nottingham. 

Danish Homestore has been sourcing, restoring, and selling mid-century furniture on Derby Road since 1991. The many rooms, split across two floors are bursting with iconic Scandinavian design gems and unique period pieces, with plenty to tempt every taste and budget. One of our marketing team, who will remain unnamed can often be spotted trying to squeeze an armchair or two into their car on a Saturday afternoon.

The Little Plant Guys – 124-126 Derby Road, NG1 5FB, Nottingham.

Right next door to UW you will find The Little Plant Guys. An emporium for everything green thumbed – from houseplants to trinkets. They have also started a small deli courtesy of Essen alongside curated indie publications supplied by Crate Mags down in the basement. With so much goodness on offer it is no surprise we keep seeing people armed with both cheese and cheese plants entering our store.

Tough Mary’s Bakehouse – 70-72 Derby Road, NG1 5FD, Nottingham. 

After being located on Derby Road for almost 8 years, we couldn’t imagine Tough Mary’s being anywhere else. Experts in baked goods and good coffee, they cater to everyone from local residents and students to workers from all the nearby offices (guilty). “We put so much love and effort into everything we do, from every croissant to each sandwich,” says Tough Mary’s owner, Kate. Take it from us, the proof is in the pudding (pun fully intended).

Primary is a few blocks away from our Derby Road store and was initially set up as an artist's studio complex over a decade ago. This former grade II listed Primary School is now also home to a  gallery and flourishing independent businesses. Now operated as a charity the building underwent a significant refurbishment in recent years, which includes a new main entrance, improved gallery spaces and the transformation of the former playground into a lunch garden. Primary has a regular programme of exhibitions, artist residencies, family and community events and workshops. It is the kind of place you will ask yourself “how did I not know about this before?” Well you do now!

Small Food Bakery was established by Kimberley Bell a decade ago and this BBC Award winning bakehouse, located at Primary, specialises in Sourdough bread, pizza, lunches, cakes and pastries. Over the last two years, the bakery has developed its grocery offering to include a wide range of seasonal fruit and veg, cheese and other groceries with a focus on organic and biodynamic produce, largely sourced from the local area.

Beam – 33 Seely Road, NG7 1NU, Nottingham.

Beam is a Gallery, Bookshop and Speciality Coffee Shop established by publisher Beam Editions shortly after the pandemic. Beam has an ever changing exhibition programme of contemporary art, and photography, occasional music events and regular talks by visiting artists. It also has a continually changing roster of speciality coffee from some of the best roasters in the UK. Located in the Primary building  just outside of the city centre, there is more than enough on offer to make the trip worthwhile. There's plenty of space to hangout with friends and kids too.