Georgina Jeyes, owner of independent store, Jeyes of Earls Barton, is not only celebrating her 75th birthday but also 35 years of running The Keepsake Gift Shop within the family-run attraction, Jeyes of Earls Barton, in the heart of Earls Barton village.
“It has, of course, been achieved one step at a time, but when we look back, we can really see how far we’ve come,” says Georgina. “I am so happy to be working with my daughters Pip and Anna. Their fresh ideas and drive are taking Jeyes from strength to strength.”
Explains Georgia: “Philadelphus Jeyes began as a traditional pharmacy in 1810 at 6 The Drapery, Northampton. My own memory is of the original Jeyes store in the ‘50s, and it’s one of wonder and magic. Each shelf was filled with coffrets, beauty boxes and perfumery, with the store known locally as the go-to destination for gifts, toiletries and more. The idea was different, classy, classic and successful.”
Georgina and her husband David subsequently opened Jeyes of Earls Barton in 1981 as a traditional village chemist. While David focused on prescriptions, Georgina grew the gift and card shop, officially opening The Keepsake Gift Shop in 1989 in the Old Nat West Bank. The couple subsequently purchased the properties either side of the original chemist, expanding into a larger gift shop, and adding The Apothocoffee Shop, Conservatory and Gardens.
“Today, our customers can shop, have lunch and explore all under one roof, feeling the same wonder of the original Jeyes,” Georgina enthuses. “As a family, we all do the buying, while having our personal favourite brands, many of which are also family owned. The Team Jeyes motto has always been ‘work hard, play hard and play the game’.
A Jeyes’s hamper station helps customers to mix and match Jeyes’s products as gifts for family, friends, colleagues and clients, both for collection or delivery.
“Our story, our journey, is history,” states Georgina. “Today is a gift, and tomorrow at Jeyes is a mystery of ideas and surprises!”
Visit www.jeyesofearlsbarton.co.uk
Top: Jeyes of Earls Barton is celebrating the store’s 35th anniversary.
