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In Profile: The Bean Hive
In The Pink
Where can you find a gift shop painted trendy millennial pink, with a giraffe named Deborah coming out of an exterior wall, high above a pair of Instagram-ready angel wings? The answer is at The Bean Hive in Kettering, a quirky, crazy gift shop on three levels that has been injecting colour and personality into the town for the past three years. As winner of The Greats 2021 Best Newcomer South & Wales, category, PG&H popped in to catch up with the shop’s equally colourful owner Davina ‘Queen Bean’ Parkhouse. It’s been quite a year for Davina Parkhouse (who prefers to be known as Bean). Not only did The Bean Hive - founded in 2018 by a group of friends and traders - win the Best Newcomer - South & Wales category at The Greats in September, but the store also won the Best Gift Shop category at the Northamptonshire Muddy Stilettos Awards, as well as the Best Gift Shop category at the local Kettering Business Awards. And if that wasn’t enough, the shop was also shortlisted as a finalist at The Retas 2021
greeting card retailer awards (the sister Awards of The Greats) in November, all of which shouts out that the shop has got its finger on the pulse of retail. From the moment you walk in, it’s clear that this is no ordinary gift store. (“It’s a bit crazy!” admits Bean). On the first two levels - in addition to Bean’s ‘something different’ gift, home, interiors, food, beauty and greeting card sections - the remaining space is rented out to 12 hand-picked traderscum-staff-cum friends, selling everything Left: Deborah The Zebra was specially created to celebrate the shop’s third anniversary. Inset: The Bean Hive in Kettering.
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Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
Above: Delighted smiles from Davina (Bean) Parkhouse (right) and her daughter Emelye, owners of The Bean Hive, Kettering, and The Bean Hive By The Sea, Falmouth, winners of The Greats Best Newcomer - South & Wales category.
from crystals and wall art to bags, jewellery and vinyl, as well as (additional) greeting cards from two local illustrators, plus much, much more besides. There’s also Sweary Mary’s on the upper floor for those shoppers looking for novelty ‘rude’ gifts and cards. “We’re very liberal with the products we sell, and in the run-up
