Podarok
12 Bene't Street, Cambridge, CB2 3PT
Looking to diversify – not just their skills but their lives as well – Jeremy Kay and Catherine Pearson jumped at the chance to acquire iconic Cambridge shop Podarok when it became available in 2019. They liked the shop as it was, with its gorgeous homewares and quirky handbags, but they also knew they had something of their own to bring to the business. Cue new ranges of jewellery, laugh-out-loud cards, and fun stuff for children.
Podarok suits the two of them perfectly. In fact, it’s not just the two of them; they have three children (two are particularly hands-on) and family holidays are often spent searching for unusual products made by small designers, one-offs that would work well with Podarok’s outside-the-box vibe. The original shop manager has stayed with them too. She provides continuity and experience, Catherine says, and, knowing the Cambridge retail scene, does much of the buying on their behalf. Jeremy and Catherine believe that staff are key to any successful business and feel blessed by their own staff’s attention to detail and knowledge about the stock, not to mention the stunning window displays they create.
The location is perfect, with an abundance of pubs, restaurants, shops and venues in just a few hundred yards. It’s on the tourist route but it’s also a favourite place for locals to hang out, and that’s another reason why Jeremy and Catherine keep their stock fresh: they want their regulars to know that there’ll always be some new treasure to be discovered.
You can buy from Podarok online as well, and Jeremy and Catherine love the fact that their products end up all over the world. But the thing they love most is walking down a street in Cambridge and seeing someone swinging one of their handbags (they have an exclusivity deal with suppliers so they know it’s one of theirs). ‘It’s the best feeling,’ says Jeremy, ‘knowing that you’re doing something that gives pleasure to someone else in the city you live in and love’.