SHOPPING
INDIES SPECIAL
I LOVES THE ’DIFF
The skinny: “Through a wide product range, ILTD offers folks a unique chance to show the world how they feel about our lush city,” says owner Christian Amodeo. “We also offer the Taffywood gift range, which celebrates silliness and Welsh humour.” What’s your ethos? “To have fun and promote Cardiff. As a company, I’m proud to provide great customer service (I love to hear from the Welsh ‘Dai-aspora’ around the world) that lets people know that they’re appreciated.” Fun fact: “Griff Rhys Jones has an I Loves The ’Diff hoodie. And a Welsh bar-diner in Brooklyn is using our Taffywood mugs.” What’s new? “We’ve just launched Penarth prints and mugs, ‘Cardiffornia’ trucker caps and the Dodgy & Gabalfa range of t-shirts, caps and mugs.” Looking forward to: “I’m working with digital legends Blue Stag on our new website. Exciting!” Favourite Cardiff indies: “The Pastifico ‘empire’ in Roath – really looking forward to their new gelateria; Dusty Knuckle pizza at The Printhaus, which makes me fat; and Touch printers – they take on and train unemployed young people.” I Loves The ’Diff products are available at various Cardiff stockists and online at ilovesthediff.com
BETI BIGGS
The skinny: Retailer of Annie Sloan paints, quirky gifts/homeware and vintage painted furniture. The beginning: “I opened in Pontcanna/Canton in March 2012,” says owner Jan Williams. “I’ve always had an interest in interiors and had been selling painted furniture online.” What’s your ethos? “I wanted to bring something different to the vintage market. I source useful and beautiful items of vintage furniture and try to make them into something even more attractive.” Fun fact: “The shops are named after my mother – she was always called Beti as a young girl.”
Looking forward to: “Introducing new items into the Pontcanna shop, including some beautiful Danish soft toys, perfect presents for grandparents to buy. Could this be because I am about to become a nain for the first time?!” Favourite Cardiff indies: “How can I not love Brød, the fabulous Danish bakery opposite my Pontcanna shop? It serves pastries which are just too good. And coffee aficionados should head to Quantum Coffee Roasters in the Bay for a special way to get their caffeine fix. Superb!”
(Above) Emily Michael behind the counter at her city gift shop and gallery The SHO; (Bottom left) Hamptons co-owner Peter Knowles at the store’s awardwinning Blue Pelican Café
1 Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna & 90 Albany Road, Roath; betibiggs.com
SPILLERS RECORDS
Owners: Ashli and Grace Todd. The skinny: A proudly independent record shop, established 1894, with an enormous passion for seeking out amazing music of all genres for an enormously eclectic customer base. What’s your ethos? “To never let the love of music be overshadowed by the bullshit and bureaucracy of business and the industry we operate in,” says Ashli. “If we continue to maintain passion and enthusiasm for what we do, then customers will respond to that and will hopefully want to come back. We attract a lot of wonderful people, who make everything worth it!” Fun fact: “We sell a lot of vinyl, but owing to the long history of Spillers, we actually pre-date the flat record as we know it, and were selling wax cylinders when we first opened.” What’s new? “The next couple of months bring new albums from the likes of Nick Cave, Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Goat and Georgia Ruth – all firm shop favourites, so there’s plenty to look forward to!” 27 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff; spillersrecords.co.uk 42 I CARDIFF LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
WE ATTRACT A LOT OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE, WHO MAKE EVERYTHING WORTH IT!