Art and Soul Handmade Heaven For those who appreciate and search for one-of-a-kind gifts, Downtown St. Thomas is proud to present Crocker’s — a place for handmade shopping, creating and fun! This is where many local, experienced vendors, including founder Laura Crocker, have been showcasing and selling their creations to the people of St. Thomas, and tourists, for the last three years! The handmade market is a growing and changing industry. Crocker’s is home to several robust handcrafted businesses that are current with trends in their individual product lines and carry a wide array of products. “When you go to Crocker’s, you witness ingenious and motivated artisans who love to share their creations with their customers… and customers who are so happy to find that perfect item for themselves or a gift,” boasts Laura. “It’s been important to us to make sure everyone can shop at Crocker’s; that’s why we made it a fully accessible location. There is ample room for walkers and wheelchairs — and it’s pet friendly. The uniqueness of these handmade products brings a different kind of satisfaction to the creators and their customer. That moment of truth is Laura’s favourite part of her business!
45 Talbot Street, St. Thomas @crockersspace
Hop Culture Flourishes Downtown Homebrewing and craft brewing trends are similar. Fruit beers and IPAs are popular these days as well as the nonalcoholic Kombucha (with less than 0.5%). There are lots of popular websites for brewing hobbyists both in North America and overseas.
Trevor Hawley and his wife, Jennifer Eden-Hawley, had been brewing at home for years. They found it fun, like cooking, and played around to make their own unique creations. Their friends loved sampling their artistry too! Last May, when they saw hop culture expanding everywhere, they decided to open a store where you could: • make your own beer, wine and cider • buy the equipment and ingredients to make them at home (if you prefer) • get training on how to make your own beer, wine and cider On October 17, they opened Homebrew Junction at 452 Talbot St., St. Thomas (519 630 6282). In the few weeks before the lockdown, they found customers who liked to share ideas and recipes, as well as welcoming neighbour merchants. Since the lockdown, people are buying the equipment to make their own beer and wine at home.
According to Trevor, “It’s becoming a popular hobby especially when people realize that it isn’t that difficult to do. It makes them proud to create their own.” A Facebook Live session @HomebrewJunction was aired a few weeks ago and makes it easy to follow the steps. He will also show you how to do everything on Zoom, if you prefer.
“My favourite part of the business is getting people into home brewing as a hobby,” says Trevor. “Showing them how easy it is to create something to their own taste makes them proud.” At $60 for 60+ bottles, it seems like a low-risk endeavour. “I’m so glad we chose Downtown St. Thomas. It has a real community feel and we prefer to be here than, let’s say, in a strip mall or London.”
