‘Fiverfest’ returns to Derbyshire town with businesses offering range of £5 bargains

Gail Hannan helps run Totally Locally Clay Cross, the group which has organised the town’s ‘Fiverfest’. The event sees a range of Clay Cross businesses introduce £5 offers on their products, and is taking place between Saturday, March 12 and March 26.

Gail said: “There’s a really good range of businesses and offers for the ‘Fiverfest’. There’s 22 businesses taking part, from cafes and chip shops to hairdressers and artists.

“We’ve got things like a flower shop selling fresh floral displays which would normally be £10, and they’re offering that for £5. We’ve also got a tea room doing a mini afternoon tea for a fiver as well.”

Gail said that the festival would give Clay Cross businesses a boost, and remind residents of the positive impact they can have on the local economy.

“Small businesses are really struggling at the minute. People have gotten used to online shopping, or just going to the supermarket and getting what they need, and forgetting that there’s lots of good little places out there.

“I say to the businesses that it’s not about taking loads of money, but saying ‘look, I’m here’- it’s about getting people through the door.

“If every adult in Clay Cross spent £5 in a local business every week, that would bring £2.4 million a year to the local economy.

Gail, who runs Cup and Saucer Teas, got involved with Totally Locally when she was operating her business in Bolsover. The campaign group was started in 2010 by Chris Sands in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, and is designed to encourage local businesses to collaborate and support each other.

She relocated to Clay Cross in 2020, and said that the ‘Fiverfest’ has been well supported by the town’s residents.

“We’ve got a really good community- the public always support it and get onboard with it.

“We get ‘fiverfesters’ who go out with a list of who’s taking part, and try their best to spend a fiver in all of those businesses over the two weeks.

“A lot of the customers find it good because they discover new businesses that they never knew were in the town.”

More information about the event can be found here.