From the CT Local Blog
A Sustainable Day in Canterbury
From a refill breakfast to an evening pint at an independent brewery, here's how to spend a day in Canterbury without touching a chain — and leave feeling good about it.
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Whitstable: An Independent Town Worth Protecting
Whitstable has resisted homogenisation better than most coastal towns. Here's what makes its independent scene special — and how to make the most of it on a day visit or weekend away.
Margate's Independent Resurgence
Fifteen years ago, Margate was declining. Today, its independent creative and food scene is one of the most interesting in Kent. Here's how it happened and where to find the best of it.
Why Independent Shops Are Worth Seeking Out
Every pound spent at an independent business recirculates more of its value locally than the same pound spent at a chain. Here's what the research says — and what it feels like on the ground.
Zero-Waste Shopping in the CT Area
From refill stations in Canterbury to package-free grocers on the coast, the CT area has quietly become one of the better places in Kent to shop without generating a pile of single-use plastic.
Repair, Don't Replace: The Rise of the Repair Café
Repair cafés are spreading across the CT area, offering free skilled repairs on everything from toasters to trousers. Here's what they are, how they work, and why they matter.
The Best Independent Coffee Shops in Canterbury
Canterbury has a genuinely good specialty coffee scene — if you know where to look. Here's a guide to the independent coffee shops worth seeking out in the city, and what makes each one worth your time.
Dog-Friendly Pubs and Cafés Across the CT Area
From Whitstable harbour to the Folkestone seafront, here's a guide to finding genuinely dog-welcoming places to eat and drink across the CT postcode area — not just the ones with a grudging outside table.
Independent Restaurants in Folkestone Worth Knowing
Folkestone's Creative Quarter has become one of the more interesting places to eat in Kent. Here's a guide to the independent restaurant scene — what's there, why it's good, and where to find it.
Deal: The Kent Town With No Chain Coffee Shops
Deal is one of the few British towns that has successfully maintained a genuinely independent high street for decades. Here's what makes it work, what you'll find there, and why it matters.
The Best Farm Shops in Kent's CT Area
Kent is the Garden of England, and the CT postcode area has some of the county's best direct-from-farm buying. Here's a guide to the independent farm shops worth knowing — and what makes them different from a supermarket with vegetables.
The Independent Coffee Roasters of Thanet
Margate, Broadstairs, and Ramsgate have developed a specialty coffee scene that's distributed, consistent, and largely invisible to anyone not looking for it. Here's what's there and how to find it.
Plastic-Free Shopping in Whitstable and Herne Bay
Whitstable's independent food scene is well-known. Herne Bay's is quieter and, for practical purposes, often more useful. Between the two towns and the farm shops behind them, a low-waste weekly shop is genuinely achievable.
Canterbury's Independent Makers
Behind Canterbury's cathedral-and-tourism reputation is a working community of independent makers — ceramicists, textile workers, printmakers — producing things in studios across the city. Here's what's there and how to find the ones making with genuine environmental consideration.
Broadstairs: A Small Town With a Serious Independent Scene
Viking Bay is one of Kent's best beaches. The independent café and restaurant scene behind it is better than most visitors expect. Here's what Broadstairs has, why it works, and how to make the most of it.
Ramsgate: The Thanet Town Worth Rediscovering
Ramsgate has the only Royal Harbour in England, lower rents than Margate, and a growing independent food and drink scene that's been quietly building for several years. Here's what's there and why it matters.
Herne Bay: The Quieter Alternative to Whitstable
Ten minutes from Whitstable, with lower rents and a longer seafront. Herne Bay's independent scene is less famous but increasingly worth seeking out — particularly if you're looking for a dog-friendly café on a beach that isn't crowded.