About Us

Our Aim...
To bring traditional values of customer service and care to the modern shopping experience, with a wide variety of quality products at sensible prices.

We are an independent gift shop set next to the water in the beautiful surroundings of Oulton Broad, part of Lowestoft in Suffolk - the most easterly place in the UK. Oulton Broad is the most southerly of the broads in the Norfolk & Suffolk Broads network - home to the only navigable lock in the Broads network, separating the freshwater Broads from the North Sea at Lake Lothing down to Lowestoft.

Oulton Broad has become world-famous for the powerboat racing held on it throughout the summer, including hosting the British championship. Oulton Broad also offers excellent sailing opportunities for both novice and experienced sailors - with the wind is so variable, and conditions that change in an instant, it is often said that if you can sail on Oulton Broad you can sail anywhere in the world!

Did you know? - The world's first working hovercraft model was tried and tested at Oulton Broad in 1955. Sir Christopher Cockerell had the idea - using a cat food tin inside a coffee tin in a bucket, powered by a vacuum cleaner! Then with a boat-building friend he made a working model which was tested on the Broad. This was around the same time as The Gift Shop began its humble beginnings offering novels and postcards to the new tourist trade that started to appear on the Broads.

The Gift Shop has had its place in Oulton Broad for over 60 years and during that time it has changed a bit! The newest chapter in its history opened in December 2009 when Andrew, who had previously worked at the shop for nearly 10 years, and had been the manager for the last five of those, took over ownership of the business.

We are pleased to have launched this new website in 2009 to showcase the diverse selection of gifts, jewellery, collectables, home fragrance and fine figurines that we have to offer.

Our gift selection ranges from chinaware and souvenirs to items for the home.  The product assortment varies with a constant flow of new items coming into stock all year round. You'll likely find photo frames and vases, fragranced candles, trinkets and decor, with lots of sentiment gifts for those important people in our lives. Classics such as Disney Traditions and Beatrix Potter are on our shelves along with contemporary designs such as Willow Tree, More Than Words and Little Paws. The variety continues with glazed ceramic art tiles and great gift ideas including our range of boats, dragons and wind chimes. We have mugs, coasters, pens, magnets… the list goes on!

Where possible we include items from local artists and artisan crafters and also stock a wide range of greetings cards covering all varieties, styles and prices - along with lots of gift wrap and gift bags. In addition we have our gift wrapping service that is available both in store and on this website.

We offer a changing selection of fashion jewellery with a couple of stand out collections including; Coppercraft, with their magnetic Hematite range, The Byzantium Collection's Paua Shell jewellery, beautiful gift boxed necklaces and earrings at fantastic prices and also Equilibrium jewellery with has a changing selection of trend led designs.

In our time we became specialists for Florence Figurines from Italy, being the largest independent retailer for Florence sculture d'arte in the UK. Sadly now out of production we keep a few Florence items in stock so you can continue to enjoy the beauty of these stunning sculptures for as long as we can.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions and we will be happy to help.

Here are a few photos of our shop... our displays are constantly changing with our varying product ranges so be sure to come and visit us soon!


Take a look at our sister site www.CleanTheAir.co.uk for a fantastic range of air purification systems. Specialising in the Goodsphere, PureAire and Boles d'olor Air Purifiers and Essences, along with Ashleigh & Burwood Fragrance Lamps and Lamp Oils, to clean and fragrance the air in your home and office.