This year we’re shining a light on our neighbouring independent businesses in Chapel Allerton.

Just walk down the Harrogate Road and you’ll find a great selection of independent shops and businesses for all your gift, food and well-being needs

This week we’re focusing on our own business, Chirpy, run by me, Jo McBeath, for the last 8 years.

To get to know Chirpy a little bit more, here’s a little interview I did…

Tell me a little bit about yourself & your business, including team members

I’m Jo, the owner of Chirpy. I live in Chapel Allerton, 10 minutes walk from Chirpy but I’m originally from Durham. I’m married and have a daughter who’s at university and a rescue cat called Bob. When I’m not in the shop I love pilates, swimming and walking and am currently training for a 100km charity trek on the isle of Skye in the summer.

Chirpy is a design led gift shop, stocking everything from ceramics, cards, jewellery and toiletries. We also have a lovely upstairs space where we run workshops, pop ups and events. It’s in the heart of a brilliant community with lots of other independent shops and businesses which I love being part of. I have a great little team who help me – Jenna, Lizzie and Hannah which means I can have some days off and occasionally go on holiday!

How did you get into doing what you’re doing?

Having a shop was never my plan, it was very much a right time, right place. Chirpy came up for sale 8 years ago and I was looking for a change from my corporate career so I just went for it. My biggest impulse buy! I very much learnt on the job, and am still learning. My back ground is Operations Management so I try and use those skills to balance all the demands of running a small business. I love collaborating with other local businesses to encourage us to work together to make Chapel Allerton a brilliant place to work and shop.

What does a ‘normal’ day look like?

I’m really lucky that I can walk to Chirpy, often seeing lots of my regular customers on the way. The first job is to put the kettle and Radio 6 on! I usually have a walk around the shop to check that everything is stocked up and in the right place. Then I look at my social media – I try to have a plan of what to post each day and I’ll reply to any messages I’ve received. I’ll sort any online orders that have come in overnight, putting them to one side to parcel up in the afternoon to take to the post office on the way home. Hopefully the rest of the day is serving our lovely customers, and while it’s quiet I can get on with admin, answer emails, write newsletters, marketing, planning. There’s always something to do. I usually nip to the supermarket on my way home to get something for dinner - I’m not that organised to plan at the beginning of the week.

Biggest achievement to date?

Buying Chirpy and keeping it going for the last 8 years has been a huge achievement, especially through Covid.

I’m really proud of the amount of money I’ve managed to raise over the last 8 years for Breast Cancer charities through events and products sales in the shop and the generosity of my Chirpy customers. I’m about to embark on a big charity trek and I have a feeling I’ll be pretty proud when I’ve completed that!

Favourite product you sell?

I love the bespoke North Leeds products we sell which are unique to Chirpy. We sell a range of mugs, tea towels, prints & coasters with designs of Chapel Allerton, Meanwood, Roundhay & Headingley and they are always really popular gifts for people who are proud of where they live or as momentos for people who visit them. I also love the Chirpy charity tea towels and cards we’ve had designed with a local artist Sarah Thornton with 100% profits going towards Coppafeel.

Best & worst thing about running your own business?

I love being part of such a vibrant community in Chapel Allerton and getting to know all the other business owners. And I love the shop when there’s a constant stream of customers, even if they just pop in to buy a card or have a chat, as I Iove to be busy.

The worst thing is all the hidden costs involved in running a business especially when it’s an old building and things go wrong. And sometimes I do think it would be nice for someone to pay me a wage, give me holidays and a pension!

Favourite time of your in the business?

I love Spring and Mother’s Day. I love the change of the seasons, getting lots of gorgeous new colourful stock in at that time of year. It’s lovely that some many dads and their children come in the shop and know that I’ll have a great idea for what gifts the mums in Chapel Allerton would like. I also love November! Not for the weather but as it’s my anniversary in the shop and every year I celebrate with a shopping event, cake, discounts and goodie bags - there’s a real party atmosphere in the shop.

Is there another business in Chapel Allerton you’d like to run for a day?

I’m sure it wouldn’t be good for my waist line but I’d love to run the cheesemongers George & Joseph for a day!

Plans for 2025 / the future?

I’ve just signed a new 6 year lease so I’m in full planning mode! I want to build on the workshops and events we run. We’ve got a monthly pop up starting in March with Katie&May, a womenswear business who was based in Chapel Allerton. I also want to continue to be the go to shop for the best gifts in Chapel Allerton.

Why should people shop local and support their local indie businesses?

Chapel Allerton is a great place to live, work and shop. We’re so lucky to have such a vibrant high street where you can walk from one end of the street to the other and be able to get everything you need, from cheese, fish, meat, fruit & veg, cake, gifts, toys, plants, books and also do pilates & yoga as well as have great food and drink. To keep our high street surviving and thriving we need to keep supporting those businesses every week not just at Christmas.

Something funny / unusual / different about yourself that perhaps different about yourself that perhaps your customers don’t know!

I’ve been on Strictly Come Dancing! Not actually as a contestant but I was part of the interviews with the public at the beginning of the final in 2023!

Where can we find you?

We’re at 148 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton up some small steps

Opening hours :

Monday – Saturday 9:30am – 5pm

1st Sunday of the month

Instagram & Facebook : @chirpystore