Preston

On Regent Street, this is a bottle shop that doubles as a neighbourhood bar, an arrangement that shapes everything about how it works. The fridges and shelves lean firmly toward the local and the independent — beer, wine and spirits chosen from small breweries, wineries and producers rather than the familiar big names, with the same philosophy extending to the snacks: pies, cheeses, smallgoods and ice creams sourced with the same care. It's a shop built for browsing rather than grabbing-and-going, and for those who'd rather linger, there's the option to stay and drink in, either inside or out the back in a sprawling beer garden that's become something of a drawcard in its own right — dog-friendly at the right hours, for those who call ahead to check. The split opening hours between bottle shop and bar reflect a place that's genuinely trying to do both well, rather than treating retail as an afterthought to the bar or vice versa. It's the kind of spot that rewards regulars: staff who know the current stock, a rotating cast of small-batch producers, and the sense that what's on the shelf has been chosen by people who actually drink the stuff themselves. A solid, unpretentious address for Preston drinkers who care where their bottle comes from.

A High Street indoor-plant shop in Preston stocked with aroids, hoyas, succulents and air plants, alongside decorative pots and planters. Botanical art, plant tools and soil treatments fill out the range, and the shop runs classes and workshops for growers wanting to learn more. Click-and-collect pick-up is available seven days a week.

A Croatian shop at 309 High Street in Preston, stocking books, CDs, DVDs, magazines and crossword puzzles alongside gifts and traditional items. Books run from fiction and history to language dictionaries, cookbooks and prayer books, and the music shelves cover klape, dalmatinske, slavonske and other Croatian genres. Among the goods are hand-made licitar hearts, Croatian flags, embroidered patches, and decorative bottles including the 40ml cutura and the 50ml fraklec shot glass with cork top, some sold for weddings.