5 Great ways you can support a JQ business from home
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Why the Jewellery Quarter needs you
The Jewellery Quarter has been a highlight of Birmingham’s shopping and entertainment offering for decades. It is full of shops, pubs, restaurants and specialist businesses — particularly our exceptional jewellers and makers. We know that these are challenging times, but they will pass, and we all want to see our wonderful area return to being a vibrant hub of business and entertainment. You can help us make this happen.
The following weeks and months will be particularly challenging for our local Jewellery Quarter Businesses as COVID-19 forces more of us to stay home and limit our social interactions. However, there are many ways that you can make a difference and actively support your favourite shops, bars, restaurants and other local businesses even if you are unable to visit in person.
For example, shop online from independent stores, subscribe to our local newsletter to watch out for special offers or buy gift cards you can use at a later date. The situation across the country – and the globe – is challenging but we keep going – that’s our way. Here are some ideas on what you can do:
1. ORDER A TAKEAWAY OR CLICK AND COLLECT
If you choose not to go out, consider having a meal delivered from your favourite local restaurant via Deliveroo, JustEat or UberEats. Many businesses are happy to leave things on your doorstep if needed or take other additional precautions. Even businesses who don’t normally deliver have announced that they’re adding the option or considering it so be sure to check via social media or give them a call to find out more.
A few to highlight, include the Pig and Tail who have launched a brand new takeaway menu which you can view below and also the amazing Otto Pizza. The Vanguard have also launched their take-away pre-bottle cocktail menu! JQ favourite, Salcooks are – as always – offering collections, with Rebel Chicken offering a 10% discount on all takeaways. And, if you’re in the mood for Chocolate, The Chocolate Quarter are on Ubereats!
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2. BUY A GIFT VOUCHER
Rather than cancelling appointments or shopping trips, you can support the Jewellery Quarter by buying gift vouchers which are a great alternative and will help smaller businesses manage their cash flow ensuring you can still visit them at a later date. Gift vouchers also give you the option to support an even wider range of businesses including hairdressers, retailers, bars etc. Again, it’s worth getting in touch directly with your regular or favourite venues to see if they have recently decided to offer this option.
A few that we can point you to, include our precious museums (The Coffin Works / Museum of the Jewellery Quarter / Pen Museum). Tickets can still be booked to visit these fantastic venues for later in the year! You can also purchase gift vouchers for many of the JQ’s restaurants such as The Wilderness, Anderson’s Bar & Grill and Opheem; and also experiences including Escape Live, The Quarterworkshop and Kate Smith Jewellery.
And for that celebration when COVID-19 finally leaves us, why not begin to organise a JQ bar crawl and purchase vouchers for some our fantastic venues, including 40 St Paul’s, Arch 13 and the Birmingham Whisky Club.
3. BROWSE OUR ONLINE SHOPS
Take the time to leisurely browse the online shops of our local jewellers and retailers, a great way to get ahead on buying birthday presents and other gifts. Our Jewellery Quarter Business Directory is a great place to start and contains many retailers that offer amazingly unique gifts that can’t be purchased anywhere else in Birmingham.
If you’re looking for that special piece of jewellery, many of our jewellery retailers have online shops for you to purchase from. Or if you need something a bit stronger to help with self-isolation, why not stock up on wine with Connolly’s Wine Merchants.
4. DONATE ONLINE
Bars, restaurants and Coffee Shops depend on their loyal customers. A few have recently set up Patreon Donation pages online so that customers can continue to support them and ensure that they are still serving your favourite food and beverages when they are able to open their doors to the public again.
So the next time you make yourself a coffee at home and find yourself longing for a proper Barista blend why not donate a few pounds online through Patreon or the other online giving services. It’s also important to note that while some have closed their seating areas, it’s worth checking to see if they’re still operating a coffee window service.
5. SHARE INNOVATIVE IDEAS
We’re an innovative nation and our local businesses are looking positively for ways to stay in contact with you – so make sure to visit their websites or social media to find out some of their plans. Also, don’t be shy to share any ideas that you have about how to help businesses in the Jewellery Quarter. If you’ve got a good idea, then share it with your business or service provider — send it to us too and we’ll share the information. In these truly testing times, pulling together and working as a community is the way we move forward.
The Jewellery Quarter is one of the most vibrant and exciting places to be in Birmingham. It’s absolutely vital that we support our local business community as much as possible over these coming months.
