When you leave the New Forest, it’s tempting to want to pack up the scenery and take it with you. While you can’t bottle the mist over the heath or the sound of the ponies, the local artisans here have come pretty close.
Forget the generic postcards. If you are looking for a souvenir that actually tastes, smells, and feels like the forest, these are the six local brands we always recommend.
1. The Morning Ritual: Forest Edge Roasting Co.
There is no better way to remember your forest stay than by recreating that first cup of coffee of the morning. Forest Edge Roasting Co. is a small-batch roasters that treats coffee like an art form. Their beans are the perfect souvenir for the coffee lover who appreciates a craft approach to their daily brew.
2. A Proper Brew: New Forest Tea Company
If tea is more your speed, the New Forest Tea Company offers blends that are literally inspired by the landscape. Their plastic-free, hand-blended teas are a thoughtful gift for someone back home—or a way to keep that “slow-living” forest feeling alive in your own kitchen.
3. The Jar of Gold: Naked Jam
Naked Jam is widely celebrated for a reason. These aren’t just jams; they are award-winning preserves that focus on the purity of the fruit. Often featuring foraged ingredients, a jar of their jam is a small, portable piece of the forest’s seasonal harvest that makes for a perfect (and delicious) gift.
4. Seasonal Sweetness: New Forest Fruit Company
Famous for their strawberries, the New Forest Fruit Company captures the taste of a British summer. While you might not be able to carry a punnet of berries all the way home, look out for their snacks and sparkling fruit beverages—they are a high-end, refreshing way to remember the sunnier days spent on the coast or in the enclosures.
5. Artisan Elegance: Beaulieu Chocolate Studio
For a gift that looks as beautiful as it tastes, the Beaulieu Chocolate Studio is the gold standard. Located in one of the forest’s most iconic villages, their handmade chocolates and truffles are the ultimate thank you gift or a sophisticated treat to enjoy on your journey home.
6. The Scent of the Trees: New Forest Botanics
Scent is the most powerful way to trigger a memory. New Forest Botanics creates candles, diffusers, and skincare that use the scents of the landscape—think wild gorse, pine, and woodsmoke. It’s the fastest way to transport your senses back to the woodland, long after you’ve left the cattle grids behind.
Why we choose these makers
At Stay New Forest, we believe the best souvenirs are the ones that support the people who look after this landscape. Every time you buy from these makers, you’re helping to keep the creative spirit of the New Forest alive.
What are you taking home?