There is a fab new website that champions the local indie scene, called INDIEEP and has been created in a very clever way!
The woman behind the concept lives and breathes Southsea and Portsmouth. Being French, and the fact she likes to travel adds a lot of arrows to her bow, and so this website was something that was always there waiting to happen.
The Back Story
I had always loved the founder’s style and followed her personal account to lift me up and give me inspiration on a rainy day, so when I got to meet her over a year ago, I loved that she is just as stylish in real life as her Instagram account. Something that also grabbed me was that I had found someone who loved Independents as much as me and didn’t think I was crazy for stepping into a new city and wanting to find the perfect independent cafe or Interior shop!
Having been a person who landed somewhere and found cool spots to eat, shop and explore, the Indieep girl found her friends and family asking her for an itinerary whenever they went on a trip to LA, France or London. After a while, and many emails offering advice on places to go, This jet-setting girl decided to create a platform that everyone can tap into when they only have a short time to catch all the sights and want to find the most awesome places in that city or town.
What is cool about Indieep?
It makes you feel proud of your city when there’s a lot of your favourite indie places on the website. We DO live in a cool city. The thing is that when we get visitors coming to Portsmouth they might not have heard of Natty’s Jerk Kitchen before or know that Hideout Coffee sells super rad donuts and has a chilled hangout. Getting them to visit Indieep website and see the top spots we have in the city helps people to have the best time while here and also puts the indies in Southsea/Portsmouth on the map around the UK and abroad.
All the recommended places on Indieep either come from another indie business recommending them or have been curated by Indieep. The hope is that the support for one another shows unity and positivity in that city or town. It is kind of like going into a cool bar you have found and the bartender shouting about the cafe down the road or the pizzeria on the corner.
Each of the indies that has been recommended then allows that indie business to choose some of their favourites too and so the list goes on and on.
Chatting to the girl behind the concept she said, “I like to find gems that are off the beaten track. I feel that indies in major cities are well covered by the media but there are pockets of really cool businesses in smaller towns which are overlooked. I would love it if Indieep could raise awareness of these areas and get people planning their weekends away to places like Southsea and Portsmouth instead of the South Bank.”
Finding What You Want
I am not sure about you, but I always find landing in a new city or town daunting. I always worry I won’t find the perfect bakery or neat little cafe serving up the best crepes in the time I have, so this makes my heart sing knowing I can click on a new city and read all about the coolest places in that area. The website is constantly being updated with new places and new indies so keep popping on for more inspiration.
Have a look for yourself and see where you would like to visit and what independent place you will explore when you get there!
Featured Image – Jeffrey Czum
