Businesses are what make Northampton a special place – here’s what other towns can learn from us

It’s approaching four years since I joined the Chronicle & Echo team and despite speaking to business owners day in day out, there’s still new ones that emerge that have been around that whole time.

To dedicate so many stories to the business community and still have so many coming out the woodwork is testament to just how much Northampton has going on.

Whether people want to admit that or not is another question, as it is easy to tunnel vision for all the parts of this town that desperately need improving.

Instead, I like to focus on what the town has in abundance, and undoubtedly that is a determined, hardworking and vast range of businesses that push boundaries, constantly evolve, and do their best to meet the demands of what their customers actually want.

So, having said all of that, here is what other towns can learn from Northampton’s business community that work hard to make this a great place to shop, live and work.

At the centre of it all is community, and that is what makes it so special. Northampton does not back down from collaboration and the majority of founders encourage it, which is heartening to see.

Just last month seven-year-old budding food reviewer Woo Reviews hosted her second successful street food event at hidden gem outdoor venue T’s.

This was facilitated by Tracey Onley, also from The Courtyard Creperie team, and ran in aid of The Lewis Foundation – which remarkably delivers 2,000 gift packs to adult cancer patients across the Midlands every month.

Woo welcomed some of her favourite street food traders to Woo Fest 2.0. Not only did this give them a platform to show what they had to offer on a scorcher of a Bank Holiday weekend, but without hesitation they donated some of their profits to the worthy cause.

There’s a lot of selflessness that threads through Northampton’s business community, with founders willing to help others, offer their support and share the belief that there is room for everyone.

Someone who does this really well is Steve Culverhouse, who closed the well-renowned Old Bakehouse Antique Centre back in February 2025 after almost a decade-and-a-half.

As Steve could not let his love of quality Victorian and Edwardian furniture go, he launched Oak Wood Antiques in Oakwood Road in April – around a month on from the closure of the previous business.

He spoke to this newspaper for one of the latest instalments of the We Mean Business campaign and I was taken aback by his approach to trading, with the view that there is no such thing as competition.

“500 yards there’s another emporium and we send people on to them,” said Steve. “It wouldn’t matter if there were 20 antique shops around here, none of us would have the same thing.”

The founder also spoke of how he directs customers to other businesses in Kingsley and Abington. This doesn’t just extend to antique emporiums to make Northampton a hub for these kinds of businesses, but alternative places to shop and eat to keep visitors in the town for longer.

This desire to see others do just as well as themselves is what businesses in other towns can definitely learn from Northampton.