Here’s your chance to meet the makers behind business at Northampton garden centre that houses 50 crafters

The Shack, which opened at Woodmeadow Garden Centre in March 2024, began with 31 traders and has continued to increase its capacity.

The venture was founded by Karen Akhtar, who wanted to give independent crafters the opportunity to rent a space and sell their goods from The Shack.

Karen ran a stall called The Little Magic Room but wanted somewhere she could work from one place. When she found out the space at the garden centre was available, The Shack was born.

The shop has always been bursting at the seams and Karen assures customers they will never see the same thing twice at The Shack, making for a quirky experience.

The aim was, and still is, for The Shack to become the go-to location for people to purchase gifts of all kinds – as well as creating a welcoming place to be.

More people visited The Shack in 2025 than ever before and Karen says she was optimistic coming into 2026 – particularly as more stores were set to open at Woodmeadow Garden Centre, which will hopefully increase footfall and visits from newbies.

Karen believes it is the happy atmosphere at The Shack that sets the business apart from others, as well as how they solve people’s problems. If they do not have something a customer is looking for, they find a crafter who can make it happen.

The Shack is hosting a ‘meet the makers’ event on August 1 from 10am until 3pm, which will give shoppers at Woodmeadow Garden Centre the chance to meet some of the faces behind the innovative independents.

Karen is encouraging everyone to attend, as henna will be on offer and one crafter will be printing and personalising items while you wait – including mugs, shirts and the 101 other items she produces.

Do not miss out on this opportunity to shop local and support the founders working hard to make their small and independent ventures a success.

For more information on The Shack, visit the business’ Facebook page here.