Folkestone Harbour launches first permanent retail outlet

Published by

Daniel Face

Alex Vouzoukos-Field, co-founder of Gaia

Folkestone Harbour, a hub for independent food and drink brands in Kent, has entered the world of retail with its first ever permanent, standalone retail space.

The new arrival is Gaia, a female-founded boutique indie retailer with stores in Folkestone and Westersham.

Co-founder and self-taught furniture maker Alex Vouzoukos-Field said: “Being a part of Folkestone Marketplace for the past two years has been really great. There’s a family here and we’re all supportive of each other.

“Gaia Studio is going to be a place where you can come and read, sit, enjoy, make... Oh, and drink fantastic coffee!

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“We’ve created the Gaia brand coffee which suits our whole ethos too. We want to make everything ourselves so that consumers always know the origins of the items they buy.”

Gaia joins the likes of Dessert Folkes, Gobsmack’d Burgers and Floc. Brewery at the harbour.

Paulo Kingston-Correia, GM of Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Company, added: “The integration of retail with our vibrant food, drink and socialising offer reflects our commitment to supporting local independent businesses as well as offering our visitors an innovative, distinctive leisure experience.

“We know that consumers are looking for carefully curated, blended leisure and retail experiences, which provide a memorable day out.

“This is just the first of several exciting new attractions and events that we have in the pipeline for 2024.”

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Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.