October is Small Business Month! And to celebrate, we’re highlighting some of the great small businesses we have throughout the region. Read all the stories here.
Today for Small Business Month, we’re celebrating three local businesses offering something a little different: artisan chocolate made with dietary needs in mind, a thoughtfully curated boutique full of gifts and homewares, and a secondhand treasure trove where you never know what you’ll find.
The Lucky Dip Emporium
You never know what treasure you’ll find
Uralla, NSW
There’s something wonderfully unpredictable about a good secondhand shop — and at The Lucky Dip Emporium in Uralla, that’s exactly the point.
Proudly mother-and-daughter owned by Kaye and Leah Kliendienst, The Lucky Dip Emporium is packed with an ever-changing mix of vinyl records, antiques, vintage toys, preloved clothing, artwork, collectables, household finds, camping gear and plenty of quirky bric-a-brac.
The appeal is simple: you never quite know what you’ll discover. One visit might uncover a vintage treasure, the next could turn up a record you’ve been searching for, an unusual piece of artwork or something you didn’t know you needed until you spotted it.
For Kaye and Leah, it’s also about giving good things a second life and creating a welcoming place where locals, travellers, collectors and bargain hunters can browse, chat and enjoy the hunt.
With new items continually coming through the door, every visit offers something different — and the friendly, personal atmosphere is a big part of the experience.
So next time you’re in Uralla, leave a little room in your day for a browse. You never know what might be waiting for you at The Lucky Dip Emporium.
Miss Groves
A little shop with plenty of personality
Uralla, NSW
Some shops are about what you need. Others are about finding something you didn’t know you were looking for. At Miss Groves in Uralla, it can be a bit of both.
Owned by best friends Emma Lawrence and Leah, Miss Groves has spent the past 18 months building a collection of homewares, gifts, clothing and art that reflects their own tastes and love of considered design.
Rather than stocking everything for everyone, the pair choose pieces they genuinely love, creating a shop with its own character. Whether you’re searching for a thoughtful gift, refreshing a corner of your home or simply browsing, there’s always the possibility of discovering something unexpected.
Emma looks after curation and the day-to-day running of the business, bringing an eye for detail to the shop’s collections and customer experience. Leah brings her background in interior design and styling through her business, The Beholder Styling and Design, working across residential and commercial spaces.
Together, they’ve created more than a retail space. Miss Groves is also about the conversations, familiar faces and new friendships that come with being part of a small community.
For Emma and Leah, the best part is seeing people pop in, bring a friend or recommend the shop to someone else. It’s that personal connection, alongside a thoughtfully chosen range, that makes Miss Groves feel at home in Uralla.
Wat The Health
Real chocolate, crafted from the ground up
Eungai Creek, NSW
For Kim Talbot of Eungai Creek, chocolate should be something everyone can enjoy — including people who have to navigate food restrictions.
Through her small artisan business, Wat The Health, Kim creates handcrafted chocolate and raw treats made without gluten, dairy, refined sugar, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
What sets her chocolate apart is the process. Rather than melting down commercially made chocolate, Kim starts with three certified organic ingredients: cacao nibs, cacao butter and coconut sugar. These are ground together over four to five days before the chocolate is hand-tempered and moulded.
It’s a hands-on approach that puts the ingredients and craft at the centre of the finished product.
Kim is the creative force behind Wat The Health, driven by her passion for making delicious treats more accessible to people with dietary restrictions, as well as anyone who appreciates thoughtfully made chocolate.
Her philosophy is simple: everyone deserves to enjoy the sweeter things in life, whatever their dietary needs.
From the careful selection of ingredients to the time spent creating each batch, Wat The Health offers a different take on a familiar favourite — one made with care, from the ground up.
Throughout October, we’ll run stories highlighting the great local businesses we have right here in our communities. This is a free service – the businesses highlighted have not paid for this story.
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