Bookery Shops: The Shop Under the Stairs, Sheffield, Meadowhall
- Oct 29, 2019
- 3 min read
Currently three chapters into the Prisoner of Azkaban, I'm probably not the best person to be writing a review on a Harry Potter-themed store! I had never quite gotten round to reading the books previously, and once Ketchup and Mustard came along, I decided I would postpone reading the series until they were old enough to enjoy it too. However, although I am (extremely) late to the Harry Potter party, I am a massive fan of literary-themed shops so I will give my review as best I can in light of the three chapters and four pages of Harry Potter that I am familiar with!
Tucked away in the 'Lanes' section of Meadowhall, a place one could argue has a 'Diagon Alley' feel about it with it's independent stores selling all kinds of weird and wonderful trinkets, The Shop Under the Stairs opened in November 2017 and, as the name suggests, is a treasure trove for all things Harry Potter!
Upon arrival to the store, I fell head over heels in love with the Platform 9 and 3/4 set up just outside it, together with a 'Have You Seen This Wizard' photo frame where shoppers can take snaps. As someone who, last year, queued for over an hour at the other Platform 9 and 3/4 in London's King Cross station, it was great to just rock up, not queue, and take my time snapping several pics and poses of Ketchup and Mustard beside this little landmark. (Please note, the Platform 9 and 3/4 has since been removed from the shop but you can still find the 'Have You Seen This Wizard' photo frame).
Next to browse around the store: broomsticks, wands, bags all beckoned me towards them as I began to make my way around the dimly lit shop. As Hedwig's Theme played overhead, the first thing that caught my eye was a packet of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans; Ketchup and I had a good chuckle at the part in book one when, en route to Hogwarts, Ron introduces Harry to magic confectionery. Priced at £3.99 per packet, you'll probably need wealthy wizard parents to buy these regularly!
Ketchup, Mustard and I then stood to admire a cabinet showcasing wands belonging to different characters in the book. Others held stunning models of Hogwarts, the Hogwarts Express and the Sorting Hat. Whilst these all carried pretty high price tags, there was plenty available to suit all budgets: some gorgeous tote bags (I'm a total sucker for literary tote bags!) character keyrings, mugs and notebooks aplenty.
I loved the wooden plaques with the House names on; Ketchup reckons she's a Gryffindor, I'm definitely a Hufflepuff and Mustard doesn't mind being anything as long as it's not Slytherin! There were also some broomsticks for sale, I didn't see the price tag on them as Ketchup and Mustard grabbed one each and began zooming in and out of the shop pretending they were playing Quidditch!
However, together with stocking some amazing themed merchandise, this shop has some wonderful features which no doubt, fans of the series will love. I won't list them all on here to avoid ruining the surprise for those of you who haven't yet visited but do look out for them if you decide to go; this mirror was one of my favourites!
I 'm so excited that a shop like this has popped up literally on our doorstep and as we progress through the books, I know I'll definitely be returning with Ketchup and Mustard!
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