Affordable everyday kitchen essentials from Homesense

Shhh I have a little secret (well, perhaps not such a secret anymore…) I’ve long bought almost all of my Christmas presents from a store you might know – Homesense. That designer soy wax candle, those little French stainless steel knives, that artisan extra virgin olive oil, yes friends and family, they were all bargains snapped up with discounts of up to 60% off. No one would ever know as I smile smugly and they gush ‘that’s very generous’…! But I wanted to let you into the secret too and show just what can be found in store everyday.

If you’re not familiar with Homesense, it’s part of the TK Maxx family – so just imagine the homeware department of TK Maxx but on a much bigger scale. Since launching in 2008, Homesense has opened 50 stores, most recently in Greenwich, the first one to open in south London (hurrah!).

Unlike other retailers, Homesense buys constantly from across the world throughout the year, meaning there is new stock and bargains to be had each week. I love that feeling when you walk in and wander ‘what will we find today?’.

There’s everything from designer bedding, merino wool blankets and fluffy, high-quality towels, through unique, one-off gifts and stationery, to kitchen essentials and store cupboard staples. There’s even things for the garden and everything your pet could want or need (stylish dog beds, check, rolls of poo bags which would be £5.00 or more elsewhere, check). Along with my local TK Maxx in Brixton, Homesense is my go-to store for discounted scented candles, beautiful hand soap for the kitchen and functional, everyday items. Although I invariably leave with one or two other pieces that catch my eye!

Recently I took at trip to Homesense Farnborough together with my Mum who lives nearby. I love cooking and take a lot of pride in my little kitchen, so wanted to find some simple, good quality kitchen basics that I needed and would use everyday.

Wandering around the aisles, it was easy to find those kitchen staples at good prices – a stainless steel pot with lid for £11.99 (RRP £25.00), a gorgeous, circular mango wood chopping board for £14.99, and a steel knife with a beautiful walnut handle for £12.99 (RRP £19.99). And a few extras of course if you scroll down further…

I geeked out a little on the cleaning brushes and products for the home, picking up two smart, contemporary, bamboo scrubbing brushes and a fragrant lemon and grapefruit room spray for £4.99 (RRP £7.00). A black spice and cedar candle later (£12.99, RRP £25.00 – a brilliant bargain for a scented candle that’s been hand poured and blended with essential oils) and I was looking forward to my home smelling fresh and sweet in no time. There’s nothing like a Spring clean and refresh to make you fall back in love with your home.

Homesense is also great for more unusual delicacies and ingredients that would ordinarily cost the earth in a delicatessen. I often venture there for things like saffron, harissa and chia seeds. When we visited the Farnborough store there were lots of spices, jams, oils and condiments. I always pick out the pretty labels… In my basket then went some Portuguese extra virgin olive oil for £4.99, some juicy Kalamata olives from Greece for £2.99 and some very indulgent truffle infused sea salt also for £2.99 (RRP £6.50) that I’ll sprinkle on pasta and risottos.

The appeal for me is not just the prices of these items, but the quality too. This isn’t cheap tat, the pieces here are refined and well-detailed – the bamboo on the scrubbing brushes is beautifully smooth and tactile, the cooking pot has smart, square handles, the handle of the knife fits perfectly into the palm and is super sharp. All items that will hopefully last, bar the olives of course, and a bar of 70% dark chocolate (you didn’t even see that it was gone so quickly!).

So there’s what I found, all useful pieces that fit seamlessly into my home. But tell me, do you shop in Homesense, what great finds have you discovered there?

Items featured in the post:

Circular mango wood chopping board, £14.99
Steel knife with walnut handle, £12.99, RRP £19.99
Small butter knives, set of four, £9.99, RRP £19.90
Cooking pot with lid, £11.99, RRP £25.00
Glass storage jar, £2.99, RRP £6.50
Squid ink pasta, £2.00
Scrubbing brushes, £2.99 each, RRP £4.99 each
Black spice and cedar candle, £12.99, RRP £25.00
Lemon and grapefruit room spray, £4.99, RRP £7.00
Portuguese extra virgin olive oil, £4.99
Kalamata olives, £2.99
Truffle flavoured sea salt, £2.99, RRP £6.50
Sea salts with spices, pack of four, £5.99

This is a sponsored post written in collaboration with Homesense. Find your nearest Homesense store here and find Homesense on Instagram here. 

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