A Very Hollands Christmas
December is busy at the best of times, and we all end up juggling a million things, from the Christmas shopping to school plays, and the kind of social diary that mysteriously fills up overnight (not to mention hunting down the all-important Turkey from the local butcher, plus all the trimmings!)
But here at Hollands? Well, we’re busy in a very different way, too. Our festive season isn’t just fuelled by mulled wine and late-night wrapping sessions, it’s powered by towers of parcels, dogs under desks, and a kettle that sees more use than your favourite waterproof jacket. But honestly? We wouldn’t have it any other way.
So, if your December is feeling a bit hectic too, or if you’ve ever wondered what Christmas really looks like in a family-run country clothing business, then grab a brew, pull up a chair and join us behind the scenes for a real countryside Christmas here at Hollands.
Festive Season at Hollands HQ
Hollands HQ is where the magic (and the mayhem) really happens. Step onto the farm in December and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a Christmas rush that’s less trees and tinsel and more muddy boots, DPD deliveries, and a kettle that’s genuinely doing the Lord’s work.
By mid-morning, the warehouse team are working harder than Santa on Christmas Eve, the festive playlist is already on its third loop (someone refuses to skip the questionable 80s tracks), Billy is sporting a pair of reindeer antlers he’s not sure he agreed to, and someone is running back to the farmhouse to gather the essential ‘mince pie supply.’
Our official Hollands model Billy channelling his inner 'Rudolph.'
But, amongst the chaos (and the cows watching on from the field opposite), there’s still time to pull the team together for a photo we take every year- all donned in Christmas hats, the crisp winter countryside for a backdrop, and it pretty much sums up December at Hollands.
The Hollands team sporting matching Santa hats.
Yes, it’s busy, it’s crazy, but that doesn’t stop the Christmas spirit here. We might not have elves, but we do have a very determined team. It’s all hands on deck for the festive season at Hollands HQ, complete with the occasional coffee stand visit when spirits dip, a mug of tea going cold somewhere amidst the mayhem, and more bad jokes flying around than you’ll hear once the Christmas crackers come out!
Of course, it isn’t picture-perfect, but it’s honest, hard-working and full of Hollands Christmas Spirit.
A festive visit from National Perk Coffee at Hollands HQ (complete with well-earned puppachinos!)
In the Countryside: How We Spend Christmas
If, like us, you’ve grown up with Christmases in the countryside, you’ll know that after the stockings are opened and the kettles put on, there are usually animals to feed, dogs to walk, and gates to unfreeze. It’s the sort of morning many of you will know well, and at Hollands, our Christmas Day always starts outside.
Mark keeps up his routine on his daily morning walk around the farm, Ozzy the horse gets his own Christmas breakfast courtesy of Rob (an occasion he takes very seriously, of course), Matt heads out to tend to his Chickens, and Billy catches onto everyone’s excitement, demonstrating his best zoomies with the kids in the yard- while I try and find the misplaced lead and a pair of matching wellies!
By the time we’re all back inside and reunited, Grandma Mavis is officially in attendance, and the Christmas dinner is almost ready for tucking in. Well, apart from that one time Mark‘s quick morning walk turned into an outdoor expedition, and he left everyone waiting on his return before touching the pigs in blankets! (Turns out he had just lost track of time and wasn’t actually hiking to the North Pole in his Baleno via Lyme Park!)
But that’s the thing here at Hollands, work, family and farm life don’t sit in separate boxes, and that includes Christmas. The same people who discuss country clothing and business year-round are the ones sitting around the same table on Christmas Day.
We might spend our weeks and busiest time of the year working together, but when the day finally slows and we’re all around the table, it reminds us that at Hollands, Christmas isn’t just a day off. It’s a continuation of everything we are the rest of the year- a family and a business, with highs, lows, lots of laughs, and a whole lot of appreciation for the country life we sell the clothing for.
And if you’re reading this, well… consider yourself now part of that picture too!
Hollands Moments That Made the Year
Looking back over the year, it always seems crazy just how much has happened, from the big wins to the small joys, and all the lovely messages we get from our fabulous customers in between.
This year, we welcomed a whole handful of new brands like Betacraft, Kaiwaka and Swanndri to the Hollands family (to name a few), none of which we had this time last year. It’s been brilliant to see how quickly they have taken off, and, if we’re allowed one tiny cheeky boast… we’re also now officially the UK’s biggest independent retailer of Hoggs of Fife- not bad for a family-run business, right? We’ll certainly be raising a glass to that this year!
While we welcomed new names, some of our favourite milestones this year also came from simply expanding what we already offer. In existing ranges like Dubarry, Ridgeline, Seeland and Pinewood, we’ve more than doubled our product offering, and even the unusually dry summer couldn’t slow us down this year! If anything, it pushed us to think differently and widen the choices for the seasons ahead with our range of sailing wear, riding gear, kids’ clothing, and proper summer kit that held the fort in the heatwave!
We’ve also grown behind the scenes too, bringing more brilliant local people into the team and adding a few extra pairs of boots to the warehouse. We even treated ourselves to a proper industrial BBQ- which Matt said was partly for “team development”, but is actually code for staff get-togethers where venison burgers and hot dogs steal the show just as much as the inevitable ketchup debate- do you put it on before the burger, or after? The jury is still out….
One of the infamous Hollands team get-togethers where Matt puts his BBQ skills to the test!
And in between the hard work, we somehow even managed to don our best photo faces to squeeze in a few photo shoots (complete with unpredictable weather and a lot of outfit changes) and enjoyed the kind of happy stories from the customer service team that genuinely kept us going on the long days.
The Three Hollands siblings putting on our best photo faces for a Pinewood shoot back in August.
Like any business (or family), it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but we can safely say it’s been a pretty positive year here at Hollands, and we’re excited for what 2026 has in store- we can say there will definitely be more Venison burgers!
Thank You, From All of Us
So, as we wrap up for another year, and the last of the Christmas parcels leave the warehouse, there’s only one more important thing left to say, and that’s a real Hollands thank you.
It’s been a busy year, full of new brands, new faces, and plenty of muddy boots, but every year we’re genuinely grateful to everyone who’s chosen to shop with us, ask questions, send photos, or simply pop us a message or leave a kind review.
Running a family business isn’t always easy; it means lots of early starts, late finishes, and a peak season that runs well past the Boxing Day leftovers. But knowing our customers value what we do, the products we stock, and the service we provide, with a team that mucks in and tries their best (even on the mad days) makes a real difference.
Wrap-Up: A very Merry Christmas
Whether you’ve been part of the Hollands community for years or only found us this festive season while hunting for the perfect gift, we appreciate you sticking with us, a small, rural, family-run business. And from everyone here, the packers, the pickers, the dog-wranglers, the tea-makers, and the whole Hollands family, we thank you for being part of our story in 2025.
hat leaves us to wish you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and we’ll be back again for another exciting year in 2026, where, yes, we’ll still be on the farm, out walking the dogs, and enjoying every bit of the country life. We hope you’ll join us too!
