As we are spending more time indoors, October felt the perfect month to check in with the owner of one of our favourite lifestyle and homeware shops in Rye. Besides producing our signature room scent, Michael (or Mikey, to avoid confusion with his husband Michael!) owns and runs Hunter Jones which is now firmly established as Rye’s retail destination for all your sensory needs. With a background working for a top skincare brand in London, Michael then set up Hunter Jones which began its life in 2009 as a vintage furniture business. Moving to Rye the following year, this continued until 2018 when he decided to open the current shop on Market Road, choosing to move away from vintage and antiques to concentrate on sourcing rugs, ceramics, skincare and fragrances – a mix of things that didn’t exist in Rye at the time. Besides its own bestselling diffusers, which are produced in- house, Hunter Jones now stock many independent British brands such as Haeckels and Wilder Botanics, as well as a recent collaboration with Rye’s own Merchant & Mills. A carefully sourced selection of complementary brands which focus on natural products, are updated seasonally so you will always find something new to tempt you with on each visit!
https://www.hunterjonesstore.co.uk
What brings you to the George?
I make the scented reed diffusers which are dotted around the hotel, which I developed with owner Katie. It’s quite a complex fragrance – Katie wanted something relaxing and fresh, with lots of rosemary and lavender. She also liked a fragrance in my own range which has tomato and basil as its dominant notes, and so we added those too. I think we captured The George quite well and I get lots of guests coming into the shop talking about it, which is always nice. Other than that, we often meet friends here for drinks or dinner, and it always feels like a treat!
List 3 things you won’t leave home without
Apart from the obvious, I would say a lip balm – the Haeckels one is my favourite. Definitely sunglasses – we stock a Danish brand called A.Kjaerbede and so I have 10–15 pairs to choose from – I’ll grab a pair from the drawer by the front door on my way out. And lastly, can I say fragrance? I rarely leave the house without it on and if I do, I’ll choose something when I get to work. It usually depends on the weather, but at the moment I’m wearing The Architect’s Club by Arquiste which is warm and smoky, or Gorseland by Jorum Studio which is much brighter and perfect for a warm day. If I’m testing new fragrances for the shop it could be anything!
What is your earliest hotel memory?
My parents used to take my brother and I for lunch to the hotel they’d met at – it was on the East Coast of Scotland, near Fife, a beautiful Arts and Crafts building in the countryside. There was a fountain we’d throw pennies in, and a Golden Retriever to play with – it was idyllic. It was called the Sandford House Hotel but sadly closed in 2007. It is now a lovingly restored family home, which was featured in a BBC2 Restoration Home documentary. I recently heard Lorraine Kelly had her honeymoon there!
What is the best/most important part of staying away in a hotel for you?
For me, it’s the bathroom. I can forgive lots of things but if I’m staying somewhere where I’m getting ready to go out every night, I want a really beautiful bathroom, a good shower and a nice big sink.
What are you currently reading/binge-watching/listening to?
I just finished reading Young Mungo by Douglas Stewart which I loved – it was brilliant. We watched Vogue – The 90’s this week which was really interesting, and very nostalgic. Music-wise we’re listening to a lot of Glass Beams and Yussef Dayes in the shop, and when I get home I’m more likely to listen to pop, disco or 90’s RnB. For me it’s good to listen to something different at home to switch off.
Do you have a hotel lobby/lift story you’d care to share with us?
I used to work for a company who distributed a skincare brand called Ole Henriksen. Ole was a Danish facialist who had made it big appearing on Oprah in the 80’s and was by this time world famous. He had come over to do a P.A. in Manchester but the only rooms we could find were in a certain city centre hotel that’s now notorious – we can politely call it a dive. It was so embarrassing, especially given Ole lives in a stunning villa on Sunset Boulevard and names Diana Ross as his best friend. Imagine!! As we checked out the next morning I heard him mutter “this is definitely going in the autobiography!”.
What do you always forget/lose when you go away?
In my efforts to decant products into little bottles to save space, I always end up running out of something, so not so much forgetting but more misjudging. It gives me an excuse to go shopping though, so it’s not always a bad thing!
Hypothetically, who would you most like to discover is a fellow guest?
Oh Kylie Minogue, every time.
What helps you get to sleep at night? (Keep it clean!)
Ten minutes under my LED mask and I’m off! It’s great for the skin but I also find the red light really relaxing.
My secret Rye discovery is….
There are no secrets in Rye! But I’d say my top recommendations are The Fig and The Union, both of which are always so reliably tasty.
