Inside Craft Haus: Derby’s New Occult Bookshop Opens Its Doors

A harpist, wine and a psychic medium made for a slightly different Friday evening in Derby as the TREИDNG team got an early look inside Craft Haus on 9 October. The new occult bookshop and coffee house, on the corner of Sadler Gate and The Strand Arcade, held its opening evening ahead of welcoming the public the following day. Having walked past regularly and watched the premises taking shape, we were keen to see what had been happening behind the windows, and the finished space gave us plenty to explore.

The shop looks stunning, with the care invested in its presentation apparent as we made our way through the bookshop and upstairs into the event space and witch shop. Watching an independent business develop from the street gives you some idea of the work involved, but getting inside revealed the extent of what had been created. Each area gave us another reason to linger, and the evening offered a chance to appreciate the surroundings before the day-to-day business of opening properly began.

Harp Music, Wine and a First Look Around

The harp player provided a fitting accompaniment to an evening spent browsing and exploring, with wine and nibbles adding to the occasion. A psychic medium also featured in the opening, introducing an element of the programming that will become part of Craft Haus’s events calendar. Together, those details gave the launch an atmosphere suited to the venue and its interests, while leaving us time to look around the different parts of the building.

The bookshop was a highlight, although heading upstairs revealed how much more there is to the business. We had the opportunity to explore both the event space and mysticprimrose, which carried the same attention to detail as the area below. The upstairs rooms are particularly interesting when considered alongside the plans for talks and workshops, providing somewhere for people to gather around the subjects represented on the shelves.

For a shop we had become accustomed to seeing while walking around town, there was a satisfying sense of discovery in finally being able to explore it. The work we had watched progressing from outside had resulted in a space with considerable character, and the opening evening gave us a good introduction to what its owners are hoping to build.

The Couple Behind Craft Haus

Craft Haus is run by husband-and-wife team Jessica Messenger and Lee Hamilton-Cooper, whose backgrounds bring together creative work, business experience and a longstanding interest in the occult. The concept began with Jess around 2022 as a proposed space for alternative makers, before developing into the combination of bookshop, coffee house, specialist retail and events venue that has now opened in Derby.

Jess’s experience includes business operations, marketing and holistic practice, and she is one of the founding members of the Derby Occultist Society. Lee brings a background in sports photography, creative direction and commercial and retail work. Their stated ambition is to create a welcoming place where people can explore alternative interests, exchange knowledge and spend time together, with the shop providing a physical home for activities that can otherwise remain scattered across online communities.

During our visit, the range of spaces helped make those plans easier to picture. The bookshop gives people somewhere to browse independently, while the coffee house and upstairs rooms provide opportunities to stay longer or return for a particular event. That combination could help the business develop a regular community around it, alongside visitors discovering the shop while passing through the city centre.

An Occult Bookshop With Room to Read

Books sit at the centre of Craft Haus, with an occult and esoteric selection supported by an in-house reference library. Selected titles are marked for visitors to read on the premises, allowing them to spend time with a subject over a coffee as well as browse the books available to buy. The arrangement encourages the kind of unhurried visit that suits a specialist bookshop, particularly for people beginning to explore unfamiliar interests.

Exploring the shelves was one of the pleasures of the opening evening, and the surroundings gave us plenty of reason to take our time. With the coffee house forming part of the same space, there is scope for visitors to make reading and browsing part of a longer stop in town, whether they arrive with a particular subject in mind or simply want to see what catches their attention.

Beyond the books, Craft Haus includes a herbarium and apothecary selling botanicals, herbs, salts and resins by the gram for craft projects and ritual use. A custom-made six-foot scrying mirror, associated with divination practices, adds another unusual feature to the premises. These elements broaden the shop’s offering and give visitors interested in the practical side of its subjects more to investigate.

Talks, Workshops and a Home for the Derby Occultist Society

Having explored the upstairs event space, we were interested to find out how it would be used once the shop opened. Craft Haus’s plans cover candle and incense making, arts and crafts, meditation, divination and the study of occult subjects, alongside author appearances, book signings, specialist talks, mediumship evenings, markets and pop-ups. The range suggests a programme that could bring different groups through the doors throughout the year.

One of the first advertised events is Telephone Calls From the Dead, taking place on 23 October 2026. The talk features Professor Cal Cooper, a contributor to BBC Uncanny, discussing a two-year investigation into reports of apparently paranormal telephone calls. It provides an early example of the specialist subjects the venue intends to explore, with visitors able to check the developing programme through its online event calendar.

Craft Haus also becomes the permanent home of the Derby Occultist Society, which began in 2007 and has been revived after a period of inactivity. Its annual membership includes retail and workshop discounts, a monthly coffee, early access to events and voting rights on aspects of the business’s development. Giving the society a regular meeting place creates an opportunity to build continuity between individual events, with members able to contribute to what happens next.

Adding to Derby’s Independent Character

The location feels particularly well suited to what Jess and Lee have created. Nearby Dark Shenanigans already offers an assortment of creepy curiosities, while Foulds Guitars and the art gallery in The Strand Arcade give us further reasons to spend time around these streets. Craft Haus adds another distinctive destination within a short walk, strengthening the mix of independent businesses that makes this part of Derby worth exploring.

Around Sadler Gate, The Strand and the city-centre end of Friar Gate, there are some real gems tucked close together, and we would love to see that character continue developing. A little gothic corner of Derby, bringing together alternative shops, creative spaces and places to sit with a drink, feels like a prospect worth getting behind. Businesses such as Craft Haus give that idea something tangible to grow around, while adding to the appeal of the surrounding independents.

Friday’s opening evening gave us a chance to see the results of the work we had watched unfolding on our regular walks through town. The gorgeous bookshop, upstairs retail space and plans for a varied events programme make Craft Haus an exciting addition to Derby, with plenty of reasons to return beyond a first look. We will be following how the programme develops, and our future walks past are likely to involve stopping for considerably longer.

Craft Haus is at 5–6 The Strand, Sadler Gate, Derby, DE1 1BQ, with advertised opening hours of Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–5pm. Visit crafthausderby.com for information about the shop and upcoming events.

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