The Best Art Supply Shops in Leicester

July 2, 2026

The Best Art Supply Shops in Leicester | Discount Art Supplies

Written by Paul Worrall

Leicester doesn’t always get the credit it deserves as a city — it has a genuinly rich creative and cultural history, a long-established university arts scene through De Montfort, and a diverse independent retail sector that holds its own better than a lot of comparably sized East Midlands cities. It also has what is, in my opinion, one of the most extraordinery independent art supplies shops anywhere in the UK — a business that started in a shed at the bottom of a Leicester street, run by a man who walked out of his job over a sixpence pay rise, and which is still going strong after more than 125 years.

I’ve actually been to Leicester, just once — I was about thirteen years old and my dad was presented with a weekend away by his employers as a reward for designing the Pepsi sign on Blackpool Tower. Me, mum and dad stayed at a Spar Hotel for the weekend, which at that age felt like the height of luxury even if I couldn’t tell you much about Leicester itself beyond the hotel and wherever we went for dinner. It’s not the most detailed first-hand experience of the city, I’ll admit.

I’m Paul Worrall. I spent nearly a decade running digital marketing for ARTdiscount, one of the UK’s largest online art retailers, and I now run Discount Art Supplies — a price comparison platform used by over 36,000 UK artists every week. Here’s the honest picture of what Leicester actually offers artists today. If you’re planning visits to nearby cities, also check out our guides to the best art supply shops in Birmingham and the best art supply shops in Nottingham.

1. Gadsby’s — 22 Market Place

Gadsby's art supplies and framing Leicester Market Place

Gadsby’s deserves its own paragraph of context before anything else, because this isn’t just a good art supplies shop — it’s one of the most remarkable independent retailers in the country. The story begins in the 1890s, when Frank Gadsby was working as an apprentice picture framer and gilder on Narborough Road in Leicester. He asked his employer for a rise — another sixpence a week — and when it was refused, he walked out and started his own business from a shed at the bottom of Marquis Street, with a bench in one corner and a piano in the other. His first commission was the re-gilding of several pictures and frames at a local church. He went on to become Master of the Fine Art Trade Guild in London. The business is now in its fourth generation of family ownership.

That heritage matters because it shows in everything Gadsby’s does. The Leicester city centre shop at 22 Market Place carries what is genuinly described by those who know it as one of the most comprehensive ranges of art materials in the country — not “comprehensive for a city the size of Leicester,” but genuinly comprehensive, full stop. Brands I’ve spent years selling and recommending through ARTdiscount and Discount Art Supplies are stocked properly, at depth, by people who actually know what they’re talking about. The framing and restoration services run alongside the materials business, as they have since the turn of the last century, and picture and china restoration is a specialism you’ll struggle to find combined with a proper art shop anywhere else.

For Leicester artists, this is the kind of resource most UK cities simply don’t have. If you haven’t been, go. It’s worth the trip from further afield too.

Visit Gadsby’s online →

2. Hobbycraft Leicester

Hobbycraft Leicester art and craft store

The honest version of Hobbycraft, consitent with every city guide I write: not specialist, not deep in professional-grade range, but genuinly useful for what it is. Having kids in the house who treat art supplies as something to be consumed rather than treasured has given me a healthy appreciation for a shop where you can stock up without the bill becoming an event in itself. Hobbycraft Leicester serves that purpose well — everyday consumables, canvases, sketchbooks, basic paint sets, craft materials, seasonal kits, all at prices that don’t sting.

For parents, teachers and hobbyists who need reliable stock at fair prices, Hobbycraft earns its place without pretending to be something it isn’t. Check our Hobbycraft discount code guide before visiting — the student discount and Blue Light Card discount are both worth knowing about.

Find Hobbycraft Leicester →

3. Leicester Gallery Shop — De Montfort University

The Leicester Gallery Shop at De Montfort University is the kind of entry that wouldn’t fit most city guide formats but absolutely belongs in this one. Handmade by talented independent makers including staff, students and alumni from the DMU community, it stocks design ware, unique gifts and accessories alongside a genuinly interesting range of greeting cards and art-adjacent items — all inspired by Leicester Gallery’s own exhibitions and activities. It’s a shop that actively invests in and supports local artists rather than simply selling to them, which is something worth recognising.

For artists in Leicester who want to see what the university’s creative community is making, or for anyone looking for something more considered than the standard gift shop fare, the Leicester Gallery Shop is worth including in any city centre visit.

Visit the Leicester Gallery Shop online →

4. The Works — Leicester

The Works Leicester art and craft supplies

The Works divides opinion in art circles, and I’ve always found the dismissiveness slightly unfair. It’s not specialist. The range isn’t deep. But at the price points The Works operates at, it makes basic art materials genuinly accessible to people who might otherwise never start. Canvases, sketch pads, pencils, starter acrylic sets — all at prices that make experimenting affordable.

For parents buying supplies for children, teachers stocking a classroom or anyone who wants to try a new medium without significant financial commitment, The Works in Leicester serves a real purpose. The art world is better when more people can afford to participate in it. Worth noting that The Works stopped selling online nationally back in March, so the Leicester store — like every other Works — is now purchase in person only. Check our current deals page for online alternatives before visiting.

Find The Works Leicester →

A Note on Art Supplies in Leicester

Leicester’s art supplies offering is anchored by something genuinly exceptional in Gadsby’s — a business with a story and a depth of stock that most UK cities can’t match, and one that seems to get less national attention than it deserves simply by virtue of being in Leicester rather than London. It would hold its own in any city in the country. That alone makes Leicester worth visiting if you’re anywhere near the East Midlands and you care about proper art materials.

Beyond Gadsby’s, the offering is honest rather than spectacular — a solid Hobbycraft, a gallery shop worth knowing about, and the usual Works for accessible everyday materials. For professional-grade materials and the best current UK prices across all major art retailers, Discount Art Supplies compares prices in real time so you always find the best deal before buying anywhere.