CHI CUPS CROWNED GIFT OF THE YEAR 2026 PEOPLE’S CHOICE CHAMPION The people have spoken, and the results are in! Gift of the Year, organised by The Giftware Association, is thrilled to announce that Chi Cups by Chi Cups has been officially crowned the sixth People’s Choice Champion. The brand earned an overwhelming number of votes – nearly 20 percent of the total – and captured the hearts of fans and supporters within their network. The award was announced at the Harrogate Home and Gifts Sundowners drink, held after the first day of trading. From the very beginning, Chi Cups brought energy, creativity, and an undeniable spark to the competition, making its way through to the shortlist stage of the awards and proudly exhibiting at Spring Fair. The company’s ability to rally support and inspire its community was nothing short of phenomenal in the most voted awards to date. “We are incredibly proud of Chi Cups, and the passion they’ve shown throughout each stage of the awards has been great to see,” said Chris Workman, Marketing and PR Manager of the Giftware Association. “Their win is a testament to the power of their community and the power of knowing your audience.” The People’s Choice Champion title is awarded to the participant who garners the most public votes, and anyone who made it through to the shortlist stage of the awards is eligible to be crowned. Chi Cups did just that – drumming up impressive support that carried the company to victory. Gift of the Year is now open for entries now – www.giftoftheyear.co.uk GARDENING FOR KIDS COLLABORATES WITH EMMA LAWRENCE DESIGNS A new collaboration between Gardening for Kids and Emma Lawrence Designs is a natural match – combining a love of the outdoors with beautifully illustrated, educational products. Gardening for Kids is a family business with one goal – to get children growing! Founded by Louise Edgeworth, a teacher, in response to the question “What’s the point of plants Miss?” they are the UK’s only specialist children’s gardening supplier. The company has licensed Emma’s charming sub-brand, Little Nature Explorers®, across a brand-new range of growing kits, garden tools and accessories. With a shared ethos of helping children learn about nature and encouraging outdoor play, the range is designed to inspire curiosity and creativity - while also supporting the KS2 science curriculum. Little Nature Explorers® began life as a series of non-fiction children’s books that Emma wrote and illustrated, featuring fun and cheeky bugs, friendly insects and native wildflowers. The popular characters have since evolved into a range of illustrated products that celebrate the magic of the natural world. Gardening for Kids first stocked the original books in their shop, and later reconnected with Emma at Harrogate Home & Gift, where the idea for a wider collaboration took root. Fittingly, the new range and republished books will launch at this year’s Harrogate show including The Worm, Slugs & Snails and Butterflies, now with fun facts and a crossword to engage young readers and help them learn amazing facts. www.gardeningforkids.co.uk ANNA MCLOUGHLIN FINE JEWELLERY AWARDED HALO AWARD Anna McLoughlin Fine Jewellery has been awarded the prestigious HALO Award for 2025, in recognition of her innovative work to engage customers with the importance of hallmarking and consumer protection in the jewellery sector. The HALO Award, established by the British Hallmarking Council in 2021, and now operating under the Assay Assured banner, a joint venture between the four assay offices of the UK (Birmingham, Edinburgh, London and Sheffield) is awarded annually. HALO recognises the UK-based jewellery business that uses their online platform in the most creative ways to leverage the added value that hallmarking provides and to educate their audience on the meaning and importance of the hallmark. ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to have won the HALO award for a second time,’ said Anna McLoughlin, founder of Anna McLoughlin Fine Jewellery. “I feel that hallmarking and raising awareness of it amongst both my clients and fellow micro-businesses, is incredibly important. It adds prestige to a piece and is a legal guarantee that the quality of the metal is actually what I say it is!” By law, all items described as being made from precious metals above certain weight limits must be hallmarked by one of the four UK Assay Offices. The hallmark confirms the metal’s purity, identifies the individual or business putting the item on the market and ultimately protects both consumers and retailers from counterfeiting and false descriptions. Noel Hunter, Chair of the British Hallmarking Council said: “I congratulate Anna McLoughlin Fine Jewellery on winning this year’s HALO Award and commend the extensive efforts undertaken to educate and protect the consumer by embedding hallmarking awareness into all aspects of the business.” www.annafinejewellery.co.uk INDUSTRY NEWS 9
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