Meet the Finalists

Visitors to Kettle’s Yard will be familiar with the striking self-portrait of Christopher (Kit) Wood and his bold choice of knitwear! Kit Wood’s Hat translates the spirit of a much loved painting to a fun and wearable knitwear piece.

A unique insect house made using FSC Larch wood and fir cones foraged from National Trust land. Young people with autism and learning disabilities helped to make this product, encouraging people to look after wildlife in their own gardens.

An easy drinking whisky for all occasions with an aroma of barley, vanilla and soft creamy fudge, complemented on the palate with a citrus fruit note, hints of chocolate, malt and subtle spice on the finish.

A range of seven unisex Peper Harow sock designs featuring decorative details from the Royal Pavilion. Made in the UK using ultra soft Supima cotton which gives deep bright colours, ideal for showcasing the opulent décor of Brighton’s original party palace!

HMS Victory has been undergoing a major restoration, with a large amount of wooden planking being replaced. To keep her story alive, some of these planks have been preserved and repurposed into a wide range of unique products enabling visitors to take a piece of history home.

An exclusive original design featuring visitors’ favourite prehistoric skeletons, this range includes festive knitwear and accessories for kids and adults, Christmas tree decorations, a special edition plush T. rex, and hand-iced biscuits.

Published to mark the 400th anniversary of the First Folio, this facsimile edition faithfully reproduces one of the finest copies held in the British Library collections, presented with an introductory booklet by curators Adrian S Edwards and Tanya Kirk.

A visually exhilarating stand-alone publication supporting the ‘Crown to Couture’ exhibition at Kensington Palace. The editorial celebrates the parallels between the fashionable Georgian court and the exuberance of the red carpet today, with stunning imagery and features in the style of a high-end glossy magazine.

Marking the largest retrospective exhibition of Grayson Perry’s work, this publication features 75 catalogue illustrations including previously unpublished works. Including insights into Perry’s technique, and Victoria Coren Mitchell’s witty take on his use of humour, this is a vibrant and personal exploration of his life and art.

Join Lola on her backstage adventure in the first picture book created with the National Theatre. A fun and engaging picture book for both daytime and bedtime, packed with backstage drama and laugh out loud moments, with references to theatre roles and departments.

In this gorgeous gift book, create your own beautiful 3D birds before discovering fascinating facts about each species. Press out pieces and slot them together to create 10 different irresistible feathered friends, and pore over 22 richly illustrated pages with dazzling colour nature scenes alongside a gently informative text to treasure.

This beautifully illustrated, personalised story book transforms your child into the main character of an exciting Christmas lifeboat adventure. When you order the book, you can specify the child’s name, gender and skin tone and they’ll be made into the hero who, alongside Rudolph and an RNLI lifeboat crew, helps rescue Santa.

In 2023, after a year of planning, the Ashmolean Museum launched its collaboration with Graphenstone Paint, ‘The Ashmolean Collection’. Graphenstone is currently the most certified green paint company on the market, using no harmful chemicals in their process and just trace VOCs. The range is boldly tagged, ’16 Colours that Change the World’.

With the ambition of celebrating the historic gardens of the National Trust and making elements of them commercially available for people to enjoy at home, Blue Diamond’s industry knowledge and the Trust’s expertise have united to create a seasonal programme of seeds, bulbs and plants. Eight collections were launched, based on gardens in the Trust’s care.

A timely collaboration that sees both brands pool their passion for the natural world and channel this into a range of limited-edition pieces for the home. This special collection is born from a desire to create products that have a story to tell – from beautiful bedding and curtains to soft furnishings and upholstered furniture, there is something to inspire everyone.

Drawing on 13 years’ architecture experience and a lifetime of passion for the natural world, award-winning artist and architect Katherine Jones takes commissions for drawings of buildings, landscapes and wildlife. Her detailed pen and ink commissions, drawn by hand, can be used to create affordable digital prints and cards.

King & McGaw is a publisher, printer and framer of fine art products for the heritage sector. Offering short run bespoke products using artwork supplied by the client, wholesale products using museum artworks that King & McGaw holds under license and drop-ship capabilities for framed and unframed prints and canvas ordered via print on demand technology.

Playpress aims to help children create new stories with toys that are affordable and eco-friendly. Inspired by a love of creativity and ingenuity, care and quality really matter to this family-owned business. The products are durable 3D puzzles that can be packed away and used many times over, designed to allow children full use of imagination.

A vibrant and diverse collection of products with migrant makers at its core, the Migration Museum shop not only delivers a dynamic shopping experience, it creates a porous boundary from a busy shopping centre into a unique cultural venue. The shop has seen over 50% growth in sales in 2023, with local designer makers and sustainable products and practices acting as key drivers.

The National Trust for Scotland’s eco-friendly Visitor Centre, nestled in the Glencoe valley, is the starting point for adventures in Glencoe and Glen Etive. With its stunning panoramic views, the shop reflects the Glencoe landscape through its design and layout, selling a unique range of exclusive products and telling the stories of Glencoe through interpretation.

This vibrant and fun-filled shop has been developed with young visitors at heart. The creative, colourful and multi-dimensional shop build offers a dynamic bespoke display scheme focussing on affordability, unique products from bath bomb making kits to pneumatic robot arms, and themes from the collection that will resonate with children.

Launched in October 2023, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s online shop marks its first foray into ecommerce and represents a significant step change in its commercial ambitions. It has allowed the museum to reach new audiences, diversify product ranges, and continue to celebrate local suppliers while better understanding customer needs.

The National Portrait Gallery’s online shop is integral to its retail business. Taking inspiration from the Gallery’s incredible transformation, including new and refurbished shop spaces, the online shop has implemented a bold reskin and additional features to improve UX and conversion. The unique print on demand offer with over 130,000 images from the collection has been fundamental to its commercial success.

The Southbank Centre online shop showcases the best products from its three bricks and mortar shops. The products and collections are inspired by on site events and sourced from independent, sustainable makers which reflect the Southbank’s diverse audiences and artistic programme. The goal of the online shop is to generate commercial revenue that supports programming, 55% of which is free.

The American Garden Deli offers a unique, contemporary and distinctly American experience, reflecting the nature of the American Museum & Gardens in Bath. The Deli opened in March 2023 and is the result of an extraordinary catering transformation to meet the needs of growing visitor numbers and diverse audiences whilst showcasing some of the great dishes of the USA. This successful project has exceeded all its targets.

The Fruitmarket Café is an informal and relaxed space in the heart of one of Edinburgh’s leading contemporary art venues, where seasonal ingredients take precedent and everything is made in house. Serving a creative, ever-changing breakfast and lunch menu, the café has become a trusted home for tourists and gallery visitors, somewhere to get affordable and delicious food, in a setting of culture and inspiration.

South London Louie opened at the South London Gallery in 2023, featuring specialty coffee from Redemption Roasters (the UK’s first prison-based roastery), sandwiches, salads, cakes and in house baked goods during the day and brunch at weekends. Evenings include natural wines, cocktails, supper clubs and chef residencies as well as wine tastings, musical events and private parties.

In summer 2022 the Albany auditorium was transformed into an indoor beach, brought to life by dozens of performers and volunteers, as the audience gazed down from the balcony. This durational piece blended theatre, opera and live art, with audiences watching as an ordinary day at the beach transformed into a mesmerising exploration of the relationship between us and our planet.

A hugely popular and profitable temporary Soft Play experience installed in an otherwise empty gallery, attracting over 30,000 visitors. The Soft Play was given an ‘Under the Sea’ theme to link with the Horniman Aquarium, and filled with marine themed equipment such as netted play frames, ball ponds and fish-shaped soft toys to appeal to regular and new family visitors.

The Painted Hall at Old Royal Naval College provided an epic setting for contemporary artist Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon. Bringing joy and inspiration to an extraordinary number of people during its eight week installation, it has been the most successful project for the Old Royal Naval College in terms of audience growth, profile raising and income, since the re-opening of the Painted Hall in 2019.

The Deep partnered with local Hull waste firm, ReFactory, to create an exciting bespoke product for the DeepArtment Store. Specialising in upcycling new items from tricky to recycle plastics, ReFactory designed tote bags, to be handmade from the large aquarium salt bags which would otherwise have been rubbish. These are now on sale in the DeepArtment Store and visitors have loved watching the backstory of the bags’ journey from salt bag to tote bag.

Little Angel Theatre takes birthday magic beyond its stage with Master Chef Mo and The Missing Cake. Delivering a professional puppetry experience, crafted by the teams behind the theatre’s acclaimed productions, Master Chef Mo is more than a party – it’s an extension of the theatre’s child-centred ethos, promoting play, creativity and inclusivity. Mo has achieved impressive sales and even brought joy to families visiting prisoners.

An online emporium of wonders – own a piece of Globe history! A new area in the Globe’s online shop offers the chance for customers to purchase original props and costume pieces from the Globe’s stage sets that would otherwise have been destroyed. Each piece is photographed on stage and is supplied with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Artistic Director.

An outstanding manager and colleague, Tabitha has created a welcoming community and safe
workplace that feels like home for a diverse team of 130 volunteers. Tabitha joined the museum as a volunteer herself, before rising to Assistant Manager, then Visitor Engagement Manager. She has cheerfully taken on many responsibilities, including Retail, Safeguarding and Events.

Starting in Q4 2022, and fresh to the cultural sector, Katie has hit the ground running and taken the Migration Museum’s retail operation to the next level. Combining a heady mix of hands-on and strategic work, she has worked tirelessly to build fantastic relationships with a diverse group of designer makers, and deliver exclusive collections and a slick retail operation which delight customers.

Donna is a truly inspirational leader and team player. Always leading by example and demonstrating incredible emotional awareness of those around her, she has coached, mentored and influenced her peers and even senior colleagues. She gave up her own Easter weekend to support the team successfully opening a new visitor centre in the Scottish Highlands, and travelled across Scotland at a day’s notice to facilitate a royal visit.