The top awards in Holly Tucker’s national small business competition have gone to two Stoke Newington businesses.
Homeware and lifestyle shop Revere the Residence was crowned Small Business of the Year 2022 in the Independent Awards and jewellery store Cult of Youth was a co-winner of the People’s Award, having received the lion’s share of the public vote.
Kate Revere of Revere the Residence said: “I really didn’t expect to win. It means so much but it’s not about me, it’s about the shop and all the people who work in my shop to create all these amazing things.”
Revere the Residence employs people with learning disabilities and their parents – not for pity or praise but to level the playing field. She plans to use her £10,000 prize money to work with local artists and enable more people with learning disabilities to attend art workshops in the store.
Kate added: – “Our shop is bright and colourful, it’s about acceptance and the products are all unique and created by 16-28-year-olds with learning disabilities. They are joy – it is always fun in here.
“I would love to team up with other businesses working with people with neurodiversity to hold a market in Hackney Town Hall and then all over London!”
Charlotte Khan, founder of Moo like a Monkey, was among the judges. She said: “We loved everything about this business; its purpose, its products and the good that it does. I kept forgetting I was judging and just wanted to shop and buy all of the things. Wish there were more businesses like this around the country.”
Cult of Youth, a jewellery business on the cut through between Dynevor Road and the High Street won the People’s Choice Award alongside another business (Myro Doodles). Founder Kelly Seymour is a silversmith and jeweller. Being a single parent means she often has to work late into the night to get the work done.
TV personality Ellie Taylor is among the celebrities spotted recently in Cult of Youth jewellery.
Speaking to Kelly at the awards on the night, Holly Tucker said: “You are an inspiration to all of us – thousands of people have voted for you.
“We love watching you on Instagram because you and your boy are inspirational and you work so hard at being a mum and then you work all night with your jewellery and we all see that by the way and it is totally inspirational.”
Kelly, whose prize was £5,000, responded: “I am actually shaking. It is such an incredible opportunity to invest in some materials and make some new things. I have got all these ideas always and now I can do it. “
The awards, hosted by Holly & Co and sponsored by Dell Technologies celebrate the talent and hard work of the UK’s small businesses and the prize fund totalled £100,000 (split between the various winners and runners-up.