Best shop in show
An innovative clothing company that upcycles and recycles fabric dumped in Kenyan landfill and a stand selling colourful homeware were among the victors in this year’s Best Tradestand competition at Defender Burghley.
A retail expert chose the winners, with prizes awarded for best Pavilion stand, best Outside and best Food Walk stand, plus a special Sustainability award.
The latter accolade went to Patcha (Burghley Exhibition Village), a small business which turns scraps of fabric salvaged from landfill sites around Nairobi into unique items of clothing, boots and bags. The brand was the brainchild of former four-star event rider Chloe Bell, whose mother, Helen Bell, was placed at Defender Burghley on more than one occasion. Our judge was impressed to learn how the brand employs and empowers the local community — it employs four local tailors to create the garments — and that each new item produced saves between one and five garments from landfill.
Runner-up for sustainability was Beenatural Wraps (Food Walk), a Yorkshire company which has tackled the problem of single use plastic by creating handmade beeswax wraps that can be used to keep food fresh, and are washable and reuseable.
Crowstick Interiors in the Burghley Exhibition pavilion caught the judge’s eye with its stunning display of colourful homeware, which included lampshades, bags, cushions and rugs.
“It made my eyes pop out as I came round the corner; the whole stand made me smile,” said our expert. “I loved the colour scheme — even the two ladies were dressed to match!” The company also has sustainability at its heart with the use of eco-friendly solutions where possible — re-claimed lampshades are sourced from charity shops, while the cutting room floor waste is collected and made into scrunchies or patchwork squares.
Boutique clothing store KaHo Prints won the Best Outside stand (A13). The West Sussex-based company produces quality, ethically sourced clothes, homeware and accessories, taking its inspiration from the markets in Southern France.
“I loved the stand layout — everything was neat and well displayed with good branding, which explained the products well,” said our expert.
The final category, for Food Walk exhibits, was won by Neals Yard.