A Small Family Business that prides itself on going that extra mile.

I’d probably be very embarrassed about it now but more years ago than I care to remember (I was about eight at the time) I surprised my family by making the crackers for Christmas Day.

I do know that my mother had a back-up box in the sideboard (oh, ye of little faith) but in the event they did not get used. My crackers were a huge success and thereafter became a part of Christmas. In truth, the real thrill, for me, was seeing my family’s faces when they saw what was in their crackers. Usually daft things, like a hand written joke, a hat (consisting of more sticky tape than tissue) and a homemade present. They were always a success, simply because they had been made with a bit of care and thought.

As the years went by my crackers progressed from crepe paper and a loo roll inner to become more and more ambitious and what they would look like became a highlight of the Christmas Day table. I can’t remember which Christmas it was, but one year my gran (much missed) gave me a nudge and said, ‘You should think about selling these’ and I laughed. I now work with a small team in a studio in West Sussex where we make a great many crackers. There isn’t a loo roll tube in sight and the presents are no longer homemade, but the philosophy is still the same. A bit of care and thought.

Driving you Crackers!

Have you ever wondered who to blame for the awful jokes in crackers? Well in our case we know exactly who to point the finger at. It’s the lady on the right!

For well over a decade, there followed a few paragraphs about my mother and her inexhaustible supply of dreadful jokes. However, nothing lasts forever.

My mother, Beryl, died on the 3rd December 2021, three days after her 98th birthday.

Anyone who has ever had a stab at running their own business, will know that it can be a rollercoaster of a ride. Days when everything goes right and days when you feel like throwing in the towel. My Mum was the most optimistic person I ever knew and when those bad days came, she would always pick me up with her words of wisdom. I’d always come away from her with a renewed sense of enthusiasm. Which is why I’m keeping my Mum’s photograph here on the site, because she is as responsible for the success of my business as anyone. I miss her more than I can say.

A Bit of Care and Thought.