Journal Magazine Journal Award Winners

2021 Journal Magazine Award Winners

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The 2021 Journal Awards have come to a close. Find the full list of winners below. 

 

With thousands of votes cast from across the country and multiple outstanding brands nominated, the 2021 Journal Award winners have officially been announced.

In light of the success of the awards and the wide range of worthy winners, we wanted to revisit the aim of the awards and highlight some of the key names throughout the process.

 

The Awards

The 2021 Journal Magazine awards were the inaugural edition of the event and saw eleven businesses from across the country winning in multiple categories. With over 50 businesses nominated, the final shortlist in each category was chosen by our judging panel of the ‘entrepreneur’s godmother’ Alison Edgar MBE and TV personality and multi-hyphenate, Zara Janjua.

The final shortlist was then shared across social media with voting opening on the Journal Magazine site. From there, thousands of votes were cast and the winners were formulated. You can find the full list towards the end of this article.

The awards were also sponsored by Mór, an employee benefits and members-only platform that houses a wide array of discounted and exclusive experiences, many from the nominated brands themselves. This support was crucial in helping spread the word about the awards, as well as providing voters with access to the nominated businesses.

While it’s exciting to provide businesses the chance to engage with their followers and to win awards, these awards are about more than just bragging rights. Journal Magazine is focused on celebrating the best in independent businesses and unique voices from around the country.

This year’s edition included a range of award categories including Off the Beaten Path award focusing on more rural brands, the Culture Fusion award celebrating the best business ideas that blend different backgrounds and global inspirations, and the Plant Pioneer award highlighting the best in vegan, vegetarian and plant-based products, among others.

In choosing these categories, we aim to cater to all tastes and preferences, and allow businesses to nominate themselves in areas they feel strongly about. The hope being to allow businesses to win awards in areas that share their business values and ethos.

 

The Response

The support for the first annual Journal Magazine Awards has been outstanding. Thousands of people cast their votes on the online platform, with multiple businesses and personalities sharing across social media. Considering the aim is to celebrate independent businesses and those doing interesting work in often overlooked fields and geographies, the response was fantastic.

Rutger Bruining, CEO of StoryTerrace, was thrilled with the response from the awards and the achievement of winning in the Custom Creator category:

 

“At StoryTerrace we work really hard to use technology and hundreds of vetted writers to create a unique book for all of our 2,500 clients in a highly personal, but efficient process. So to be recognised by the Journal Awards – particularly in the Custom Creator category – makes me so proud of what the team has achieved through their ingenuity and hard work”

 

While Michael and Katie Morrison, co-founders of Isle of Barra Distillery and winners in the Off the Beaten Path category said:

 

“We were over the moon to win the Off The Beaten Path Award. It means a lot and shows us all our hard work must be working. We are so grateful to Journal and their voters for this recognition.

It was our dream to have our own distillery on the island and above everything else it was about both giving something back to our beautiful island and putting the Isle of Barra on the ‘gin map’ that drives us forward. We feel we owe it to the island and its people – we have the opportunity to do something great and something great is what we are going to do. Slàinte!”

 

The Winners

Here is the full list of winners, as chosen by our readers:

Startup Star: Old Mother Hunt – started during the global pandemic by a former airline pilot and his wife, this unique Scottish rum brand is already turning heads and showing a different side to the Scottish spirit scene, away from the traditional whiskies and gins.
Custom Creator: StoryTerrace – a professional ghostwriting business that pairs customers with writers to create autobiographies, bios and regale old tales from throughout their lives. Each story unique to the people involved to capture your story in a compelling and beautiful book.
Family Friendly: Ashridge Horse Trekking – accessible for the whole family, with childrens’ parties and the option to bring your own horse, all while situated in a gorgeous southern England estate.
Completely Accessible: Artisan Bakery School – a bakery school designed for all skill levels and various tolerances, providing everyone with a chance to master the craft.
British Made: The Scent Corvus – a British scent-house creating diffusers, candles and unique fragrances housed in gorgeous gothic decorations.
Culture Fusion: 001 Skincare – from star facialist Ada Ooi comes 001 Skincare, a London-based studio and skincare product producer that is taking the beauty world by storm. Blending Chinese and British cultures to create unique products and treatments.
Going for Green: MadeKind – cleaning products that are free from harmful chemicals, refillable and recyclable. Providing a range of products that properly pack a punch.
Plant Pioneer: London Nootropics – adaptogenic coffee that harnesses the power of mushrooms, providing you with a natural caffeine boost without the nasty side effects. A game changer for those that love a coffee to get them through the day.
Off the Beaten Path: Isle of Barra Distillers – based in the scenic Isle of Barra in Scotland and set against the backdrop of the Atlantic ocean comes this stunning gin. Hiring local people in a local setting and contributing back to the Barra economy makes this a wonderfully uplifting story.
Unique Gifting: Fins & Forks – this unique experience day incorporates sustainably sourced and caught fish, a smokehouse and a gourmet meal. An experience they won’t forget with a friendly team catering to all sensibilities.
The Great Outdoors: North Coast Watersports – set against the stunning backdrop of the North Coast 500 route in the Scottish Highlands comes this surfing school, teaching beginners and allowing pros to dabble in the Scottish seas. Surfing, SUP-boarding and more.
With worthy winners such as these from the inaugural edition, we are now looking ahead to next year’s turn. Roll on 2022!
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Mór sponsors the 2021 Journal Awards and houses exclusive experiences, discounts and bundles from all the award winners. Membership begins at £79 per year and provides access to these brands and hundreds more. Browse the site to learn more and find your next favourite independent brands.

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