A few months ago, we entered the UK StartUp Awards. We didn't really expect anything to come of it.
The thought of being among the kinds of businesses that win awards felt a bit ridiculous for a small ceramic mug studio in Sussex. We pressed mugs by hand. We packed every order ourselves. We answered customer emails over the kettle. Being one of the winners hadn't really crossed our minds.
Then we got shortlisted as finalists. We wrote to you about that back at Easter, and it genuinely felt like more than enough.
Then last week, we got the news.
We Won
Sipfull of Design has been named Regional Winner for Retail & E-Commerce StartUp of the Year at the South East UK StartUp Awards 2026.
It's a seriously competitive category in our part of the country — one of the categories that consistently attracts the strongest entries year on year. We're still slightly in shock.
What the Judges Said
When the judges' citation came through, it took us by surprise. Here it is in full:
"Sipfull of Design was recognised for building a fast-growing, family-run e-commerce brand around handmade, made-to-order drinkware. The judges were impressed by its strong sales momentum, customer-first culture, design-led positioning and ambition to scale while retaining the personal service and quality that define the business."
That last bit — about retaining the personal service and quality as we grow — is the thing we've been most quietly anxious about as the business has gotten busier.
Hearing it called out specifically by the judges meant a lot.
Next Stop — The National Final
Winning the regional round means we now go through to the national final at the UK StartUp Awards 2026, taking place at Ideas Fest in September.
A small Sussex studio, going to the national final. None of this has really sunk in yet.
We're not promising anything — but we want to be on that stage. We'll keep you posted as it gets closer.
But None of This Happened on Its Own
This is the bit we keep coming back to.
We didn't get nominated, shortlisted, or win on the strength of what we made on our own. Every part of this — every metric the judges looked at, every story we were able to tell — came from the people who ordered our mugs.
People who tried us out when we were two months in. People who came back for a second one. People who sent us photos of them in use. People who replied to our emails to tell us what we'd got right (and what we hadn't). People who recommended us to their friends.
The judges credited us for "customer-first culture." That's only because the customers came first.
So — properly — thank you.
What Hasn't Changed (And Won't)
Nothing about how we work has changed.
Every mug is still pressed and packed by hand in our small Sussex studio. The same care. The same answering of emails personally. The same not-quite-believing this is what we get to do for a living.
It's just that now we've got a regional trophy to put on a shelf somewhere.
What's Next
We carry on.
There's a national final in September we want to do justice to. There's a new mug selector we've spent the last month polishing. There's a growing collection of artist collaborations on our shelves. There are more designs in the pipeline, and a name-and-personalised section we're getting close to launching.
If you've not yet had a mug from us — we'd love to make one for you.
Browse our hand-pressed mugs
Every mug is designed, pressed and packed by hand here in Sussex.
Final Thoughts
This wasn't on our roadmap. We just wanted to make good mugs, treat customers well, and have a small ceramic studio that paid the bills.
That you've turned that into something the judges call "fast-growing" and "ambitious" — it still doesn't quite feel real.
Thank you. We won't forget that you got us here.
Danni & Guy
Sipfull of Design ☕