THE CRACKER MAKER
Nancy & Betty Studio
Hannah Bidmead created Nancy & Betty 10 years ago, naming her stationery brand after her grandmother and her grandmother’s twin sister. The ecofriendly crackers she designs are now the jewel in the crown of her collection, ranging from whimsical pieces to luxury traditional styles. ‘Christmas crackers are a British invention,’ Hannah explains, ‘and we’ve had them on our tables for the past 150 years – there would be something missing without them!’ Nancy & Betty’s crackers are all handmade in the Kent countryside, ‘with our team of elves putting in over 2,000 hours of work by the time Christmas Eve comes around,’ laughs Hannah. ‘Every prize in our cracker is something useful you’d actually like to use,’ she says, ‘from strawberry jam to a garlic grater!’ From crackers in an all-over Brussels sprout print to an elegant oak leaf pattern, ‘there’s a design for every table this Christmas, and we hope they will make people stop and smile’. nancyandbetty.com