outstanding quality

Thursday, 13 January 2022

After a one-year hiatus, The Good Web Guide Awards were back with a bang for 2021. In light of the foundation-shaking two years that businesses have had to navigate – The Good Web Guide included – we were thrilled that, once the doors were open, the entries came flooding in. We saw the largest number of entrants since the launch of our industry awards in 2009, enabled and encouraged in part by our decision to waive the entry fee, thus making the submission process accessible to all. We were equally delighted by the positive response on Instagram, which has been phenomenal and encouraging to see.

Our esteemed and excellent judges were an added draw to entrants and made the selection process a joy. Our thanks go to Courtney Adamo, Christina Strutt, Alastair Hendy, Craig Landale, Abbie Oguntade, Alex Minchin, Tenishia McSweeney, Mecca Ibrahim, Kelly Eastwood, Lily Liebel and Jason Mohr. These razor-sharp business leaders and tastemakers gave many hours to the deliberative process, as well as their remarkable expertise. The calibre and volume of entries made for inspiring, illuminating and, at times, tough judging, and it is further testament to the outstanding quality of our winners to have emerged victorious amid such a talent-packed landscape.

Our congratulations and admiration go to every single person and business who entered simply for being in a position to do so. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on industry; those who have adapted and prevailed throughout the uncertainty, not just of the economy but our very way of life, deserve a good deal of credit.

Each of our category winners is exceptionally strong and has been much-argued for; in the light of that, an overall winner was even more hotly debated.

Website of the Year 2021

It was a close call in naming our overall winner, but Collagerie nudged ahead. Set up by two style A-listers, Lucinda Chambers and Serena Hood, Collagerie is redefining our route to shopping. On hearing the news, Lucinda Chambers said, 'We are over the moon and it means the world to Serena and me and to all of our (very small, very hardworking!) team.'

Lily Liebel, Creative Director of Entourage Collection, commented, 'I LOVE Collagerie. Beautiful layout, easy to see products and understand who they are and what they do. I love their logo, the colour blocking of their website, and their mood board-esque design. I really wanted to engage and explore more, and loved seeing products I already love and discovering fun new ones.'

Jason Mohr, founder and CEO of AnyJunk (GWG Website of the Year 2019, said, "I love the idea and style/credibility of the founders. Nice integrations. Very browsable."

App of the Year 2021

This was awarded to Wine Cellar Door, promoting English wine. For those who are keen to drink more home produced wine, this app is a godsend, where you can find vineyards, opening hours, tasting notes, all under one digital roof.

People's Choice 2021

Martha Brook, the personalised stationery and accessories company, galvanised its loyal following who voted in droves for their favourite brand.

Category Winners 2021

Other winners included The Modern House, an estate agency that helps people to live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways. Inspired by the principles of modernism, it represents design-led homes across the UK that pay attention to space, light, materials, nature and decoration. Esquire credits The Modern House with ‘rewriting the rulebook on estate agency’ and GQ voted it ‘one of the best things in the world.’

Th multi-talented stylist-come-chef-come-shopkeeper-come- photographer Alastair Hendy, put it simply: ‘The site is as airy and as modern as the properties it sells – like stepping into the pages of Wallpaper*.’

Create Academy is the online learning platform whose beautiful, thoughtfully curated video courses give unprecedented access to the expertise of today’s leading figures – Rita Konig, Thomasina Miers, Dan Pearson, Willow Crossley and Molly Mahon – in home, food, gardening, flower arranging and decorative arts.

Mecca Ibrahim (Women in the Food Industry) was suitably impressed saying, ‘Create Academy has put the videos together in a very inviting way, particularly with the header videos. I also love how they have linked the newsletter subscription with the sign up to getting access to free videos. It's understated yet warm, accessible and incredibly easy to use.’ Fellow judge, Kelly Eastwood of London Chatter, said, ‘Fantastic site: brilliant and captivating design and so original.’

To see the full list of category winners, click here.

For further information regarding The Good Web Guide Awards 2021, please contact Arabella Dymoke: Email: a.dymoke@thegoodwebguide.com

Editor's Notes

Winners were announced online via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday 11th January 2021.

Streets ISA Chartered Accountants, a UK top 40 firm of Chartered Accountants with offices in 12 locations across the UK, services the needs of clients for tax, accountancy and audit work, sponsored the property category. streetsweb.co.uk

Zest Digital has kindly donated a Mini Growth Mapping Workshop (worth GBP 650) to the winner. Zest Digital is an award-winning growth marketing agency, helping clients to achieve growth targets by maximising their online visibility and improving conversions. zestdigital.co