Since 1987, Hugglets has brought teddy bear collectors, artists, bear makers and dealers together – through our Festivals, through the annual Hugglets Teddy Bear Guide, and through a community that has grown over nearly four decades. The United Kingdom is our home and our centre of gravity, but the world we serve reaches far beyond it.
How it began
Hugglets was founded in 1985 by husband-and-wife team Glenn and Irene Jackman, who created traditional teddy bears and toys for children and for a fast-growing number of adult collectors. Two years later, in 1987, they published the first edition of the UK Teddy Bear Guide, bringing together specialist manufacturers, retailers and related businesses for the first time. The Guide was an immediate success and grew rapidly along with the market. A new edition has appeared every year since, always on 27 October – the birthday of Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. It is now published as the Hugglets Teddy Bear Guide, a name that reflects what the Guide has long since become: a reference for a community that stretches well beyond these islands.
In 1989, Hugglets staged the first British Teddy Bear Festival in London. More than two thousand collectors and businesses came, and the event proved so popular that Hugglets Festivals have been held every year since.
In 2017, Glenn and Irene decided to work towards retirement, and Sebastian Marquardt, together with his family, his business partner Tom Wellhausen and a small team, took the helm.
The Festivals today
Hugglets stages two one-day Festivals each year. The Winter BearFest takes place on the last Sunday in February at Kensington Town Hall, London. The TEDDIES Festival follows on the third Sunday in September – and in 2026 it moved to the NEC Birmingham for the first time, a venue within three hours’ drive for around seventy per cent of the United Kingdom’s population and just a few minutes’ walk from Birmingham International station and Birmingham Airport.
Each Festival brings together up to 90 stands under one roof, with as many as 10,000 bears and related products on sale. Many exhibitors are individual bear makers – known as bear artists – working in their own unmistakable designs and styles, often in small limited editions or as one-of-a-kind creations. Alongside them you will find antique specialists, clothing and accessories, and everything a maker needs. Prices range from a few pounds to well over £1,000, and there is often a bear repairer on hand for teddies in need of attention.
The Club
On 27 October 2021 – Teddy’s birthday, of course – we introduced the Hugglets Club for Teddy Bear Enthusiasts. It keeps the community connected throughout the year, opens the door to exclusive experiences, and is a genuine and much-appreciated support for everything Hugglets does.
What comes next
2026 marks our first year at the NEC Birmingham. In 2027, the Winter BearFest gains a second floor with Hugglets BLYTHE & friends, a complementary event dedicated to the Blythe community. Two closely related worlds, one ticket.
WMM Publishing Ltd
trading as Hugglets
51 Holland Street
London
W8 7JB
United Kingdom
contact {at} hugglets.co.uk
Company Number 10699395, registered in England and Wales