Our Assessors

We are delighted to welcome our assessors for the inaugural year of the Makers Prize. Each brings a depth of experience, discernment, and creative understanding that makes their involvement truly special. 
Click a name to visit their Instagram profile.

Louis Elton

Louis Elton is a cultural researcher, strategist, and writer with UnHerd, based in London. On “a voyage into what Britain makes and what makes Britain,” he explores craft, creativity, and communities across the nation, sharing his passion for independent makers. Inspired by his desire to trigger a renaissance in British making and manufacturing, Louis created the Nation of Artisans project — read more here on his Substack.

Cherry McAlister

Cherry is an artist and architect based in North London. She qualified as an architect in 2014, before returning to her art practice in 2018. She says, “My whole life has been surrounded by bespoke design, form integrated with function. I am observant of the fine details; not just how something looks, but how it feels to hold, how it smells or how it makes me & others around me feel.”

Paula Mateo

Paula has run a successful soap, skincare and candle business since 2014. She trains makers in central London across all aspects of product formulation and building a sustainable business, and has guided hundreds of students launching their own brands.

Nicci Trudgeon

Nicci is a passionate beauty therapist with over 20 years of treatment and salon experience. She is a qualified beauty specialist and a member of the British Association of Beauty Therapists and Cosmetologists (BABTAC). She is the founder of Innerlather, specialising in small-batch luxury aromatherapy products developed alongside her rural beauty treatment rooms.