Well, that was WILD! The cocktail glasses were overflowing as the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2025 romped to a close, having reached a mind-blowing 11 million people nationally over 8 weeks and half a million votes cast. I know, bonkers!

Now in their 12th year, we’ve always proudly run the Muddy Awards free for all businesses to take part and it’s still as thrilling as ever to shine a light on brilliant lifestyle indies that make our lives so much more fun and vibrant.

A whopping great THANK YOU to all our Muddy readers who took part or voted – the Muddy Awards are nothing without you! OK enough waffling, the Muddy Awards 2025 winners in Essex are…

Arts, Culture & Theatre

WINNER: Chelmsford Theatre (Chelmsford)

FINALISTS:
Firstsite (Colchester)
Headgate Theatre (Colchester)
Mercury Theatre (Colchester)
The Minories Art Gallery & Event Venue (Colchester)

Bar

WINNER: Il Vino (Buckhurst Hill)

FINALISTS:
De La Terre (Great Dunmow)
Deli + Fizz (Maldon)
Ginny’s Cocktail Lounge (Maldon)
Vertigo Lounge (Hornchurch)

Beauty Salon / Clinic

WINNER: Beauty Studio Medi Spa (Shenfield)

FINALISTS:
e.m.skin Clinic & Beauty Salon (Colchester)
Enhance Beauty (Maldon)
Farm Girl By Sarah-Jane (Great Dunmow)
Kate Lifestyle (Maldon)

Boutique Stay

WINNER: Downham Hall (Billericay)

FINALISTS:
Greyfriars Hotel (Colchester)
The Ferry Boat Inn (North Fambridge)
The Mistley Thorn Restaurant with Rooms (Manningtree)
The Partridge Retreat (St Osyth)

Café

WINNER: Market West (Rochford)

FINALISTS:
Maldon Coffee Company (Maldon)
Olives by the Sea (Westcliff-on-Sea)
Tarka’s Café (Halstead)
The Duckquiri (Writtle Green)

Casual Dining

WINNER: The Little Seafood Bar (Hatfield Heath)

FINALISTS:
Malina Patisserie (Brentwood)
Oyster Creek Kitchen (Westcliff-on-Sea)
The Brentwood Kitchen (Brentwood)
The North Hill Noodle Bar (Colchester)

Children’s Business

WINNER: The Happy Yellow Door Company (Rochford)

FINALISTS:
KandiJam (Hockley)
Mimibear (Colchester)
The Little Bear Soft Play Company (Chelmsford)
ZLH Studios (Southend-on-Sea)

Destination Pub

WINNER: The Cricketers Arms (Rickling Green)

FINALISTS:
Lion and Lamb (Little Canfield)
The Fox On The Green (Finchingfield)
The Hoop (Stock)
The Starr Inn (Dunmow)

Event Venue

WINNER: Vaulty Manor (Goldhanger)

FINALISTS:
Hedingham Castle (Hedingham)
Hylands Estate (Chelmsford)
Layer Marney Tower (Layer Marney)
The Barns at Lodge Farm (Epping)

Family Experience

WINNER: All Things Alpaca (Chelmsford)

FINALISTS:
Call of the Wild Zoo (South Woodham Ferrers)
Clacton Pier (Clacton)
Colchester Zoo (Colchester)
Gemma’s Farm (White Notley)

Farm Shop / Deli

WINNER: Lathcoats Farm (Chelmsford)

FINALISTS:
Fobbing Farm Shop (Stanford-le-Hope)
Newson’s Farm Shop & Coffee Pot (Maldon)
The Grazing Station Farm Shop Kitchen & Deli (High Roding)
The Hub Farm Shop & Light Bites (Chelmsford)

Florist

WINNER: Blossom & Bells Bespoke Florist (Hatfield Heath)

FINALISTS:
Elly’s Flower Studio (Saffron Walden)
The Blue Dandelion (Ingatestone)
The Seasonal Flower Farm (Colchester)
Wivenhoe Flowers (Wivenhoe)

Hair Salon

WINNER: Andrews-Jeakins Colour Specialists (Canvey Island)

FINALISTS:
Boufs Hair Studio (Elmstead)
Hunters Hair Specialists (Great Dunmow)
Mack Hair (Chelmsford)
Spencer Lynch Salons (Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea)

Hotel

WINNER: Roslin Beach Hotel (Southend-on-Sea)

FINALISTS:
Down Hall Hotel | Spa | Estate (Hatfield Heath)
Lifehouse Spa & Hotel (Thorpe Le Soken)
The Seven Hotel (Southend-on-Sea)
Wivenhoe House Hotel (Wivenhoe)

Lifestyle Store

WINNER: Abigail’s Lifestyle (Ingatestone)

FINALISTS:
Love Local Essex & Suffolk (Copford)
Maison De Clements (Halstead)
Sonia@48 (Writtle)
Vintage Style Living (Thaxted)

Local Food / Drink Producer

WINNER: Wilma’s Bakery (Leigh-on-Sea, Rayleigh and Southend-on-Sea)

FINALISTS:
Black Cat Bakes (Wivenhoe)
Down The Cake Hole (Colchester)
The Alabama Biscuit (Colchester)
The Kitchen at Raylands House (Chelmsford)

Restaurant

WINNER: Sévine Brasserie & Bar (Harlow)

FINALISTS:
Pig & Whistle Restaurant (Chelmsford)
Stark (Mersea)
The Dog & Pickle (Ongar)
The Windmill Chatham Green (Chatham Green)

Sport & Fitness Instructor

WINNER: Kelly-Anne Chambers, MPWR HOUR Dance Fitness (Chelmsford)

FINALISTS:
Andy Knight, Yard Fitness (Great Wakering)
Lorna Cole, Fitness Fever (Chelmsford)
Sarah Tann and Torz Kemp, Stronger Together Gym (Stansted Mountfitchet)
Train with Lauren Personal Training (Basildon)

Wellbeing Specialist

WINNER: Holistic Healing by Holly (Ingatestone)

FINALISTS:
Annabelle Smith Wellness Coach (Braintree)
EDIT Wellness (Chelmsford)
Firefly Hypnotherapy (Ingatestone)
In Balance Fitness & Holistics (Silver End)

Women’s Style

WINNER: London & Me (Stambridge)

FINALISTS:
Neon Leo (Saffron Walden)
New Day Originals (Brentwood)
Ruby & Violet Ladies Boutique (Halstead)
Willow & Fox (Maldon)

Yoga / Pilates Studio

WINNER: The Yoga Club Billericay (Billericay)

FINALISTS:
Neuma Pilates (Braintree)
Sixth Soul Studios (Hutton)
Studio 95 (Halstead)
Totally Yoga (Laindon)