By Geoff Fisher 
Sally and Doug Bennett, owners of Reepham-based Cushion Cottage, attended a special annual event in Birmingham on Friday 20 February, organised by Theo Paphitis and his team, to collect the Small Business Sunday winner’s certificate they won in May 2025.
The Bennetts pitched their business to Mr Paphitis, a business and retail entrepreneur, during Small Business Sunday and were one of six weekly winners to gain a retweet or repost to his combined 800,000 X (Twitter), LinkedIn and Instagram followers.
Located at the Old Railway Station, Station Road, Reepham, Cushion Cottage sells handmade homewares and gifts, including its own products as well as supporting 20 local artists, creators and designers.
The Bennetts said: “We were thrilled to receive the message from Theo Paphitis informing us we had won our award, which has given our business a huge boost. We are passionate about our shop and what we create ourselves, as well as supporting other small businesses by offering them retail space in a permanent outlet.”
Sally added: “It is great to have support from Theo and his crew, and meeting him in person last Friday was truly inspiring, giving us the opportunity to show him our products and chat about our small business.”
The weekly #SBS Small Business Sunday initiative, set up in 2010 by Mr Paphitis, a former dragon on TV’s Dragons’ Den, now has more than 4,000 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.
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Pictured: Doug and Sally Bennett receiving their Small Business Sunday winner’s certificate from Theo Paphitis (centre). Photo: submitted