We started Tollers with a simple idea. That parents deserve a better place to buy toys. That children deserve toys worth keeping.
So when we found out we had been named a finalist in the Best Children's Business category at the 2026 Cheshire Muddy Stilettos Awards, it meant more than we expected.
What are the Muddy Stilettos Awards?
The Muddy Stilettos Awards are, by their own description, the UK's most coveted awards for brilliant independent lifestyle businesses. They celebrate the best independent businesses across the UK, decided entirely by public vote. No judging panel. No industry insiders. Just real people choosing the businesses they love.
This year's Cheshire shortlist features over 210 businesses across 20 categories. The Best Children's Business category alone includes 10 finalists from across the region. Being named among them, as a brand that is only a few months old, is something we are genuinely proud of.
Voting closes at 1pm on 26 May 2026.
Why does this matter to us?
Tollers is a small, independent brand. We do not have a big marketing budget or a household name behind us. What we have is a clear purpose and the trust of parents who want something better for their children.
Being recognised in awards like this is not about a trophy. It is about visibility. Every vote, every mention, every person who discovers Tollers through this shortlist is someone who might find toys they can genuinely feel good about. That is what this is for.
Simon Childs, founder of Tollers, put it this way:
"Being nominated after only a few months in business is something I did not see coming. We have worked hard to build something honest, something with a real point of view. To have that recognised by the Cheshire community means a lot. It tells us we are on the right track."
Where we started
Tollers was born from a trip to a toy shop. Simon, a dad of three, walked out empty-handed because he could not find a single toy he felt good about buying. Every aisle was full of bright plastic, cheap materials, and toys built to last a few weeks rather than a few years.
So he built the alternative.
Every toy on tollerstoys.com is chosen against a clear framework: no screens, no batteries, sustainable materials, built to last, and made by transparent, ethical producers. The name itself comes from a 90-year-old rocking horse, bought from Harrods in the 1930s, still being ridden today by the great-great-grandchildren of the family who first owned him. That is the standard every toy on the site is held to. Find out more about our story here.
Would you like to vote for us?
If what we are building sounds like something worth supporting, we would love your vote.
You can cast your vote for Tollers Toys in the Best Children's Business category at the Cheshire Muddy Stilettos Awards. Voting takes less than a minute and is open to everyone.
Voting closes at 1pm on 26 May 2026.
Thank you for being part of this, right from the start.
The Tollers team
