The Cutlers’ Award 2025

The Cutlers’ Award

The Award

The Worshipful Company of Cutlers is very excited to announce the fourth annual award offering help and support to knife makers and bladesmiths with a particular focus on culinary knives.

Background

The Cutlers’ Award has grown from a passionate desire to revisit the roots of the Worshipful Company which historically focused on the artisan bladesmith. We have become aware that over the past decade, there is renewed interest in the craft and yet, there exists too great a number of obstacles: lack of training opportunities, apprenticeships and mentoring schemes, not to mention the very high costs of tools, materials and equipment.

The Cutlers’ Award aims to support one culinary knife maker to develop professionally by offering financial support for mentorship and craft skill development.

The Award

This new award will be given to one knife maker specialising in culinary knives who demonstrates how funding and mentoring will make a positive impact to their craft and business.

The prize includes a £2,500 grant of which £500 must be spent on mentoring.

Panellists for the award will include representatives of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers’, and working professionals from the cutlery field. They will expect to see a sample of your work. The winner will be invited to attend a dinner at Cutlers’ Hall in 2026 to receive their prize.

Objective

To take away a barrier and offer a step forward to someone who is pursuing culinary knife making as a profession.

Eligibility

You must be:

18 years old by the time of interview
Make knives for culinary use
Currently trading as a knife maker, whether part time or full time
Be a UK Resident

Expectations from award winner

Be an ambassador for the award, encouraging others to apply next year
Feed in to our reporting and be willing to reflect on the impact of the prize
Provide evidence of how the award budget was spent
Attend all mentorship meetings
Complete all mentorship/training and expend funds within the course of the year

Guidance for applicants

What are we looking for?
Be specific about what you want to use the award money for, both the funding and mentoring, and how it will benefit your business and craft.

We want to see evidence of craft skill; a commitment to professional growth and creative development; and what difference receiving the award will make to your business and craft development now.

Funding
You can propose to use the funding however it will most benefit you, there are no ‘right’ answers, just convince us why it is right for you at this time. Consider tools, equipment, additional mentorship, travel for research and development, exhibition budget or other items you might need to help you move forward in your profession. Anything from equipment specific to knife making to camera equipment to help showcase your work, money to develop a website or a course to help you develop a specific part of your craft. Explain to us how this funding will help you reach a goal and what difference will it make?

A key component of this prize is mentor support. In what areas do you feel you would benefit from the advice and support of a mentor? Be clear about what your objectives are and what you hope to gain from it. If you already have someone in mind, let us know- and if not, we can help you identify and approach someone.

The Competition will be judged by Owen Bush, Grace Horne, and Blenheim Forge, along with a representative of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, assisted by Andrew Lindsay, Matt Beggs, Holly Loftus and Paul Stoddart.

The closing date for application is 30 November 2025.