Meet the makers behind Christmas at Holkham 2025

November 13, 2025 | Christmas | 9 minute read

It takes the Countess of Leicester and Holkham’s Christmas Connoisseur, Catherine Zoll, months to consider and conjure up the festive magic that appears at Holkham Hall in late November each year. Their planning usually begins in January! Full of ideas and inspiration, they seek out impressive craftspeople and makers from across the UK to bring their vision to life, ready for you to enjoy.

Team Christmas comprises of multiple departments at Holkham, including the Landscape Team, Facilities Team, Education Team, Housekeepers, Fakenham and District Flower Club and our volunteers.

In these, we’re introducing you to the talented creatives helping to bring Christmas at Holkham to life.

And while we won’t reveal what’s in store, there’s not long to wait! Our Holkham Hall by Candlelight tours begin on 28th November and continue throughout December. Have you booked your ticket?

Claire Warren, Calligrapher

Clare Warren is an expert modern calligrapher based in Attleborough, Norfolk. Inspired by her grandmother’s beautifully handwritten Christmas cards, she took up calligraphy in 2017 and quickly turned her passion into a profession. Clare specialises in elegant handwriting for wedding stationery and signage, crafting bespoke place cards, table plans, welcome boards and more in her distinctive style from her Norfolk studio.
In addition to bespoke commissions, Clare now teaches calligraphy through intimate workshops. At Holkham this December, she’ll be hosting a special masterclass on 5th December, offering hands on guidance with dip pen, nib and ink to groups of just 12 participants.

For Holkham Hall by Candlelight, Clare brings her artistry to the Stables Courtyard, where she will hand-letter elegant winter scenes on its windows. Her beautiful calligraphy will transform the courtyard’s glass facades with
festive messages and poetic designs, adding a sophisticated, handwritten touch to the seasonal ambience and engaging guests with the calm beauty of ink and script.
Clare’s participation perfectly embodies

Holkham’s celebration of artisanry – bringing timeless skill, thoughtful design, and festive warmth to the Stables Courtyard, home to the Courtyard Café and Gift Shop.

Website clarewarrencalligraphy.co.uk
Instagram @clarewarrencalligraphy

Kerry Boyes, The Fake Food Workshop

Kerry Boyes is the founder and inventive mind behind The Fake Food Workshop, a unique studio specialising in the design and production of lifelike, handcrafted faux food. With a background in art, model-making and creative direction, Kerry has turned her passion for playful, hyper realistic creations into a distinctive business that brings a touch of theatre and humour to events, exhibitions, and retail displays across the UK and around the world. Her work combines meticulous artisanry with imaginative storytelling, transforming everyday food items into durable, reusable works of art.

From lavish banquets and intricate patisserie to whimsical, one off commissions, Kerry’s fake food creations are as visually striking as they are conversation starting. Sustainability sits at the heart of her work, offering an inventive alternative to using real food for temporary displays. For Christmas at Holkham 2025, Kerry will unleash her creativity on the South Dining Room, delivering a mischievous Naughty Elves Breakfast scene. Expect a playful table brimming with vibrant, hyper real food, perfectly capturing the chaos and fun of Christmas morning when elves have taken over the breakfast table. Her installation promises to be witty, unexpected, and delightfully detailed, bringing smiles and festive cheer to Holkham Hall by Candlelight visitors.

Alice King, Stylist

Alice King is a creative stylist and set designer celebrated for her bold, imaginative, and immersive visual storytelling. Drawing inspiration from folklore, fashion and contemporary culture, Alice crafts spaces that transport audiences into other worlds. Her work often combines theatrical elements with exquisite mindfulness, from bespoke prop-making to highly curated colour palettes, resulting in enchanting environments full of narrative depth and wonder.

Based in London, Alice collaborates with leading brands, private clients, and cultural destinations, creating unforgettable spaces and experiences or events, photoshoots, and commercials. Her background in set styling and prop design has given her an expert eye for texture, structure, and drama – qualities that make her work instantly recognisable and deeply memorable.

For Christmas at Holkham 2025, Alice is bringing her signature creativity to the Statue Gallery, transforming it into a whimsical Hansel & Gretel world. Expect to step through a pink tinged snowy forest, complete with a gingerbread house and sweet-inspired wonderland, where every detail is designed to evoke childlike joy and fairytale magic. Alice’s installation promises to be a feast for the senses, celebrating both the tradition of festive storytelling and the innovation of modern design at Holkham Hall by Candlelight.

Website aliceking.com
Instagram @alice_king_stylist

Hannah Hunnam, Florist

Hannah Hunnam is an independent florist based in Castle Acre, West Norfolk, known for her natural, seasonal, and sustainable approach to floristry. Her signature style blends a love of wild and whimsical blooms with an elegant sense of design, always inspired by the beauty of what’s growing locally. Working with British-grown flowers and foliage wherever possible, Hannah’s work celebrates nature at its most expressive – full of colour, texture, and movement.

With a background in event floristry and creative installations, Hannah has built a reputation for creating arrangements that feel alive and connected to their surroundings. Her work is sought after for weddings, events and special commissions across Norfolk and beyond, admired for its artistry and its emphasis on sustainability.

This Christmas, Hannah is one of Holkham’s specially selected makers, tasked with transforming the North Dining Room into a vision of refined festive dining. She will dress the space with fresh florals and winter greenery sourced from Holkham, elevated with luxurious Summerill & Bishop table linens, creating an inspiring and elegant Christmas tablescape. Her design will celebrate the joy of dining together at this special time of year, pairing natural beauty with seasonal abundance to capture the spirit of Christmas at Holkham Hall.

Website hannahhunnam.com
Instagram @hannah.hunnam

Georgia Fulcher, Boomting Bunting

Georgia Fulcher is the creative force behind Boomting Bunting, a design studio specialising in vibrant, bespoke textile decorations and installations. Her work reimagines traditional bunting and soft furnishings, bringing colour, texture, and movement into spaces in surprising and joyful ways. Known for her bold use of fabrics, intricate detailing and eye for composition, Georgia’s creations range from intimate bespoke commissions to large-scale event installations, each designed to tell a story and transform its surroundings.

Based in Norfolk, Georgia has built Boomting Bunting into a highly regarded brand, supplying handmade decorations for weddings, festivals, retail spaces and cultural destinations across the UK. Her work blends artisanry with contemporary design, placing sustainability and reusability at the heart of every piece.

For Christmas at Holkham 2025, Georgia will bring her creativity to the South Sitting Room, delivering a whimsical Night Before Christmas installation. Her bespoke festive swags and textiles will create a sense of warmth and nostalgia, paired with a twinkling starlit ceiling to evoke the magic of Christmas Eve. Georgia’s work will offer visitors a tactile, immersive experience and capture the playful yet elegant festive spirit at the heart of Holkham Hall by Candlelight.

Website boomtingbunting.com
Instagram @boomting bunting

Sue Jerges, The Big Bow Company

Sue Jerges is the founder and creative heart behind The Big Bow Company, a specialist in creating spectacular, supersized bows and fabric installations that transform buildings, events, and special occasions into unforgettable visual moments.

Known for her eye catching designs and precision artisanry, Sue’s work has adorned everything from shopfronts and showrooms to historic buildings and wedding venues, adding a striking sense of theatre and celebration wherever they appear. With a passion for scale, impact and elegance, The Big Bow Company’s creations are engineered to withstand the elements while delivering maximum visual appeal, making them popular for seasonal and promotional displays nationwide. Sue’s bows are meticulously designed and made using high quality materials, ensuring they are reusable, sustainable and stunning from every angle.

For Christmas at Holkham 2025, Sue is taking her creativity to grand new heights, adorning Holkham Hall’s north entrance set within the Palladian exterior with a giant bespoke red bow. This bold new feature will greet visitors with a sense of joy and anticipation before they even step inside. Her work will set the tone for the magical experience within, combining contemporary design flair with festive tradition to create a perfect ‘Home of Christmas’ moment.

Sarah Hardy, Edible Artist, and Chocolatier

Sarah Hardy is a renowned edible artist and chocolatier, celebrated for her extraordinary creations that blur the line between art and food. As the founder of The Edible Museum, Sarah has gained international recognition for her ability to sculpt intricate, remarkably lifelike objects entirely from chocolate and sugar, transforming familiar forms into exquisite, edible works of art.

With a background in fine art and sculpture, Sarah brings a distinctive creative perspective to the world of food. Her work has included everything from delicately detailed insects to full-scale skulls, goblins, and even anatomical hearts – all meticulously crafted from the finest chocolate. Each piece showcases her technical mastery, attention to detail and playful imagination, making The Edible Museum one of the most innovative names in edible artistry. For Christmas at Holkham 2025, Sarah will create a chocolate feast in the Old Kitchen – a lavish Christmas dinner featuring a roast turkey, pigs in blankets and all the trimmings, all made entirely
from chocolate. This extraordinary installation will challenge perceptions and celebrate festive indulgence in the most unexpected way, adding a deliciously surprising twist to Holkham Hall by
Candlelight and delighting visitors of all ages.

Work has been going on behind the doors of Holkham Hall since the start of November, and while we can’t say much, we can say it’s all going to look fabulous! Candlelight Tours begin on 28th November and we’d love to welcome you. Find out more and book here.