A North Yorkshire family business is hoping for a boost from the latest Shaun the Sheep movie, which has just been released.
Harrogate-based Wool Hugger has developed officially licensed Shaun the Sheep and Shirley the Sheep toys, made entirely from wool, to coincide with the return of Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom to UK cinemas on September 18.
The characters are the first Shaun the Sheep toys to be made from wool, using 100 per cent natural fibres both inside and out.
The toys were originally launched last October, but the release of the new film has put them back in the spotlight.
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Adam Curtis, director at Wool Hugger, said: "We realised how difficult it was to find toy sheep actually made from wool.
"So when the opportunity to work with Shaun the Sheep arose, he absolutely had to be made from wool.
"This is the first time he’s appeared in wool and we have used as much British fibre as possible to try to support our British sheep farmers."
The outer materials are 100 per cent wool, with the fleece containing more than 70 per cent British wool, while the internal filling is 100 per cent British wool.
Shaun the Sheep measures 20cm and retails at £29, while Shirley stands at 50cm and is priced at £65.
Both have been tested to EN 71 toy safety standards and are available directly from Wool Hugger.
The release is part of Wool Hugger’s effort to offer sustainable, natural-fibre alternatives to traditional synthetic plush toys, while finding new uses for British wool.
The company has also launched Curt the Sheep, a premium children’s soft toy made entirely from wool.
Curt, who was launched earlier this year, was inspired by the family business’s mascot and is one of the few wool-based soft toys on the UK market.
Mr Curtis said: "There was nothing stopping others from making them.
"It was one of the few gaps in the market."
Curt retails for £35 and includes free UK shipping.
Wool Hugger began exploring wool-based toys before the pandemic, after noticing that most soft toys were made from felt.
Sadly, due to a lack of manufacturing and textile capacity in the UK, the woolly sheep are made in China.
The Wool Hugger business, which includes his wife Janet, also sells sheepskin rugs and throws.
The company is based in Princes Square, Harrogate.
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