openart image 7hxIJrf 1771432754632 raw

Adding a Dash of Whimsy to Your Kitchen: The Elsatex x Animoo Art Collection

There is a certain magic that happens when high-quality craftsmanship meets soulful, grassroots creativity. At Elsatex, we have always prided ourselves on being a trusted name in textiles, but our latest collaboration feels particularly special. We are thrilled to introduce a brand-new collection of kitchen linens created in partnership with the wonderfully quirky Animoo Art.

This isn’t just a product launch; it’s a celebration of a 30-year friendship and a creative spark that turned into a thriving brand.

AnimooArt The Farmyard Crew
AnimooArt The Farmyard Crew

Born in Lockdown: A Friendship Painted in Watercolour

While many businesses are built on spreadsheets, Animoo Art was built at a kitchen table by two lifelong “partners in crime,” Katie Ford and Amie Carter. Having navigated three decades of life side-by-side, the 2020 lockdown provided the unexpected space for their most exciting chapter yet.

The spark came from Katie’s daughter, Molly, who suggested her mum paint a woodlouse instead of the usual “pretty” animals. That tiny, cheeky idea blossomed into a series of character-filled watercolour illustrations. But every creative force needs an engine room; while Katie holds the paintbrush, Amie holds the planner.

As the “Artist and the Organiser,” their partnership is the secret ingredient behind the brand. Katie brings the imagination and fine-liner detail, while Amie brings the structure and the “let’s go for it” determination. Together, they’ve transitioned from simple prints to this bold new venture in textiles, trusting in their shared vision and their 30-year bond.

AnimooArt Into The Wild
AnimooArt Into The Wild

The Collection: Four Designs to Fall in Love With

We’ve translated Katie’s signature style—and the duo’s shared sense of humor—onto a range of premium tea towels, double oven gloves, and aprons. Whether you’re a dog devotee or a lover of the Great British countryside, there is a design here to make you smile.

  • The Farmyard Crew: A charming medley of classic farm animals, bringing a touch of rustic, cheerful energy to the home.
  • Into the Wild: For those who prefer the untamed, this design features a variety of wild animals rendered in Katie’s distinctive illustrative style.
  • The Sausage Dog Parade: A celebration of the iconic Dachshund in all its elongated, quirky glory.
  • The Ultimate Dog Breed Mix: A beautiful tribute to our best friends, featuring a diverse range of breeds that every dog lover will recognize.
AnimooArt The Sausage Dog Parade
AnimooArt The Sausage Dog Parade

Quality Meets Quirky

At Elsatex, we know that kitchen textiles need to do more than just look good—they have to work hard. Each piece in this collection is manufactured to our exacting standards, ensuring that your double oven gloves offer the protection you need and your tea towels are as absorbent as they are beautiful.

“Working with Katie and Amie has allowed us to bring a sense of joy and storytelling into the heart of the home. It’s a partnership built on trust, quality, and a shared love for British creativity.”

By combining the durability of Elsatex textiles with the whimsical heart of Animoo Art, we’ve created a collection that is perfect for gifting (or for treating your own kitchen to a well-deserved makeover).

AnimooArt The Ultimate Dog Breed Mix
AnimooArt The Ultimate Dog Breed Mix

Shop the Collection

This collection is a testament to the power of collaboration. From a lockdown kitchen table to your home, these pieces are designed to spark conversation and bring a smile to your face while you cook.

SF26 Ezone 350x250

Elsatex Showcasing New Textiles at Spring Fair 2026 – Visit Stand 1K31, Hall 1

Elsatex Showcasing New Textiles at Spring Fair 2026 – Visit Stand 1K31, Hall 1

Elsatex is delighted to announce our return to Spring Fair 2026, taking place at the NEC Birmingham this February. As one of the UK’s leading home and contract textile manufacturers, Spring Fair provides the ideal platform for us to connect with new and existing customers, share our latest innovations, and highlight the breadth and quality of our products.

Who We Are

For many years, Elsatex has been a trusted supplier of high-quality textiles to the hospitality sector, hospitals, wholesalers, and small retail businesses. Our manufacturing capabilities cover an extensive product range, including bedding, towels, bath robes, duvets, pillows, mattress toppers, beach towels, bath mats, shower curtains, tea towels, oven gloves, kitchen aprons, baby towels, baby bedding, muslin cloths, cleaning cloths, door mats, and dust sheets. We pride ourselves on combining durability, comfort, and affordability — essential qualities for both contract and retail environments.

What We’re Bringing to Spring Fair 2026

This year, visitors can expect to see a comprehensive selection of our most popular lines alongside several brand-new product launches. Our stand will feature a curated display of bedding, towels, bath robes, and kitchen textiles, allowing guests to explore the feel, texture, and quality of each item firsthand.

We are especially excited to introduce our new 3-pack microfibre cleaning cloths, designed for exceptional absorbency and performance; our innovative copper-infused pillow, created to support cleaner, more hygienic sleep; and our premium duck & down duvets and pillows, which combine luxurious softness with superior warmth. These new launches reflect our ongoing commitment to product development and meeting the evolving needs of both contract and retail customers.

A Stand Designed for Discovery

Located in Hall 1 at Stand 1K31, our Spring Fair stand has been carefully designed to encourage hands-on exploration. Every product will be available to touch, feel, and inspect up close, giving buyers the confidence to assess quality and suitability for their customer base. Whether you are sourcing everyday essentials or premium additions to your range, our display will offer inspiration and insight into the craftsmanship behind each item.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the people behind Elsatex. Throughout the event, Managing Director Steve, Director Mesbah, and General Manager Shelley will be on the stand to discuss product details, explore partnership opportunities, and answer any questions. We believe that meaningful business begins with meaningful connections, and we look forward to welcoming both new faces and familiar partners.

Our Goals for Spring Fair 2026

As we continue to grow, one of our key objectives for 2026 is to strengthen our presence within the UK retail sector. We aim to build new relationships with major retailers such as B&M, Home Bargains, Matalan, and other high-street and value-driven chains. Spring Fair gives us the ideal platform to showcase our capabilities, demonstrate our product quality, and highlight why Elsatex remains a trusted name in both contract and consumer textiles.

In addition to expanding our retail partnerships, we hope to increase brand awareness and share our continued commitment to reliability, quality, and innovation.

Come Meet the Team

If you’re attending Spring Fair 2026, we warmly invite you to visit us at Stand 1K31 in Hall 1. Whether you’re exploring new product opportunities, seeking a reliable supplier, or simply curious to see what’s new for 2026, our team will be ready to welcome you.

For more information, visit www.elsatex.com or contact shelley@elsatex.com.

We look forward to seeing you in February!

IMG 4748

Elsatex goes to Germany!

With the dawning of a new year comes the prospect of new opportunities, and so – with that in mind, we jetted off for our annual show visit to Heimtex in Frankfurt, Germany.

The show ran from the 10th to the 13th of January and featured over 2,900 of the world’s most successful businesses in the textiles trade. We were among the 69,000 trade visitors from 141 countries who came.

We visited the show with our supplier Noman Terry who were exhibiting this year and provide us with a vast amount of our contract products. The visit to the show enabled us to strengthen our ties with existing customers, gain new knowledge about the latest innovative products in the textiles industry and helped us make new contacts with prospective customers too.

Overall, we had a very successful trip and look forward to returning next year!

You Can Youth Cancer Support 0006 1200x500 1

Elsatex offer support to Kent charity

Elsatex help YouCan Youth Cancer Support

Last year Kent saw the launch of YouCan Youth Cancer Support, an amazing charity that support young people whose lives have been impacted by cancer.

YouCan have just opened their incredible new holiday home, Hinton House in Westgate on Sea, which will offer holiday breaks to young people, their family and friends.   The home has been refurbished to a very high standard and being just five minutes walk from the beach, will give young people a chance to have some time away from their day-to-day lives and the enormous stress and anxiety of living with cancer.

We found out about the refurbishment through a friend and jumped at the chance to help YouCan with final touches to the soft furnishings.  They had already received bed linen by another sponsor, so we thought as the house is by the sea maybe they would like some luxurious bath/beach towels.

We presented the towels at the house launch and as you can see the check beach towels fitted perfectly with the colour scheme and were greatly received by Natalie Tegg, Head of Fundraising at YouCan.  The house launch was a great success and we also got to meet YouCan ambassadors; BBC journalist Victoria Derbyshire and Radio DJ Dave Berry, who were there to cut the ribbon and officially open the house!

Colin Thacker, Founder and Trustee of YouCan said at the house launch, “Hinton House represents a significant step forward not just for the organisation itself but also in the provision of support and care for young people and their families, who have been impacted by cancer. This is a long overdue and very much needed facility that we expect to be occupied for the majority of the year by those who have been referred by their care professionals.

The fact remains that post-treatment support for younger people is vital to help them to return to a ’normal life’ – YouCan strives to achieve this through bespoke support programmes and the respite house, as well as offering support to those where treatment is no longer a viable option.  We make no charge for our services so donations are always welcomed however small or large, in order for us to be able to continue with our support work.

As well as offering short breaks, YouCan provide wellbeing weekends, counselling, therapy sessions and fitness and nutrition workshops.  They are unique in that know one else offers such services anywhere in the South East.

If you would like to find out more about the YouCan respite house please go to their website www.you-can.org.uk.