28 July 2026 marked the 160th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth (1866), with Frederick Warne & Co and Penguin Ventures marking the occasion with a roster of brand partnerships, creative and brand activations across a year-long celebration.

Penguin Ventures has developed an extensive programme of premium licensing collaborations to mark the anniversary, spanning homewares, gifting, stationery, confectionery, fashion, hospitality and experiences.

The partnerships celebrate Beatrix Potter’s original artwork while introducing The World of Peter Rabbit to new audiences through beautifully crafted products, retail experiences and brand activations across the UK.

Emma Bridgewater recently launched a Peter Rabbit themed homeware collection. The Emma Bridgewater x Peter Rabbit collection is comprised of two ranges taking inspiration from original stencils created by Beatrix Potter which have been re-imagined as sponge-ware designs. The Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent will also host a Peter Rabbit themed afternoon tea, decorating sessions and children’s trails throughout the summer.

Meanwhile, luxury brand and retailer Smythson of Bond Street has invited The World of Peter Rabbit to play across a collection of Smythson icons – featuring gold-stamped Panama notebooks, Soho sketchbooks and correspondence cards adorned with Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin and Jemima Puddle-Duck, with interiors lined in archival 1920s woodland prints.

Hallmark UK has expanded its Peter Rabbit range of greetings cards by introducing the 160th anniversary capsule collection, using specially designed ornate patterns with each timeless design featuring embossed elements, gold foil detailing and classic Beatrix Potter illustrations including Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle.

Enchanted by the campaign messaging of a love letter to the British countryside, Hallmark weaved this storytelling throughout the collection by partnering with James Cropper, a historic British paper mill based in the Lake District, to print the collection using recycled coffee cups.

In London, Mayfair’s five-star luxury hotel, JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, has introduced The Tales of Beatrix Potter Afternoon Tea: a playful, literary-inspired experience served in the hotel’s elegant Park Room: bringing Potter’s iconic stories to life through an imaginative and nostalgic culinary experience inspired by the English countryside and her characters.

Celebrations in Newcastle include Peter Rabbit: Tales on the Tyne which, from 15 July to 14 September, sees a major art trail featuring a fluffle of Peter Rabbit sculptures, each designed by a different artist, appearing across Newcastle and North Tyneside. 43 giant Peter Rabbits, as well as 53 smaller community sculptures, are situated alongside some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

A special book bench on the theme of ‘Beatrix Potter: A love-letter to the British Countryside’ has also been situated in Newcastle Cathedral. These activities will raise money for St Oswald’s Hospice (in partnership with Wild in Art and The World of Peter Rabbit).

Other activities across the UK include a mural bringing Beatrix Potter’s countryside world to Carlisle city centre; a playful yarn-bombing activation working with skilled crochet creators; rail station advertising bringing the famous characters and quotes to popular UK holiday destinations; character walls in Southwark and Kensington; and a new Beatrix Potter National Book Tokens gift card. A year-long Peter Rabbit partnership with BookTrust’s Bookstart Baby initiative (which launched in October 2025) also sees every new baby born in the UK receiving a free Peter Rabbit book, Four Happy Bunnies.

In the Lake District, The World of Beatrix Potter is celebrating the 160th all summer long including special afternoon teas in the Peter Rabbit Cafe and the return of the show, Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit. Some extra special events also took place on 28 July on what would have been Beatrix Potter’s birthday – highlights included special goodie bags given out at random times throughout the day and families were able to take part in a Birthday Trail with the opportunity to win a birthday hamper.

Beatrix Potter’s first small working farm and now National Trust property, Hill Top, is celebrating Beatrix Potter’s legacy with new displays including Pets to Page: The Tale of Two Bad Mice, featuring original artworks and her beloved dolls’ house, alongside the Visitor to Protector exhibition exploring her lasting impact.

Family-friendly garden activities and storytelling will also bring her stories to life, while a repainted bedroom reveals this room as she knew it. Visitors can also join guided tours of the neighbouring working farm, run by National Trust tenant farmers, to meet the Herdwick sheep which she so championed, and discover how her conservation legacy continues to shape today’s landscape.

Penguin Random House Children’s will publish a range of new titles and formats. These include a new picture book edition of the original Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher (which also celebrates 120 years since first publication this year), as well as books inspired by The World of Peter Rabbit such as the lift-the-flap board book Peter’s Bedtime, for babies and toddlers and Nature Tales, a treasury of 23 new Beatrix Potter-inspired stories for children aged 3-7 which will simultaneously publish in hardback and audiobook.

Also from Penguin Audio, My First Peter Rabbit Tales published on 23 July 2026, narrated by Helen Baxendale, bringing together 11 stories adapted from the popular Peter Rabbit Tales series of picture books.

“160 years after Beatrix Potter’s birth, her stories continue to inspire partners, retailers and consumers around the world,” commented David Sprei, commercial director at Penguin Ventures. “We’re incredibly proud to be working with such an exceptional portfolio of licensees, from established British heritage brands to exciting new collaborators, all of whom share our commitment to celebrating Potter’s timeless artistry and storytelling.

“These partnerships allow us to introduce The World of Peter Rabbit to new audiences in fresh and meaningful ways, while remaining true to the authenticity and values that have made the brand so enduring. This anniversary is not only a celebration of Beatrix Potter’s remarkable legacy, but also a demonstration of how great storytelling continues to create commercial and cultural opportunities more than a century later.”

Thomas Merrington, creative director at Penguin Ventures, continued: “It has been a privilege to celebrate Beatrix Potter’s160th anniversary alongside an exceptional group of partners who each embody part of her remarkable legacy – whether through British craftsmanship, artistic excellence, female entrepreneurship, or deep connections to the Lake District. Together, these collaborations honour not only the timeless appeal of her stories, but also the values and vision that continue to make Beatrix Potter such an enduring cultural icon.”

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