Very Puzzled flips family time into a lesson on culture. Started by dad Patrick Adom, who wanted his daughter to see herself in the games she played, Very Puzzled designs jigsaws, memory games and activity books that put heritage front and centre. Here, he explains what it means to have his puzzles stocked by the likes of John Lewis, Waterstones and Hamleys.

What is Very Puzzled: what do you sell and what’s your mission?

Very Puzzled is a company that creates fun, educational puzzles and games that celebrate culture, heritage, and identity. We design beautifully illustrated jigsaw puzzles that showcase countries, cities, and regions highlighting landmarks, people, history, and traditions in a way that’s accessible to both children and adults.

Our mission is simple: to help families spend quality time together while learning more about the rich diversity of the world around them. Through our products, we want to spark curiosity, encourage conversation, and strengthen the bonds between generations.

What was the inspirational spark or moment that led you to create the brand?

The idea for Very Puzzled came from wanting my daughter to see herself represented in the games and toys she played with. I noticed that puzzles and educational products often didn’t reflect diverse cultures or tell our stories. That gap inspired me to create puzzles that celebrate heritage and identity, something that children and families everywhere could connect with, enjoy, and learn from together.

What kind of things can children (and parents) learn from the puzzles?

Our puzzles are designed to be both fun and educational. Children (and parents!) can learn about geography, history, and culture in a playful way. Each puzzle is filled with landmarks, famous figures, and fun facts that spark curiosity and conversation.

Each puzzle highlights the national dish and dress for each country as well as notable people from different professions. The idea is that every time you piece the puzzle together, you discover something new about the world and its rich diversity.

What was your very first product and how has the range grown since then?

Our very first product was the Africa Map Jigsaw Puzzle. We wanted to start with something that truly celebrated the continent’s rich history, culture, and diversity. The positive response encouraged us to grow the range, and since then we’ve expanded to puzzles covering the Caribbean, individual countries, and cities.

Alongside our jigsaws, we’ve also introduced memory games and activity books, giving families even more ways to learn, play, and spend quality time together.

What is your best-selling jigsaw and why do you think this is?

Our best-selling jigsaw is the Africa Map Puzzle. I think it resonates so strongly because it celebrates the incredible diversity of the continent in a way that’s both fun and educational. Families really connect with it whether through a sense of heritage, curiosity to learn more, or simply the joy of seeing such a vibrant and detailed map come to life. It’s become a favourite because it speaks to both identity and discovery at the same time.

What have been your most notable partnerships or stockists, and what did these mean to you?

We’ve been really proud to work with a number of well-known retailers and organisations. Our puzzles have been stocked by John Lewis, Waterstones, Hamleys and over 18 museums as well as independent retailers like Diverse and Wild Gecko (in Ghana), among others.

Each partnership has been hugely meaningful not just because it expands our reach, but because it shows that there’s a real appetite for products that celebrate culture and diversity. For me personally, seeing Very Puzzled on the shelves of such respected places has been both humbling and motivating. It’s a reminder of how far the brand has come and the impact it can have.

What are your thoughts on how much Black history is on the UK curriculum and how it is taught?

I think there’s still a long way to go. Black history in the UK curriculum is often limited to a few key figures or moments, usually centred around slavery or the civil rights movement. While these are important, they don’t reflect the full richness of African and Caribbean contributions to British and global history.

Black history is British history, and it deserves to be woven into the curriculum all year round, from science and literature to politics and culture. That’s one of the reasons we created Very Puzzled: to give families tools to explore these stories together, beyond what’s taught in schools.

“Black history is British history, and it deserves to be woven into the curriculum all year round”

What has been some feedback you’ve received over the years that proves that Very Puzzled is making a positive impact in this respect?

One piece of feedback that really stayed with me came from a customer who bought a puzzle for her granddad, who is in his 90s and living with dementia. She told me that working on our Jamaica Puzzle reminded him of where he was born and grew up, and that it gave them a chance to bond and connect. Talking about his childhood was one of the few things that got him really engaged.

Hearing that our puzzles can create moments like that across generations and even in challenging circumstances is incredibly humbling and shows the positive impact Very Puzzled is having.

As a business owner, what has been your biggest challenge?

I often try to frame challenges as opportunities, but one of my biggest challenges has been patience. As a business owner, I have to work on other people’s timelines, whether that’s retail buyers, manufacturers, or shipping companies, and that can be difficult when you’re eager to move quickly.

I also have lots of ideas I’d love to bring to life, but with limited resources, I’ve had to learn to prioritise and focus on what’s most practical. In a way, those challenges have taught me discipline and perseverance, which I see as essential parts of the journey.

Where would you like to go with the brand next?

We would love to see Very Puzzled grow into a global brand that continues to celebrate culture and diversity through play. That means expanding our range with more puzzles, games, and books that cover different countries and themes, as well as exploring digital and interactive formats.

I also want to build more partnerships with schools and community organisations so that our products can reach and inspire even more families around the world.

Since launching in 2018, our Africa Jigsaw Puzzle has been our bestseller, stocked by retailers such as John Lewis and Waterstones, with consistent repeat orders. Building on this success, we are now expanding our range to include all continents of the world (24 new products) in addition to our existing range of 40 products.

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