Progressive Housewares December 2020

December 2020

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For any trade enquiries please contact our sales teams.

Electrical SDA and Cookware sales@upgs.com

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Celebrating Three Decades of Better

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Editor’s comment S

Max Publishing Ltd, United House North Road, London N7 9DP T: 020 7700 6740 F: 020 7607 6411 www.progressivehousewares.co.uk www.max-publishing.co.uk www.housewaresnews.net Subscriptions Subscribe online at Max-Subscriptions.net While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in Progressive Housewares, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions.

this is the final push to catch up on cookshop and housewares sales in stores, and meet online demand, as we race towards December 24. It is hard to sum up this extraordinary year: one that has brought upheaval and sad loss of life.

It has also been a year when the housewares industry has risen to face unprecedented challenges.

In 2020, suppliers helped to make PPE face masks (What More on its production line, KitchenCraft and Robert Welch Designs on their 3D printers), while SDA companies Dyson and Gtech designed ventilators. Parts of our trade show venues (NEC, Harrogate and London ExCel) were converted into Nightingale Hospitals, and major retailers Above: PH’s Rob Willis, Emma Cain, John (Dunelm and John Lewis) switched home textile production to make Barry and Jo Howard while filming for the Excellence in Housewares Awards 2020. aprons and wash bags for hospital staff. Global supply chains were tested to the extreme, and housewares stock that reached UK docks faced delays as urgent PPE supplies understandably took priority.

With months of lockdowns, many cookshops and housewares stockists now argue that our sector should be classified as ‘essential’, reflecting the need for home cooking and cleaning. The shift to online shopping accelerated massively and city centres were hit with the lack of workforces. There was a revival in local shopping, with home workers favouring neighbourhood shops and market town high streets, many containing cookshops.

It is sad that Debenhams looks set to be a casualty, with the pandemic providing a ‘last straw’ in a retail landscape that has changed dramatically. However, is also heartening and uplifting to hear how so many independent and multiple cookshops and housewares stockists adapted this year providing new ways to shop and building stronger connections with consumers. See, for example, some of the changes put in place by the Excellence in Housewares Independent Cookshop of the Year finalists (pages 22-25).

Progressive Housewares is honoured and proud to bring the whole industry together for an evening on December 9: to share stories and raise a glass at the virtual Excellence in Housewares Awards.

The wonderful EIH Awards 2020 winners will be featured on HousewaresNews.net and in the next issue of the magazine.

Let’s look forward to 2021 with optimism for a return to health around the world and the ability to come together again in person. The role of good food in keeping healthy has become even more central to our lives, with the housewares industry providing both tools and inspiration for our new nation of enthusiastic home cooks.

Wishing you a happy Christmas and all good wishes for a healthy new year.

Jo Howard in house

Editor

In this issue

JO HOWARD Editor joh@max-publishing.co.uk

5- 12

News

JAKKI BROWN Editorial director jw@max-publishing.co.uk

11

Holly Wilson’s From the frontline

12

BHETA news

13

Bira news

14-17

Advertorial: OXO Three decades of better

19-21

Food for thought: The sustainable revolution

JOHN BARRY Advertising manager johnb@max-publishing.co.uk ROB WILLIS Publishing director robw@max-publishing.co.uk EMMA CAIN Product page editor emmac@max-publishing.co.uk MICHELLE BOARD Contributing editor michelleb@max-publishing.co.uk MARK GRAYSON Creative director markg@max-publishing.co.uk WARREN LOMAX Joint md warren@max-publishing.co.uk

26-27 Progressive Electrical Food preparation, kettles and toasters

HELENA HOWARD Photography

PROGRESSIVE

22-25 Retail focus: All change EIH Independent Cookshop of the Year finalists

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28-29 Visibility pages 30

Product focus

31

Shelf portrait: Cook Central

Signature 1815

Fiskars UK Limited Tel: 01782 204141 Email: customerservice.uk@royaldoulton.com Signature 1815 Collection royaldoulton.com

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News

Debenhams prepares to close The presence of high street department store cookshops are set to diminish with the announcement of Debenhams’ preparations for closure.

On December 1, Debenhams’ administrators at FRP Advisory ‘regretfully concluded’ that they should ‘commence a wind-down of Debenhams UK, whilst continuing to seek offers for all or parts of the business.’ They thought that further restructure was unlikely due to trading conditions and the pandemic.

Debenhams will continue to trade through its 124 UK stores and online to clear its current and contracted stock. On conclusion of this process, if no alternative offers have been received, the UK operations will close. Magasin du Nord in Denmark will continue to operate independently.

Geoff Rowley of FRP Advisory, joint administrator to Debenhams said: “All reasonable steps were taken to complete a transaction that would secure the future of Debenhams. However, the economic landscape is extremely challenging and, coupled with the uncertainty facing the UK retail industry, a viable deal could not be reached. The decision to move forward with a closure programme has been carefully assessed and, while we remain hopeful that alternative proposals for the business may yet be received, we deeply regret that circumstances force us to commence this course of action.” Geoff thanked Debenhams’ “suppliers and partners who have continued to work with Debenhams through this turbulent period,” reassuring them “that all contractual obligations entered into in the administration period will be met in full.”

Commenting on the news on BBC Radio 4, Sir Ian Cheshire (chairman of Debenhams from 2016 to 2019) reflected that there “was not enough time to change” and that multiple department store chains were often “caught in the wrong structure,” with, for example, “very long leases.”

TOP STORY

Braced for Christmas As consumers flocked back to high streets and shopping centres on December 2 with the reopening of non-essential stores in England (after the second lockdown), cookshops and housewares stockists were prepared for an intense run-up to Christmas. Independent and multiple housewares stockists are among those extending their trading hours to provide consumers with more time to browse and to relieve queues for a safer shopping experience.

“In the run up to Christmas about two thirds of the Lakeland estate will open for longer than we had originally planned to,” confirmed Lakeland’s chief commercial officer Scott Jefferson. “In most instances this will be where the other retailers nearby are also open – for example in shopping centres - so that customers can fulfil all their Above: Christmas window at shopping missions.”

Woodbridge Kitchen Company.

Above: ‘Click & Collect’ orders at John Lewis is running a booking service for customers coming Frankie & Johnny’s during the second into stores across the UK in the final weeks before Christmas. lockdown in England.

Shoppers are booking timed shopping slots up to 14 days in advance. Those coming to stores without an appointment – and finding queues – can have the option of joining a virtual queue, with a timeframe for when they should return to enter the shop. John Lewis is also highlighting that it now has 900 locations for click and collect.

Woodbridge Kitchen Company in Suffolk is stretching its opening hours, as well as joining forces with fellow independents for late night shopping on Thursdays until 8pm. During the second lockdown, Woodbridge Kitchen Company developed and launched its own online shop, listing over 2,000 products (with a stock status) and providing options for home delivery or click and collect.

In York, Jo Asquith, co-owner of Frankie & Johnny’s Cookshop described trade as “bonkers” on reopening on December 2, with customers delighted to be allowed back in the shop. Frankie & Johnny’s Cookshop introduced a ‘Click & Collect’ service during the second lockdown. “It worked really well,” said Jo. The cookshop is likely to hold some late night shopping evenings in the coming weeks. “We won’t be opening 24 hours, although one customer did ask today!” Jo exclaimed.

Nostalgia at Wayfair According to Wayfair, heritage housewares brands are seeing heightened demand this Christmas. The online retailer cites Villeroy & Boch, Denby and Arthur Price as prime examples. As consumers look to ‘the nostalgic Christmasses of yesteryear,’ Wayfair has also seen a spike in searches for retro coupe glasses, cut glass and bar carts.

Above: One of Wayfair’s Christmas trend images.

The retailer reports that many consumers are looking for a ‘natural and restorative aesthetic,’ favouring stoneware cookware sets. Its sales of large roasting tins were up 50% by mid October, and complete dinner sets were popular as consumers prepared early and looked for convenience. Soothing pastel-toned tableware was proving another festive hit, according to Wayfair.

Quick and convenient housewares purchasing is also proving popular, with 63% of Wayfair purchases made on mobile/app.

ProCook: it feels like "new stores"

Above: One of Debenhams’ 124 stores.

Daniel O'Neill, ProCook founder told PH: “I’m very excited about December trade, I think it's going to be very positive for ProCook - following lockdown it feels like we are opening 48 brand new stores. We are looking to move our hours slightly longer and later to help Christmas shoppers.”

He also reflected: “This last lockdown was very hard to manage in terms of stores. We hope that the work we put in to highlight the lack of clarity in the Government’s retailer classifications will see kitchen shops correctly categorised as ‘essential’ retail if we are in the same position again.”

Daniel campaigned for clarity on the classification of essential retailers from the Government from the outset of England’s second lockdown. Meeting with different interpretations in different areas of trading standards offices, he sought confirmation that cookshops should be classified under the traditional banner of hardware stores, providing essentials for the kitchen and home.

For the latest news, see HousewaresNews.net PROGRESSIVE

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TOP STORY

The Great British Bake Off at home

Lockdown inequalities Independent housewares stockists made national news, highlighting inequalities during England’s second lockdown.

Featured on BBC News Online (November 12), Martin Coles-Evans, owner of 150-year old housewares stockist Hargreaves & Sons in Buxton, Derbyshire stated: "Shops like ourselves, we're following the rules and we're making people stay safe so we're closed, and yet these bigger companies are trying on loopholes left, right and centre to stay open, when really they shouldn't be.”

He also said: "It does seem to be they're mopping up all the Christmas trade while we're just limping along, struggling trying to get by with some government support."

Above: Hargreaves & Sons in Buxton.

Martin wrote to his MP, pointing out that Left: Lawsons in Christmas accounts for 40% of the shop’s Tavistock. annual turnover and asking: ‘How can the government justify the opening of garden centres when gifts and homewares stores like are asked to remain closed?”

Meanwhile The Sunday Times (November 8) ran an article on how lockdown was damaging local shops in favour of supermarkets and internet giants, featuring an interview with Liz Lawson, md of Lawons, with three home stores in Devon. While Lawsons remained open, stocking hardware (but only taking about 20% of normal trade), Liz acknowledged that retailers should not be encouraging customers to come in to stores during lockdown.

“It’s completely unfair that supermarkets and garden centres are allowed to clean up,” Liz commented in The Sunday Times. “It was obviously a bit ridiculous in Wales to have supermarket aisles selling non-essential goods covered up, but that’s right, people should be going in there, buying food and going home.”

Home focus for 2021 Trend forecaster Phil Pond of Scarlet Opus predicts that the effects of the pandemic will drive a further surge in consumerism for the home during 2021, reaching greater levels than already seen this year. “People won’t want to rush back to international travel, business travel will be cut back, and there will be fewer visits to restaurants, clubs and bars,” predicted Phil (in a recent webinar for the London Stationery Show 2021).

Above: Yellow is on trend “The lion’s share of any disposable income will be spent on the (image: Scarlet Opus). home trying to recreate all of those experiences both inside and outdoors,” he continued. “Our homes will be personal retreats in which to nurture ourselves and cultivate happiness on a broader scale. We will be looking for more meaning, more understanding, more connection, more freedom and more time. There will also be more home entertaining.”

He highlighted that the pandemic has also fast-forwarded an eco-conscious consumer. “With a reduction in pollution during the first lockdown, most people became more conscious of the environment and the world we live in. Therefore, more than ever, from a retailer’s perspective, consumers will want to know about a product’s provenance, with Made In Britain a big trend.”

Bake-a-long with Candice

Above: The Bake Off Box contains unique pieces of baking and cake making equipment. The first Box will contain the recipe for Signature Chocolate cake and a cake stand.

Early Black Friday

Amazon shoppers joined Candice Brown (pictured), The Great British Bake Off winner and cookery writer, for her online Store Cupboard Christmas Bake-a-long today during Black Friday week. The celebrated baker showed viewers how to create Fruit and Nut Biscotti from kitchen cupboard staples.

The live-streamed bake-a-long was one of the events hosted by Amazon from November 20-30. Other events included a session on de-cluttering and organising your house, with author Nicola Lewis from This Girl Can Organise.

“In a year where our normal Christmas routines have been turned on their head, we’ve reimagined our Black Friday Deals week to bring more reasons to smile to our customers stuck at home,” said Doug Gurr, Amazon UK country manager.

PROGRESSIVE

The Great British Exchange has launched The Bake Off Box - a monthly subscription service that sends subscribers a recipe and ingredients along with a ‘unique, collectable piece’ of GBBO baking and cake decorating equipment.

Produced under licence from Love Productions (creator of GBBO), The Bake off Box is described by Matthew Hopkins, founder and managing director of Great British Exchange, as “a true celebration of GBBO”, giving “fans of the show the opportunity to take Bake Off from their sitting room into their kitchen”.

The project has been in progress for nearly two years, although The Great British Exchange recognises the huge rise in home baking this year, noting the 20.5% increase in frequency in the purchase of home baking items compared to 2019.

The Great British Bake Off team has designed the pieces of baking equipment included in the box, as well as creating the recipes and illustrations, and selecting the ingredients. The first box (to be delivered to homes in February 2021) will include a cake stand and Signature Chocolate Cake recipe.

Becca Watson, home economist for GBBO says the Bake Off Box means that: “everyone can join in, test their skills and get a taste of what they see on screen.”

From each box sold, 50p will be donated to Stand Up To Cancer, the charity campaign The Great British Bake Off supports through its series of celebrity specials.

When non-essential retail shut in Northern Ireland in a two-week lockdown from November 27, Ulster Stores’ buyer Jayne Stewart said that Black Friday deals would start early in its Northern Ireland department stores, Moores of Coleraine and The White House, Portrush.

Above: The White House, Portrush.

Jayne confirmed that many consumers have shopped early for Christmas in the stores’ cookshops, “Gift-able products have been flying off the shelves and practical housewares continue to be strong,” Jayne reported. “The increase in cooking at home has led to demand for quality knives, food preparation and home baking products.”

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TOP STORY

Taking on textiles

Messe Frankfurt’s optimism for 2021 Exhibitor registration has got off to a promising start for The International Consumer Goods Show (ICGS) from Messe Frankfurt. The one-off event incorporates Ambiente 2021 alongside Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld. Some 2,000 exhibitors from 63 countries had signed up for the trade show by December 1.

Plans for the ICGS were discussed at an international virtual press conference featuring Nicolette Naumann, vice president of Ambiente and Messe Frankfurt, and group Above: A view of the popular Trends show director Julia Uherek on December 1. The physical area at Ambiente 2020. show will take place in Frankfurt am Main from 17-20 April 2021, alongside Digital Days. It will feature the popular Trends rooms (presented in the Galleria) and a focus on sustainability.

“The pandemic has changed our world, presenting us with new challenges and new thinking,” stated Nicolette. “But we are well prepared. Our focus is on secure working and networking in Covid-19 times. Because the shows are so international, both with global exhibitors and visitors, it is not without its challenges, given the current travel restrictions. However, with a vaccine on the horizon, we believe the situation will be more regulated by April 2021. Most importantly for us, we will be able to make business meetings possible again in the first half of the year.”

Nicolette confirmed that Messe Frankfurt has made a huge investment in technology for its digital experience, enabling “powerful, AI matchmaking,” chat functions, video meetings and live streamed content, with broadcasts from the actual show and from exhibitors. Housewares buyers can also order products directly from their screens via the Nextrade B2B platform. When Ambiente returns to its popular February timing in 2022, there will also be a complementary digital offering.

Nicolette stressed that the “trade show business will bounce back,” stating: “Feedback from our exhibitors has revealed that there is a real need for shows. We are all missing the real connection with people and products.”

Messe Frankfurt is continuing to build a new Hall 5, which will be “one of the world’s most modern trade show halls,” Nicolette acknowledged.

A rapid testing centre for Covid-19 will be on site for the IGCS for anyone that does not have a vaccination certificate, and the show is promoting its hygienic, ready-built corona-compliant stands.

Souper stars

Morphy Richards has teamed up with award-winning chef, Matt Healy to help consumers re-create some of the most indulgent soups from the UK’s top restaurants.

Matt was a finalist in MasterChef: The Professionals and now runs his own Michelin-plate restaurant in Leeds. Matt has scoured the menus of the most prestigious eateries across the UK and recreated ten of the most impressive soup recipes for a free recipe book in collaboration with Morphy Richards, and its Soup Maker.

Soups of the Day takes inspiration from the likes of The Ivy, The Ritz, The Savoy, Langan’s and Le Gavroche, and is available for consumers and Morphy Richards’ stockists to download for free from the Morphy Richards website.

Corkcicle’s celebrity fans Corkcicle received some impressive social media coverage at the end of November when its Baldwin Boxer was featured on Kim Kardashian’s Instagram feed to 192 million followers. The image showed some of Kim’s healthy on-the-go snacks beside a pale pink Corkcicle cooler bag.

Kirstie Pendry from Auteur - the UK brand partner for Corkcicle – describes the fashionable cooler bag as “sleek, stylish and completely cool.”

Meanwhile, the Corkcicle mug is featured in Oprah Winfrey’s annual list of Favourite Things. The list is published in the Oprah Magazine and widely publicised in consumer press both in the US Left: The Baldwin Boxer from Corkcicle and internationally. has an adjustable loop for one of Other housewares in Oprah’s Favourite Things include the Corkcicle’s Canteens.

Cangshan Thomas Keller Signature Collection Three-Piece TAI Block Set, Ayesha Curry Cast-Iron Enamel Six-Quart Dutch Oven and Sheila Bridges for Glitterville Studios Melamine Plates. Electricals on the list include the Yedi Total Package Air Fryer Oven and The Barista Pro (from Sage in the UK).

O7

Above: MyPillow Towel Set – an exhibitor at The Inspired Home Show.

Keeping up with Rayware’s new website

Right: Chef Matt Healy.

PROGRESSIVE

The Inspired Home Show will include an “increased presence of the textiles category at the 2021 Show, providing home retail buyers a comprehensive destination for the products their customers are seeking,” confirms Leana Salamah, vice president, marketing, at The International Housewares Association (IHA).

Continuing its programme of insightful webinars, the IHA hosted a discussion on Trends in Home Textiles on December 3, recognising that the increased spending on the home during the global pandemic has led to a rise in interest in home textiles for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.

The Inspired Home Show 2021 takes place in Chicago, August 7-10.

HOUSEWARES

The Rayware Group has launched a brand new and improved trade website, enabling stockists to keep up to date with stock availability and brand and product information.

The team has worked with ecommerce specialists at Williams Commerce to make the website easier to navigate as well as improving overall functionality for loyal trade customers.

Visitors and consumers can view product and brand information and company news, while approved Rayware stockists can log in to the site through password-protected accounts for access to special offers and to securely place orders.

Other benefits of the new site include account dashboards showing order history and availability of flexible payment and shipping options.

Above: Brands from The Rayware Group, as shown on www.rayware.co.uk

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News Below: Spring Fair exhibitor Circular & Co.

What More UK among the 2020 Business Heroes

TOP STORY

Spring Fair goes virtual Spring Fair 2021 will take the form of an enhanced virtual forum - Spring Fair @Home - with product features and exclusive seminar content, designed to educate and inform participants. The decision to cancel the physical trade show was taken after the Government announced new restrictions on the reopening of business conferences and exhibition halls.

The next planned home, gift and fashion retail event will be Autumn Fair at the NEC Birmingham from September 5-8, 2021. Meanwhile, Spring Fair will return as an in-person event from February 6-10, 2022.

“While it is regrettable that we won’t be able to meet in person at Spring Fair and Moda in February due to the new UK government rules, we are incredibly excited to host Spring Fair @Home and Fashion Together,” said Julie Driscoll, md UK retail at Hyve Group. “Following the success of this year’s virtual forums, we’re looking forward to providing our clients and customers another touchpoint to be inspired and stay connected with the retail industry.”

Will Jones, coo of BHETA, commented: “Spring Fair is an important platform, not only for BHETA members, but also for the retail industry in the UK. I am very much looking forward to continuing our support and working together for Spring Fair @Home, and into 2021.”

Sarah Ward, chief executive of The Giftware Association, added: “Spring Fair @Home will be a great networking opportunity for the industry and a chance for businesses to stay connected. I am delighted that we are able to host the Gift of the Year 2021 Awards with Spring Fair as part of the virtual forum.”

For more information on Spring Fair @Home see www.springfair.com.

Denby’s tips for a kinder Christmas Less than half of UK consumers (45%) plan on cooking Above: Style tips with Christmas dinner with all Denby’s Statements the trimmings, according collection. to consumer research by Denby. Instead, 43% will opt for a modest yet meaningful affair, spending less money on material items and investing more time with loved ones instead.

Denby commissioned research exploring how life at home during the pandemic has changed the nation’s habits and influenced how Christmas will be celebrated this year.

Reflecting its research, the brand released advice for consumers, including home styling and cooking ideas.

The brand’s advice for the festive season includes: ‘Kind cooking - Reduce food waste this Christmas with simple but deliciously hearty, one-pot dishes; great for sharing, using up leftovers and requiring less washing up, which means more time to spend with loved ones.’

Denby’s tip also includes: ‘Shop thoughtfully If you’re buying less presents then make them count, consider supporting local brands who manufacture products responsibly and sustainably. Invest in quality pieces that are made to last, such as Denby’s handcrafted stoneware, and avoid wasteful packaging.’

A quarter of those surveyed by Denby said they have advanced their cooking skills this year.

The British Chamber of Commerce has recognised the work of What More UK, contributing to national commerce and the fight against Covid-19. The housewares manufacturer appears on the British Chamber of Commerce’s list of UK Business Heroes 2020.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, What More UK has ramped up production to meet increased demand for bakeware, recruited more than 40 new staff, expanded its export markets, and turned its production line into a manufacturing plant for personal protective face visors for the NHS. The British Chamber of Commerce is the central body connecting and representing all 52 regional Chambers in the country. It states that it launched the Business Heroes campaign ‘to recognise the incredible work that UK businesses are doing, in the most challenging of years.’

Company director Tony Grimshaw OBE commented: "We're very grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for this recognition. It's a great boost for us and we want to thank everyone involved."

Meanwhile, What More UK has announced the appointment of Rob Walker as its new director of manufacturing. Rob joined in 2014 as manufacturing manager. Tony states that Rob has “proved himself over and over again, and he deserves the top job.”

Curver’s finishing touches Recognising the rise in home decoration and organisation as consumers spend more time at home, Curver has launched The Curver Effect campaign. The brand is using social media to give consumers ideas on how to add finishing touches to their homes.

The campaign is signposting retailers, collaborating with social media influencers and producing a series of retailer link and carousel adverts.

The campaign features bestselling Infinity and new Jute storage and laundry collections – which are made from 100% recycled plastic. As part of its sustainability programme, ‘We Care’, Curver has pledged to source 80% of all materials from recycled sources by 2028.

Below: Curver’s Infinity and Jute are made from 100% recycled plastic.

Above: What More’s HQ in Lancashire.

Mermaid’s lifetime promise “Buy one use forever,” and ‘The only [baking or roasting product] you will ever need’ are the striking messages on Mermaid’s new packaging for 2021.

Packaging for the heritage brand’s silver and hard anodised products displays a new logo ‘Mermaid by Samuel Groves’, lifetime guarantee and understandable technical selling points, as well as usage suggestions and recipes.

For in-store display, each product has a striking label (as shown in the image below). For online retailers, the product is also offered boxed with a protective biodegradable hessian bag, with no plastic. Samuel Groves is also providing retailer support with product recipe videos and pdf recipe cards.

Above: Mermaid’s new packaging.

PROGRESSIVE

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Holly Wilson’s

From The Frontline Hallelujah! As I type Bojo has just announced that we can all reopen. What an absolute relief! It also comes with the huge pressure of making up for lost time but we’re going to give it a damn good go!

Countdown to Christmas U nfortunately we have had some real issues with the website so I think it might be ready to go live by the time we reopen – sod’s law! I’m putting both stores, which are two completely separate businesses, into one website, which in itself makes it a bit tricky. However, the way in which the stores have their EPOS set up differently has caused more than one IT disaster and we have had to unravel three years of inconsistencies - yikes!

My new team member Maeve is luckily an Excel wizard so we’ve spent the last few weeks buried in spreadsheets. It will still be so worth it though as I think ‘Click & Collect’ will be invaluable for getting through our normal local trade with the social distancing restrictions in place. Customers are normally shoulder to shoulder queuing out of the door - four customers at a time is not going to cut it to maintain sales. So I’m hoping those that don’t want to queue in the cold will shop from the comfort of their sofas and then pop along to just grab their bag of goodies. We also have Trouva up and running again, which is ticking over nicely, but the commission really hurts when you really need every penny in the till.

We’ve survived through November. We have done ‘ring & collect’ and more recently ‘knock & collect’ and our customers have been so thankful. There is very little ‘staying in’ happening in Stoke Newington so it is painful to be in the shop and see the bustling street full of people without the shops being able to serve them.

Right: Maeve at the door of Prep in Stoke Newington for click and collect orders.

I felt a small glimmer of hope when a couple of suppliers told me that some cookshops were trading during Lockdown 2 under the hardware category. I got on the phone to my councils quick sharp and tried

Inset: Trouva orders ready to dispatch.

to beg and plead to be allowed to open but Hackney Council was a stickler for the rules, and, even though they agreed the definitions were vague and foolish, they wouldn’t bend the rules for me. I’m still waiting for Camden Council to get back to me!

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Which brings me onto the non-existent grants for this recent lockdown. Neither shop has received them and when chased the council say they are “waiting for proposals to be signed off’. Lockdown will be over before we see the grant that was supposed to help us through it. There are also horror stories of councils withholding the grants due to ‘Click & Collect’ income etc so I’m not holding my breathe but I’d like to know what the councils are going to do with the money that was allocated to us if they don’t hand it out!

We were really looking forward to getting some apprentices to join our team and help us through December but sadly I didn’t meet the criteria that was put in place after the application process had closed. It turns out if you are a company with a single director you can’t take on an apprentice. I’m not sure what the logic is behind that, but it’s put the kibosh on that plan so we are a bit disappointed and are now short staffed.

But we are preparing to make the most out of December. Stock is still a huge issue with a lot of our bestsellers not due back into stock until next year but we are buying what we can get. We may do longer days if I can get our normal holiday staff back in store to help out and fingers crossed the website gets going and picks up some of the slack.

Onwards and upwards! May 2021 please bring us a smoother ride. Wishing you all a bumper December. Merry Christmas and may we all get to spend a little bit of time with our loved ones.

Holly Wilson is the owner of Prep Cookshop in Stoke Newington and Richard Dare in Primrose Hill, North London.

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“A good positive place” BHETA’s update from the Met BHETA’s responsible knife retailing steering group recently met with the Metropolitan Police’s Business Care Hub to discuss the legislative progress of the Offensive Weapons Act. The meeting also addressed proactive police and trading standards initiatives in respect of the legitimate retail of bladed items.

The draft Offensive Weapons Act (OWA) legislation is now expected to be implemented from April 2021 – although ministerial sign off is still outstanding and the date could be pushed back again due to Covid-19.

Home Office funding was secured by the police in summer 2020 to produce educational animations surrounding the OWA and the implications for retailers, couriers and the public, in the style of https://nbcc.police.uk/knifeguidance The police are keen to hear retailer feedback during development.

Outstanding questions regarding the OWA (based on feedback from retailers and suppliers) include the technicalities of implementation around couriers and proof of delivery during Covid-19. The Met has offered to hold monthly meetings and updates with interested parties in the run up to the implementation of the OWA. Retailers and suppliers attending the meeting included Sainsbury’s, Lakeland, Taylors Eye Witness, Burton McCall, Robert Welch Designs and Amefa.

Opportunities on the table A recent webinar hosted by BHETA highlighted opportunities for housewares suppliers who are keen to expand into foodservice.

Keith Warren, chief executive of the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA), formerly CESA, gave BHETA members an overview of the foodservice market in general and specifically in the light of Covid-19. He cited high levels of investment and the consequences of on-going change and dynamism as significant opportunities for diversification.

Everyone is investing in the home,” confirmed Scott Jefferson, Lakeland’s chief commercial officer in a webinar hosted by The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) on November 24. Scott and Philippa Simons, head of buying presented an overview of Lakeland’s marketplace and three-year view, as well as discussing the impact on Covid-19 on demand for housewares.

Scott acknowledged the huge growth in home shopping, spike in sales after shops reopened throughout July, and “massive engagement” in the MyLakeland loyalty programme, stating: “We’re in a good positive place.”

Philippa shared details about Lakeland’s winning categories strategy in which clear opportunities are explored and driven forward, ‘credible’ categories benefit from investment across good, better and best, Above: MyLakeland launched in August 2019. and ‘best of’ categories are carefully curated to focus on key products.

She also discussed the Lakeland Stars concept, which promotes examples of winning products.

Eco is one of Lakeland’s ‘winning categories,’ reflecting customers’ concerns about deforestation, fossil fuels, oceans and landfill. Authenticity is massively important, with Lakeland committing to proper investigation of eco credentials. Membership of WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) is particularly useful, and Philippa stressed the extent to which eco product and packaging are areas of potentially significant expansion. Next year will see the launch of an own label Lakeland Eco brand, with exciting product developments.

Discussing the impact of Covid-19 on shopping habits, Scott also noted that shoppers now tend to be “on a mission” to buy rather than browse, and engagement with Lakeland’s marketing is very high. There has been a revival in interest in print-led initiatives, as more consumers have had “time to leaf through a catalogue” or look an inserts in newspapers.

Lakeland’s presentation was preceded by an update from BHETA’s chief operating officer, Will Jones on BHETA’s member support package in 2020 and going forward, noting that BHETA’s webinars had ranged from lockdown advice to digital upskilling for the future to retailer networking. Will urged all members to be bold, to invest in the home enhancement upturn and inspire its continuation with innovative new products.

Five new members Sph2onge, Kinetico UK, Instant Brands, Arta Broch and Vybra Solutions are the latest five housewares companies to join BHETA. Sph2onge was founded in London in 2016 by director Above: Instant Pot from Instant Brands Below: Fine bone china by Arta Broch.

Christopher Foster, who was on a mission to create a super-absorbent sponge to provide an easy and mess-free solution to defrosting the freezer. Since becoming an Instagram hit, the company has grown to supplying its signature product internationally and launching other cleaning products such as a microfibre range.

Southampton-based Kinetico Water Systems produces domestic and commercial water softeners, water filters, salts and consumables. The company was founded in 1970 by an engineering team designing the world’s first demand-operated, twin-tank, non-electric water softener, revolutionising the water treatment industry overnight.

Instant Brands offers a range of timesaving, multi-purpose kitchen appliances, which prepare delicious and healthy meals, easily and quickly. Now a global community with millions of home cooks and foodies, there are countless recipes, forums and books dedicated to the Instant Brands range of appliances.

Arta Broch manufactures for some of the largest ceramics brands in the world from its factory in Mumbai and specialises in producing fine pure whites, which can be supplied plain or hand painted.

It also uses colour infusion processes to create vivid ranges of brightly coloured china, which stay bright regardless of usage.

London-based Vybra Solutions supplies to Boneco brand of air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, as well as producing a range of stylish heating and cooling equipment, aroma diffusers and essential oils.

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There is no other way of saying it. The last year has been the toughest in retail many of us will ever know.

I did not even begin to think that at the start of 2020, so-called ‘non-essential’ retail – including many of you in homeware - would be forced to close on two occasions for a total of 16 weeks of the year. That is four entire months when many of you were stopped from doing what is second nature to you - running a retail business.

As I write this column, we are days away from nonessential retail being allowed to reopen for the second time this year, at perhaps the most important point in the retail calendar – the run-up to Christmas.

Many of you will be keenly trying to claw back some of the trade you’ve missed out on over the last few weeks of the second lockdown. And I hope if you have survived this year so far, you have a pleasant and prosperous festive season.

New housewares will be top of many people’s shopping lists, I am sure. Either as they spruce up their own homes for Christmas or gift homeware to friends and relatives.

We’ve been busy calling on the Government to encourage people to shop independently this month and have been part of a variety of national media campaigns to call on the public to think again before they spend their hard-earned money with internet giants on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

However this festive season pans out, I cannot say enough times how I have been humbled by the creativity, tenacity and agility of the independent retailer this year. So many of you have adapted to this unimaginable situation and created your own opportunities, whether that’s branching into online trading for the first time, offering ‘click and collect’ or delivery services while you’re unable to open, or getting creative on social media to keep in contact with your customers and local community.

As always, I have enjoyed keeping in contact with Bira members over the last few months, hearing their stories of how they’ve turned challenges into opportunities.

With Brexit looming – something that seems to have been put to the back of our minds over the few months or so - it’s important we all know what will happen come January 1 2021. The Bira website has plenty of resources to guide you through the transition and make it go as smoothly as possible.

Next year will bring new challenges for us all but if you continue to show the type of strength and creativity exhibited through 2020 we will all succeed together.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

If you would like to discuss any of this article with us, or would like to find out more about our association and the support we give independent retail business, then please contact our membership team on 0800 028 0245 or visit bira.co.uk

The campaign continues Bira expressed delight on behalf of its members (including cookshops and housewares stockists) following the confirmation that all non-essential retail had the green light to re-open after December 2.

However, the association continues to campaign for further support for independent retailers hit by the pandemic.

Ceo Andrew Goodacre highlighted:“Cash is running out and more grants will be needed in January. We need clarity on business rates and the decision to extend the rates holiday for non-essential businesses. We need funds and expertise to help indie retailers to continue their transition to a stronger digital footprint.”

Reflecting reports that transmission rates are far higher in the home rather than in highly controlled, frequently sanitised, well-ventilated environments such as cookshops, Andrew states:“We also need to realise that shopping is safe and there is no need to close shops even if there is a third lockdown.”

Andrew Goodacre, ceo, Bira Above: Shining example: Potters Cookshop, Hockley’s Christmas window from last year.

Below: Part of the current festive window at The Kitchen Range, West Wickham.

Spreading festive cheer

Bira Direct, the trade association’s product-buying group, has launched a national competition to find the independent retailer with the best Christmas display. Displays can be either a traditional shop window display or a merchandised area inside the store.

In addition to hundreds of £pounds of prizes, the competition will help promote cookshops and other indies to consumers in the run-up to Christmas.

The competition is open to all independents, including cookshops and housewares retailers. The first prize is £200 to spend with Bira Direct, with the winner decided by Bira judges. The runners-up will receive £100 and £50 Bira Direct vouchers, following a public vote on social media.

Meanwhile, all UK voters will be automatically entered into a prize drawer to win a hamper of goodies from Bira Direct suppliers.

Jeff Moody, Bira’s commercial director said:“After an incredibly difficult year for bricks and mortar retailers, we’re excited to launch this new initiative, not only giving retailers an opportunity to win some fantastic prizes, but also an opportunity for us to promote some truly creative retailers to the public.”

Entries can be submitted by emailing a photograph of the Christmas display to info@biradirect.co.uk with the subject line: ‘Bira Christmas Display Competition’. Alternatively, entries can be made via social media by tagging or sending an image of the display to Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #BiraChristmasComp by December 14, 2020 when the competition closes.

Bira will then publish a shortlist of 10 window displays, which will be put to vote via Bira’s Facebook and Instagram accounts between December 15 and 22. All winners will be announced on December 23, 2020.

For more information visit bira.co.uk/bira-direct-christmas-competition

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THE OXO STORY

1990

2020

Three decades of doing it better The OXO journey began with a vegetable peeler and a quest to make everyday products simpler, easier and more thoughtfully designed. Now, some 30 years and more than 2,000 products later, the brand is still making things that make things better, as Progressive Housewares finds out.

T

he story of how OXO came to be is as vital to the brand as its bold, red, unmistakable logo. It all started with a simple act of love from one person to another and that's what still inspires everything the company does now, how it works and, ultimately, the product it creates.

The journey first began exactly 30 years ago, in 1990, when Sam Farber, OXO's founder, saw his wife Betsy struggling with the metal handle of her potato peeler due to arthritis in her hands. A designer at heart, he knew there had to be a better way and created a swivel peeler using the (now-iconic) OXO handle, with its ergonomically-designed form and signature non-slip grip.

That one moment of inspiration proved to be the spark which led to the idea of household products being carefully designed for all types of hands, making everyday tasks and

T I M E L I N E

Inset: OXO sees a better way and makes it happen – with better quality, better performance and a better experience.

1990 1990 – The swivel peeler was invented and OXO was born. Later that year, 15 OXO tools made their debut at the Consumer Products Show.

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1992 – General Housewares Corporation aquires OXO

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1994 – OXO products are included in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York.

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Below centre: The crisp, clear OXO packaging is crucial to brand identity.

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Below: The full journey from concept to final product, with its userfriendly pump design and non-slip base for one-handed operation.

1990

THE OXO STORY

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chores simpler, easier and more enjoyable.

The infamous glove wall in the New York headquarters serves as a permanent reminder of that; just like people, hands come in all manner of shapes and sizes.

Over the past 30 years, OXO has continually broken new ground in the housewares industry, changing the way people think of their everyday tools, reshaping expectations and making them a pleasure to use, rather than a chore.

It might have all started with a modest line of cooking utensils, but over the last three decades that same curiosity and obsession over details

#

Behind The Scenes: A Salad Spinner's Story The OXO team is always on the lookout for ways to make everyday tools and tasks better.

Often taking inspiration from unexpected places, the product development process ensures items are effective, easy and comfortable to use.

There are four stages which product goes through before making it into the OXO portfolio.

Firstly, research identifies current consumer trends and needs (consumers like pressing buttons). Secondly, inspiration can come from all manner of unlikely places (in this case; a child's spinning top). Then comes problem solving (this is the scientific part and involves surface tension, centifugal force and a desire to combat soggy lettuce) before finally moving onto the result: a best-selling, user-friendly design which has won eight product design awards in the last 20 years.

The not-so-humble salad spinner is still one of OXO's most-loved items and millions of units have been shipped around the world over the past ten years!

has gone on to completely change the way people think of household tools and gadgets forever.

These days, OXO makes products for use all over the home: from cooking and baking, to organising, cleaning and entertaining. With over 2,000 products in its wide-ranging portfolio, the brand continues to lead the way across a number of household sectors, creating clever products that pair innovation with purpose.

Many of these products are now considered to be OXO in Numbers modern classics – the • OXO spends 1,500 hours product testing each year. • 750 design and utility patents are held by OXO globally. swivel peeler, the salad • The New York Times crossword has given 'OXO' as spinner and the angled the answer an impressive 24 times. • 1.3million testing cycles take place each year to measuring jug are all ensure product excellence. iconic OXO essentials • OXO has won 278 awards for product and which challenged packaging design innovation*. • The number of swivel peelers sold each week convention and in doing so equals the height of the Empire State Building.*2018 raised the bar with thoughtful

1998 – The iconic salad spinner was invented, as was the uplift tea kettle.

2000 – World Kitchen acquires General Housewares Corporation. The elegant and stylish sub-brand OXO STEEL launches.

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2001 – Another iconic product is bought to market with the release of the angled measuring cup.

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Above: Iconic products and attention to detail ensure strong brand recognition and consumer loyalty.

2004 – Helen of Troy acquires OXO.

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Retail Talk: OXO Inspiration The Organised Store is a specialty retailer which offers a wide range of practical, quality products, focused on creating space in every room in the home, including kitchen, bathroom, utility and office. According to managing director Olive Donovan - who has been working with the brand for over 12 years - OXO is consistently one of the top performing brands across each of these categories. Here, she tells us why the OXO brand continues to inspire.

“The story behind the OXO brand is so lovely. Being able to offer the same high-quality products to our customers all these years later is a testament to the high standards and how well the business is run.

For our customers, the most important feature is the high quality of the product. While there are less expensive products in the marketplace, OXO consumers generally prefer to invest more, understanding they are buying a product that is of high quality and will last.

As a retailer who constantly strives to move forward, it is also very important to us that OXO does not stand still. It continues to develop new on-trend, quality products, keeping up with changing times and consumer demands. Branding is also important, with quality product visuals and packaging, to ensure we are able to present the product in attractive visual displays.

The UK team continues to maintain OXO's high standard with efficient delivery and communication on everything from stock levels to new product development. The marketing team is also excellent at helping us promote OXO via in-store branding, visuals and social media.

We look forward to working with OXO, as a core part of our retail offering, for many years to come.”

Left: The Organised Store, based in Dublin.

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design, better functionality and a better user experience.

For over 30 years, OXO has been exceeding expectations as it continues to make tools perfectly designed to tackle life's everyday tasks, with a product design team driven by a restless curiosity, figuring out how things work and finding ways to make them better. Like Sam with the peeler all those years ago, OXO seeks to help people solve problems they didn't even know they had.

This innate curiosity and obsession over the finer details is central to the OXO story. The desire to learn why things work and ask how they can be made better is all part of the journey of creating new and improved products and bringing those designs to life. Inspiration for design solutions can come from anywhere and everywhere; the egg beater handle was inspired by a flyfishing reel, the grip on the handheld

2005 – OXO enters the cleaning sector for the first time as the business goes international, with new offices opening in both Germany and Japan.

Inset: OXO products are created for the everyday; everyday tasks, chores, cooking, cleaning, organising...

spiraliser was inspired by the radius of a water bottle and the salad spinner owes more than a passing nod to the workings of a child's spinning top.

Testing – and learning from the outcome of those tests – is, of course,

2007 – The best-selling OXO POP storage solution launches into the consumer marketplace.

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crucial. OXO spends an incredible 1,500 hours testing its products each year, putting each new innovation through its paces and making sure it works perfectly in the hands of anyone who may wish to use it, while also taking the opportunity to make improvements to that product or process. It needs to be better than what is already on offer. If it's not, OXO simply won't make it.

With such a hands-on, collaborative approach, it comes as no surprise to learn that the culture at OXO centres around striving to make each day better at work, as well. Known fondly as OXOnians, the team of diverse, quirky individuals are down-to-earth and handson, taking the initiative and always hard at work, searching, solving, inventing, engineering, creating and refining.

It's this culture that makes OXO so unique. So much more than a maker of tools, gadgets and household objects,

2010 – A focus on essential children's products sees the launch of OXO TOT, giving parents a helping hand.

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2012 – OXO's on-trend three-in-one avocado slicer launches, making short work of the tricky green fruit.

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Below: The iconic glove wall serves as a permanent reminder that OXO solutions need to fit every hand.

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THE OXO STORY Right: Based in the New York office, Mike Delevante is the vice president of product development.

2020

The Design Detail

Inclusive, clever and stylish design is a fundamental part of the OXO story. As vice president of product development, Mike Delevante takes us through the design journey.

What defines an OXO product?

“We strive to achieve product designs that are inviting, honest and intuitive. Users should feel compelled to pick them up and engage with them, without feeling intimidated. Our products should be enabling and inclusive, helping users accomplish what it is they aspire to do. There is a precision to our designs that we balance against that approachability. This conveys that the product will perform at a high level and do so with consistency over a long time, as durability is a cornerstone of our brand.”

Where does inspiration come from?

“Everything we do is rooted in the well-defined attributes of our brand and our robust, ever-evolving development process. That is a great foundation to work from when trying to discover new ways to delight consumers. However, the process doesn’t work without our team and our culture. Our team is made up of thoughtful, curious people with diverse backgrounds, who are passionate about immersing themselves into a category of business and becoming experts. They pride themselves on leveraging design research and a deep understanding of the market to deliver the best possible product.”

the very essence of the OXO brand reflects where it all started – quite simply; making tools that make the everyday better.

OXO has accomplished a lot over the last 30 years, but it is also clear that the journey has only just Above: Sam and Betsey Farber, seen here in 1990, at the begun. By continuing to very beginning.

Below:The swivel peeler has discover and design new ways seen many incarnations over to invent and transform the past 30 years, as part of its ongoing evolution. everyday tools and utensils, the OXO brand will continue to carve a place for itself in the modern home for many years to come. After all, there is always something better out there – it just takes a special sort of brand to find it...

What goes into the design process and how long does it take?

“Our iterative, user-centered design process entails a great deal of research, ideation, prototyping, testing and revising. We perception test, use test, abuse test and cycle test to ensure our design lives up to our brand promise. How long it all takes varies on the complexity of the project and how innovative it is from a design and manufacturing perspective. On average, projects take about two years. And with each project, our team gains more knowledge of users, their category of business, manufacturing capabilities, and more. So there is a value to each project beyond the individual product.”

Does Mike have a favourite product or range?

“It is truly impossible to choose a favourite! I am so proud of all of the collaboration and massive effort we have invested in our assortment over my almost 20 years with the company. I have learned so much, even from the products which have failed in the market. It was incredibly flattering and exciting to have our Quick-Extend Aluminum Pole Caddy named one of the best inventions of 2019 by Time Magazine. In general, my home is loaded with OXO product and prototypes. Everything from the iconic products such as the salad spinner, peeler, pop containers, and angled measuring cups, to the workhorses such as flex turners, tongs, dish brush, and soap dispensers, are staples of my everyday and always will be!”

Living Legends Today, OXO makes products for use all around the home, from the cooking and cleaning to entertaining and organising – but it's the classic cooking utensils which remain the most recognisable of all these designs. These iconic products – such as the swivel peeler, the salad spinner and the grater – have formed the backbone of the brand's success since the early years.

What are you working on at the moment?

“We have so much launching next year! There will be refreshes of OXO classics, new fruit prep tools, grilling tools, food storage and a host of other items that I think are pure magic!”

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2015 – Another trailblazing product is launched, with the OXO hand-held spiralizer taking kitchens by storm.

2020

2020 – OXO continues to make everyday

2018 – Subbrand OXO brew launches and the swivel peeler recieves the iconic Timeless Design award from Fast Company.

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Right: Time magazine called OXO's quickextend aluminum pole caddy a 'well-reviewed, high-end solution' for shower storage solutions.

products easier, simpler and more thoughtfully designed, as it celebrates three decades of making better, better.

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Our portfolio is about much more than a tangible collection of products: IT’S ABOUT A WAY OF LIFE

www.tramontinauk.com

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Food for thought Inset: Meridian from Sigg is a plastic-free bottle – its top is made from stainless steel and bamboo. It is also free from harmful and environment polluting chemicals such as oestrogen-mimicking substances, phthalates and BPA.

The

sustainable revolution

Today’s consumers want to take action and protect the planet with their purchasing decisions. Several different housewares industry figures explain how their brands are addressing the sustainable revolution.

The feel good factor Good design is intrinsic for product longevity, acknowledges Steven Martin, UK sales manager for SIGG. The Swiss brand (founded in 1908) has been synonymous with design conscious reusable bottles since the mid 20th century.

“Sustainability is at the heart of SIGG,” states Steven. “Each product starts with a design concept; this is not just about appearance, it’s also how it makes the user feel; if you enjoy using a product then you’ll want to make it last a long time, meaning a product has the maximum sustainability benefit over its lifetime,” confirms Steven. “The choice of materials has great influence towards the goal of making sustainable products; take the new Meridian bottle, it’s made from stainless steel. We already know this will last a lifetime and is the ideal choice from a durability standpoint also, but the top for this bottle is a little different; crowned with Bamboo, probably the most sustainable plant on the planet. It’s a visual nod to the bottle’s eco credentials.

“Finally, what happens to a product at the end of its life contributes to overall sustainability, so the choice of materials and how they are combined is important.

Notwithstanding that there are plenty of SIGG products that are decades old and still far from their end; every one is also fully recyclable.”

New generation mindset ESA Sales’ wide portfolio of home and gift brands includes Pebbly (founded in 2015).

The young French brand has “put sustainability and zero waste as the focus for the business, reducing its carbon footprint, while delivering products that meet the demand of the ecoconscious consumer,” says ESA’s director Chris Hoyle.

Inset: Part of Pebbly’s range of food and drink storage and ‘on the go’ products, which use eco-friendly materials and reduce the need for single-use plastic.

The brand is targeting “the younger generation, who understand the issues concerning the environmental impact on the world we live in,” notes Chris. “Our efforts are concentrated on building a PROGRESSIVE

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network of retailers with similar values who wish to connect with the consumers of the future. Trade shows, social media and traditional media are all tools that we will be using to spread the eco word to the younger demographic, which we hope will create a halo effect transferring to more traditional consumers.”

Pebbly’s support of charitable initiatives also demonstrates the brand’s values, as Chris highlights. He states: “Never more has it been so important for a company to be in tune with its customers, especially following the unprecedented effects of Covid-19. Brands need to demonstrate their values and how those values connect with consumers, communicating their eco credentials and commitment to creating a better planet through initiatives such as 1% for the Planet. Supporting a charitable scheme such as this demonstrates Pebbly’s sustainable offer, which is geared towards the goal of zero waste.”

Remodelling the past, alluding to the future.

Merging designs, knowledge and materials to create Scolpito - the synthesis of Italian design and culture, a work of art to admire, in your home, throughout the day.

Discover more at: www.delonghi.com

Colours available: Clay Beige | Granite Black | Mineral Blue

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Food for thought

Closer to home Dexam had two products in the finals for the Excellence in Housewares’ Eco Award 2020. Byrony Dyer, managing director of Dexam explains how the company’s approach to sustainability has been evolving in recent years. She states: “For Dexam this is not a new phenomenon and our strategic decision making has been focussed for many years on what products to bring to market, where to buy them, what to make them from, how to package them and to ensure lasting quality.

We continue to introduce products made from sustainable materials: mugs and lunch items in bamboo, gadgets in wheat fibre, veg bags in organic cotton, aprons and cooler bags made from recycled plastic bottles, UK knives with handles made from wind damaged boughs – the list goes on.

More and more of our products are sourced closer to home to avoid fossil fuel emissions: more than 80 using UK manufacturers and now over 31% of our on-going range is from Europe. Many will have noticed our move to recyclable and sustainable packaging and we work tirelessly with our factories to remove every shred of unnecessary plastic wrapping. There’s more to do but we always listen to our customers and make continual and sustainable changes.

In addition, through The Dexam Trust, we actively support environmental charities: preserving ancient woodlands, putting an end to food waste, saving birds and encouraging outdoor learning and awareness of the natural world in the young.”

Circular life for plastic Plastic is not usually the material that springs to consumers’ minds when considering how to help the environment.

So, Lindsey Taylor, marketing director for Vileda (from Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions) explains how the high profile cleaning brand is tackling sustainability: “As consumers become more and more conscious of the impact their purchases and decisions make on the environment, it’s important for brands like Vileda to always be on the lookout for solutions to make products as environmentally friendly as possible, whilst continuing to maintain or improve their high-quality performance.

In recent years we have

continuously increased the use of recycled plastic in the solid plastic products we produce to over 40%. Nearly all our plastic packaging is recyclable. But we have a responsibility to work towards an economy in which as little produce as possible becomes waste. That is why Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions has become a signatory of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. We have set ambitious targets for 2025. For example, we will increase the amount of recycled material in plastic packaging and products and eliminate problematic or unnecessary packaging. This commitment reflects our belief that sustainability and business growth go hand in hand.

Every year Vileda processes the flakes of around 97 million disposable PET bottles

Inset: The Forest and Forge knives range from Dexam is UK made and utilises UK wood from wind damaged boughs.

(polyethylene terephthalate – plastic bottles used for soft drinks and mineral water) at our production plant in Italy and turn them into bristles for its best-selling Vileda Duactiva and 3Action Brooms.

Using the very latest in broom technology the bristles are than processed using recycled PET and scrap plastic to create an environmentally friendly, high-quality, durable product.

As with all Vileda’s extensive range of floorcare and laundry products, the more durable a product is, the less waste enters the environment.

For example, Vileda’s range of mops all feature machine washable heads so they can be used time and time again, something that sets them apart from many of the Below: The new disposable cleaning products.” Mayfair recycling bin from Casa & Casa.

Trolley good choice

Inset: One of Casa & Casa’s shopping trolleys.

For the relatively new brand Casa & Casa (which launched in February 2018), “sustainability has to be a key theme in any brand identity, and building a long term position in the market rightly requires this,” states director Waheed Qadir. Casa & Casa’s initial launch included Zento hydration bottles, mugs and flasks.

Waheed notes: “We saw a strong trend away from plastic containers for food and drink ‘on the go’.”

The brand’s expanding range of bins addresses the need to recycle, with “convenient compartments,” that help consumers to sort their waste. The Mayfair Bin (in two sizes, for Spring 2021) “has a twin compartment storage system allowing the separation of waste and has the additional feature of a hidden 3l compost compartment to facilitate maximum recycling.”

Casa & Casa is also finding that its range of shopping trolleys are gaining wider appeal as consumers ditch carrier bags and more people are walking to local shops. Waheed reflects: “We see a trend developing for local shopping wherever possible. Post Covid, we think that consumers will continue to be keen to support their local businesses, which often offer a safer environment and one which is accessed without the need for a car and parking. Our shopping trolleys, with their fresh and contemporary designs are perfect to support a more sustainable shopping option for consumers.”

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Retailer focus

All change Inset: One of the photos on The Kitchen Range in West Wickham’s new website.

Below: The new shop front for The Kitchen Range in West Wickham.

In a year of unprecedented challenges, the newly titled Excellence in Housewares Independent Cookshop of the Year Award 2020 celebrated the achievements of eight awe-inspiring finalists. PH highlights how each finalist has made changes to their businesses over the past year – before, during or after lockdown - from ramping up their social media efforts to building a new kitchen, from a TV makeover to creating a new website in a week.

Lights, camera, action!

Making connections

When England’s second lockdown was announced, The Kitchen Range in West Wickham worked “night and day” to create a new website to facilitate the shop’s online click and collect and delivery service, reports manager Lucy Richards.

All of the photography was taken inhouse, conjuring up a bespoke character and look for the website. Providing gift inspiration as well as ‘must haves’ for food preparation, the product areas illustrated on Kitchen Range’s site include barware, woodware, ceramics and Christmas essentials.

When the site went live in early November, Lucy told PH: “We’ve created a whole online catalogue, including shooting hundreds of lines to create succinct imagery. We’re now running a delivery service, and keeping it carbon neutral by delivering by bike.” The shop has also rebranded with a new shop front and is donating a percentage of all December sales to Crisis.

Months before Covid-19, initiatives at Cooks Boutique in Letchworth were boosting community spirit and personal connections. These include a feedback wall inside the shop, “where customers are free to grab a pen and write down what they feel, be it good bad or ugly,” explains director Punit Shah. “The initiative has allowed us to adapt to our customers’ needs and also the changing retail environment.”

Windows with hand-painted imagery and messages have also been conveying “a personal touch,” notes Punit. For example, Cooks Boutique’s ‘Things You Love” window PROGRESSIVE

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encouraged passers by to come inside and ‘tell us what you love.’ Consumers added their ‘loves’ to a giant, handpainted heart in the window.

Below: ‘Things You Love’ window at Cooks Boutique.

To see our range of homewares and gifts for the cook, please visit dexam.co.uk 01730 811811 • sales@dexam.co.uk

Made from Wheat fibre

Appolia range Ceramic bakeware for gentle and homogeneous cooking. The high mechanical shock resistance of the material allows you to go straight from freezer to oven. Wide and striated handles, rouned corners and high edges makes it ideal for a wide variety of dishes.

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24_HW_December 2020.indd 1

Made from wheat fibre – an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic, the manufacturing process uses excess agricultural waste and turns it into useful kitchen gadgets. The range includes a colander, can opener, garlic press, tongs, measuring cups, peelers and more. Food safe, tough and durable and biodegradable.

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Retailer focus

Dinner on the ceiling

Trevor Mottram in The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells voluntarily closed its doors for a few days at the end of September as part of a new TV interior design competition show. The episode, which also features a camera shop and pet shop in The Pantiles, will air in February 2021.

Having picked one of two designers to forge ahead with the project, directors Sarah and Alan Wood were barred from their shop while half of the total shop space was transformed. Sarah admits that parts of Trevor Mottram have not seen a new coat of paint for some 27 years.

When all was revealed, and the directors were allowed back into the shop, Sarah’s reaction was: “I love it!” Quirky features include a table setting on the ceiling and bright ‘pops of colour,’ while new shelves and knives cabinets showcase Trevor Mottram’s extensive product range. Old shelving has been removed from the windows to create new display areas. However, since the departure of the film crew, Sarah confesses to filling up the sparse shelves with more realistic levels of stock.

In addition to its contemporary new look, Trevor Mottram is also due to switch on new electronic tills and has been installing its first EPOS system, which will go live for the new year.

The cookshop has also introduced new approaches to shopping, including its out of hours “one to one shopping experience.” It provided customers with videos of Above: One of the stock during lockdown, and took phone orders for home delivery. “We have a lot new talking points at of really happy customers,” says Sarah.

Trevor Mottram.

Stocking hardware ranges, Trevor Mottram stayed open during England’s second Right: Part of the lockdown. While customers came in for sink plungers, they also expressed relief at new look windows at being able to buy their kitchen essentials.

Trevor Mottram.

The centre of community

Inset: The signwriter in Fankie & Johnny's video.

Video star In the first months of 2020, Frankie & Johnny’s Cookshop in York tackled floods in the shop (due to building works upstairs). “If ever there was a picture of a swan gliding over the water but paddling like mad underneath, that was our wonderful staff,” reflect co-owners Jo and Tim Asquith.

However, the shop still went live with a new EPOS system and customers remained unaware of any need for mops and buckets.

During the first lockdown, Jo and Tim re-

decorated the shop inside and outside, giving it an updated look, as well as ensuring it was Covid safe. The shop celebrated coming out of lockdown in June with a video campaign that boosted its social media presence.

Frankie & Johnny’s made their own film using a time lapse video of the sign writer who painted the shop’s new signage, as well as favourite products in the shape of numbers to create a countdown.

The short video “had the most hits and interactions of any of our social media posts we have ever done and received lots of lovely comments from customers old and new,” says Jo. Inset: Potters Cookshop has installed a wooden backdrop for its eyecatching window displays.

Inset: One of the images from Frankie & Johnny’s ‘countdown to reopening’ video.

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As a hardware stockist, Potters of Hockley stayed open throughout lockdowns. The retailer adapted to fulfil high demand for Cookshop sales by introducing ‘call and collect’ and click and collect services, and free local delivery. Potters Cookshop also fulfilled a huge increase in web orders, making investment in its website to improve efficiency. Moreover, it installed a stunning wooden backdrop for its window displays, which continue to be inventive, creative and above all, continue to lift the spirits of passers-by.

“I have never been prouder of the shop after the last few months, “admits director Tom Carter. “The way the team has got us through the lockdown and has grown is nothing short of a miracle. We kept up with every sale in store and online, reaching figures that are the best they have ever been. At the same time, we were building new window displays, bringing in new stock and changing the way the website operates. “ Tom describes his team as “dedicated, loyal and utterly amazing”.

At Progress, we know what makes this time of year special. From Granny’s crispy roasties to Dad’s tasty sprouts, everyone has a signature dish that tastes like Christmas.

This year doesn’t have to be different – Progress’ range of cookware and kitchen appliances are designed to be reliable, practical and stylish, seamlessly enhancing your family favourites.

From innovative time-saving gadgets to cookware with high-quality, non-stick coatings, Progress makes cooking easier and quicker, so you can enjoy the best bit.

Let Progress be this year’s secret ingredient.

#pl a te

og Pr th

up w i

r es

s For any trade enquiries please contact our sales teams.

Electrical SDA and Cookware sales@upgs.com

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Retailer focus Inset: Dinghams in Winchester

From bricks to clicks Lee Smith, owner of Wooden Spoon The Cookshop in Derby and Burton-on-Trent spent much of the first lockdown building his ecommerce site, which launched in June. He continued loading up products through England’s second lockdown, to feature 400 lines (selected from the 8000 stocked in the stores). Lee has also expanded his supplier base, reflecting increased demand for wellknown brands and the fact that more consumers are cooking at home and trading up. “People are buying medium to high quality rather than buying cheap,” confirms Lee. When stores reopened in June, Wooden Spoon’s website prompted shoppers to come in to buy products they had seen online, with “crazy” trade at Derby and sales picking up at Burton. Having opened in Coopers Square Shopping Centre in October 2019, the Burton store took double year on year in the last two weeks before November’s lockdown.

Wooden Spoon has also seen a boost in footfall from stocking consumables, including loose tea, ground coffee and coffee beans (also sold as gift packages with teapots or cafetieres), as well as jams and chutneys.

Lee hopes to move to a bigger store in Derby in 2021, stocking cookshop along with utility, homewares and gifts. He is increasing his very popular range of licensed Harry Potter and Marvell gifts (such as mugs, jewellery, and socks).

Above: Wooden Spoon’s shopfront in Derby’s intu Shopping Centre.

All set to serve Having “already got through the Novichok them, so they can keep up with everything poisonings in Salisbury,” Dinghams is no that is going on with Dinghams. From doing stranger to challenges. Determined to this we have had a massive increase in concentrate on positives, Becca online and click and collect sales.”

Hardingham, managing director of She adds: “We also spent weeks before Dinghams in Salisbury and Winchester opening completely revamping the shop acknowledges that, while closed during the to make it easier to walk around and find first lockdown, she “took the opportunity to items. It is now easier to shop and stops do everything that we had wanted to do but customers touching too many items.” had no time for in the past.”

Becca reports on changes in Salisbury: “Firstly we expanded our popular cafe, by creating a kitchen and extra seating. We are so proud of the outcome and can't wait to use the space for more events, supper clubs and pop up restaurants. We completely revamped the website ourselves, after a lot of research. The website is now easier to navigate and use. I also linked it with Mailchimp to collect our customer Above: Dinghams has re-vamped its website.

Right: Jade Johnston in a photo for a recent information so social media post for The Kitchen Range that I can Cookshop in Market Harborough. Jade notes that increased support for local shops this year do regular has added to the popularity of her Facebook newsletters to and Instagram posts.

Facing up to change

Jade Johnston, director at The Kitchen Range Cookshop in Market Harborough never wanted to put her face on social media posts, but was persuaded by the recent Instagram courses that she has taken. “People like to see the person behind the business,” she emphasises. “The posts that I’m in get lots more engagement and create a talking point when customers come into the shop. People relate to these a lot more than just seeing a product.”

As The Kitchen Range does not have a website, Jade acknowledges that social media has been vital this year, particularly during lockdowns, to connect with customers and help to ”make sales in a different way.” She joined Instagram a year ago (alongside Facebook). “It’s silly not to use it when it’s free, but, of course, it’s a case of juggling everything,” Jade reflects.

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Switched

n

With consumers spending more time cooking and eating at home this year, PH investigates trends in electrical food preparation, kettles and toasters, highlighting some star performing, switched on products.

Above: Fresh baked bread with the help of Gastroback.

Right: Morphy Richards’ Perfect Soup was recently awarded a Which? Best Buy.

Below: The Haden Kitchen Angel provides fast, easy, healthy meals.

Waking up to fresh bread

Batch cooking and winter warmers

“In times of crisis with on-off lockdowns, people want to be in their own comfort zone and few things are as simple, yet satisfying, as freshly baked bread,” observes Marcus Lux, head of export and business development for Gastroback. “Dating back to the Stone Age, bread making is one of the earliest chemistry experiments in human history. To this day, the ingredients of flour, water, yeast and salt are cheap and cheerful – and it is psychologically reassuring that we can take survival into our own hands.”

Marcus highlights Gastroback’s 62823 Design Automatic Bread Maker Advanced, which “delivers fresh, fragrant breads and cakes without a great deal of fuss,” with 18 pre-set programmes as well as programmable customised options. He elaborates: “Apart from baking various types of bread, including gluten free, the bread maker can knead dough for pasta, pizza or bread rolls. In addition, the appliance can also be used to produce refined jams, yoghurt and ice cream (with ice bucket accessory).”

The Bread Maker also has an ingredients compartment for nuts, seeds, fruits or chocolate sprinkles for automatic phase-in during baking.

Marcus adds: “One of the special features of the bread maker is the delayed start-time mechanism using a timer; this means that the bread maker can, for example, work overnight so you can wake up to the fragrance of bread.”

Annaliese Curtis, marketing manager at Morphy Richards comments: “There’s no denying 2020 has been a challenging one for us all but, in many ways, it has been a boon for the kitchen appliances market.

With consumers spending a lot more time in the home many households have reverted to traditional family living – cooking from scratch and looking to create restaurant-quality food and drinks from the comfort of their own kitchen.

“As a result, food preparation products have excelled in the SDA market, becoming the most important product group with a 20% value share. We have seen a very clear upsurge in demand for food prep appliances that allow for convenient but healthy cooking options.

“Soup makers are a great example of that – perfect for batch cooking healthy but warming winter dishes, and models, such as our Perfect Soup, with digital displays and an integrated scales make it easy to stick to recipes and diet plans.

To showcase just how versatile a soup maker can be we partnered with award-winning chef, Matt Healy, to create ten luxurious soups and published an online recipe book so that consumers can recreate restaurant-quality soups at home.”

Staying healthy “In the past few months, while we have all been spending more time at home and rediscovering home cooking, we have all been reminded how important it is to keep healthy and how the food we eat plays an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” observes Nikola Do Anhova, marketing executive for Haden.

“Unsurprisingly, the rise of general wellbeing in cooking is being reflected in the kitchen and products which enable people to cook easy, healthy and nutritious meals in a time efficient and effective way are more relevant than ever. With this in mind, we are bringing to market the Haden Kitchen Angel, an instant pressure cooker, allowing people to pressure cook, slow cook and sauté their favourite meals all in one appliance. Using pressurised steam to lock in vitamins and minerals, this multifunctional appliance allows you to create a variety of nutritious, healthy and delicious dishes fast.”

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GfK Insights

Co-ordinated style statements As consumers look to style their kitchen with coordinated housewares and appliances, rose gold accents continue to be in high demand, according to Gary Sharp, group SDA sales director at RKW. However, colour accents need to “subtle” and “the products have to perform well too,” he states.

Gary points out that Tower has “become a specialist ‘go to’ brand in co-ordinated kitchen collections across SDA and housewares”. He reports: “We were the first brand to introduce rose gold as a co-ordinated design statement – we started with a more traditional black or white, off set with rose gold accents on kettles and toasters and some general kitchenware items. Off the back of huge demand, we built that into a larger collection to cover microwaves and now stand mixers and coffee makers!

“Our in-house design team is constantly developing new designs, but continues to look at ways we can build on the success of the rose gold trend – it is something buyers and consumers alike have got behind. This effort saw us introduce rose gold and marble several seasons ago, which was a great success, and then what has proved to be our unrivalled star performer in this most difficult of years, Cavaletto.

“The initial colour choice was midnight blue with striking pinkish rose gold accents and the design credentials of this range speak for themselves: the toaster was chosen to appear in The Observer Magazine’s design special issue in October. This has followed with black, grey and even a pink – a great hit on social media!”

Above: Tower’s Caveletto Toaster in midnight blue appeared in The Observer Magazine’s design special issue. The Caveletto range includes a pyramid kettle, 2-slice and 4-slice toasters and a small selection of kitchenware including storage canisters and a bread bin.

In search of a Quiet life

Takeaway favourites at home

Home working and the rise in home cooking has boosted demand for small domestic appliances with the Quiet Mark (the low noise certification mark from the Noise Abatement Society). The number of Quiet Mark certified products have more than doubled since the initial lockdown in March.

Quiet Mark’s chief marketing officer Simon Gosling explains: “At the start of lockdown there were 350 certified products from just over 60 brands on QuietMark.com. There are now 865 from over 80 brands with the demand from consumers to improve their work from home, domestic soundscapes. Many of the newly added products are small kitchen appliances.”

SDAs that have recently acquired the Quiet Mark include Kenwood K-Mix Editions, Magimix Cook Expert and Juice Expert, Lakeland Digital Compact Air fryer and Wine Opener and Sage’s Bakery Boss Stand Mixer, Big Squeeze Juicer, Tea Maker Kettle, as well as its ground-breaking new microwave.

Meanwhile, a host of leading housewares stockists including Argos, Asda, Currys PC World, John Lewis, Lakeland and Very have agreed partnership deals with Quiet Mark. Simon reports: “They host Quiet Mark pages on their websites and enable users to filter for Quiet Mark certified products. One major retail partner shared data showing that in May, its site experienced a massive uplift in Quiet Mark related left-hand menu navigation interactions.

This trend continues to rise.”

Duncan Singleton, trading director at Ultimate Products acknowledges that there is “a real consumer demand for anything that will make staying in more fun,” as well as “creative kitchen solutions” across Salter and Progress SDA ranges. He elaborates: “With everyone at home, cooking habits have really changed. We’re all cooking from scratch more; even novice cooks are getting to grips with their kitchens which has seen a real uplift in sales of time-saving gadgets like our Salter Digital Air Fryer. Its easy-to-use digital control panel and touch-sensitive display means it looks sleek but is also perfect for creating healthy alternatives to our favourite takeaways and restaurants. It makes ‘staying in’ meals feel more indulgent!”

As consumers seek tasty and quick lunches, Salter’s Health Grills have also “outperformed expectations,” as Duncan points out, highlighting the “Salter Marble Collection Grill, which can be used to cook café favourites like paninis, but is also a really healthy way to grill meat and vegetables, so for those looking for a nutritious and quick lunch, it’s ideal too.”

Not surprisingly, the Progress Digital Bread Maker has been also been a lockdown hit as consumers have become more self-reliant. “It’s also a cost-effective purchase for many families,” notes Duncan.

Inset: Healthier indulgence with the Salter Digital Air Fryer.

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PH PRODUCT DIRECTORY.qxp_Layout 1 04/12/2020 13:29 Page 1

Product Directory

6 great brands under one roof

Welcome to this new section of Progressive Housewares, which allows companies of all sizes to advertise their fantastic ranges. Please do check here each issue for the latest lines.

customer services - 01252 828055 cust.serv@dkbrands.co.uk cust.serv@dkbrands.c co.uk

XXXXX-DKB-95x78mm Logos advert.indd 1

For companies interested in advertising here, please contact John Barry, PH’s advertising manager, on johnb@maxpublishing.co.uk or call 0207 700 6740.

A w ard winning specialt y c offee and kit for c offee l o vers

We call this the ‘Visibility Package’ and of course right now visability is vital!

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Seee the full range aatt baristaandc anndcotra

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Product Directory EW

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E THE AL LL NEW N EPOS® FROM MEL LIT TTA. A

Experi excep coffee Melitta® EPOS®.

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HousewaresNews.net is the online resource for the entire housewares sector. From the publishers of Progressive Housewares, and the organisers of The Excellence in Housewares Awards, this e-newsflash portal and website delivers and is the hub of the very latest news, views and analysis from across the housewares sector – covering both supplier and retailer aspects of the trade.

With an expertly qualified email subscriber base of 3547 (and rising) readers, the twice-weekly newsflash lands directly in the inboxes of everyone in this fastpaced sector. A modern, easy to navigate website provides a central resource for the trade too, offering pithy news, indepth articles, an industry jobs board, retail analysis, digital issues of Progressive Housewares, and much, much more.

All advertising on the website is duplicated to each and every newsflash, giving advertisers huge visibility and a direct connection with retail buyers for a whole calendar month.

HousewaresNews.net is published by housewares sector experts, for housewares trade experts.

To sign up for the HousewaresNews.net newsletter please visit www.HousewaresNews.net

Advertising and commercial opportunities: John Barry advertisement manager johnb@max-publishing.co.uk Rob Willis publishing director robw@max-publishing.co.uk Editorial and content opportunities: Jo Howard editor joh@max-publishing.co.uk 32_HW_Nov_Dec 2019.indd 32_HW_December 2020.indd 32 1

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CHRISTMAS GIFTS New for 2020, the top-quality treat packaging range from Anniversary House features easy-to-assemble cupcake, cake, yule log and treat boxes, in classic holly and luxurious gold foil star prints. Designed with quality and convenience in mind, these are ideal for presenting and gifting seasonal bakes!

Creative Party T: 01202 590222 W: www.creativepartyltd.com

Rectangular, round or square, Appolia range of

Bring the magic of The Snowman™ to seasonal

ceramic dishes from Peugeot is available in 3

bakes with this new licensed cake topper from

different sizes and in 4 trendy colours. You can

Anniversary House. The double-sided paper &

easily cook for a 2, 4, 6 or 8 people. Perfect to cook

bamboo topper features a widely recognised

your gratins, meats in sauce, lasagne, tarts as well

and festive scene from the classic film. A simple

as your desserts – the Appolia range of ceramic

and effective way to add a fun finish to

dishes retain heat and keep food warm for up to 30

Christmas cakes.

minutes making them ideal for oven to tableware.

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preheated oven, without risk of a thermal shock. (from -25° to 250°C).

Burton McCall T: 0116 234 4611 E: sales@burton-mccall.com

Get creative in the kitchen with Giles and Posner; perfect for staying in and having fun. Create tasty snacks using the 3 in 1 Treat Maker, or get cosy and have a movie night to remember with the Popcorn Maker. Impress family and friends with cascading chocolate with the 3-tier Chocolate Fountain or try something new with the Bubble Waffle Maker! Lots of festive fun for the whole family.

Ultimate Products E: sales@upgs.com W: www.facebook.com/GilesandPosner

‘Deco’, a 1920’s inspired range of dark wood serving, sharing and dining pieces with sharply defined lines and geometric art deco style make the perfect Christmas gifts. Hopefully we will all be able to share a table together by Christmas; make Christmas dining decadent and delightful with the Deco inspired dark wood serving pieces and Tip Top CrushGrind® mills in gold and the (featured) Oblique CrushGrind® salt and pepper mills with gold tops from T&G.

T&G T: 01275 841841 W: www.tg-woodware.com

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34_December 2020 product page.qxp_Layout 1 06/12/2020 16:52 Page 1

nEW PRODUCTS Pictured is Verttice from Tramontina – an exquisitely designed, innovative new knife collection. All five items in the collection – a chef’s knife, paring knife, fillet knife, carving knife and bread knife, feature super sharp stainless steel blades which undergo a heat treatment during manufacture to guarantee a longer lasting, stronger cutting edge. Made from certified wood, the ergonomic handles ensure a safe grip and add a lovely rustic touch.

Tramontina UK Launching in early 2021, the NEW CHELSEA BIN

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coating retains the high-quality appeal of this pedal bin, and with a foldable space saving pedal, kitchen recycling could not be any easier. This 40L capacity bin has two inner buckets for separating recyclable waste, soft close function and easy pull handle.

Casa & Casa T: 0131 564 0400 E: info@casaandcasa.com W: casaandcasa.com

ELECTRICALS Gunmetal grey and sleek stainless steel make the Cosmos range (pictured) the best way to update kitchens for 2021. A full range of colour coordinated kitchenware and countertop electricals to add a contemporary touch to your home.

The Zoku Pocket Straw is a modern reusable straw made of 18/8 stainless steel with a silicone mouthpiece for comfort when sipping. This small and

ECO PRODUCTS

lightweight straw telescopes in and out for storage and easy transport on the go. Enjoy your drinks and do your part to help the environment all in one! It collapses to less than four inches and extends up to nine inches to fit any glass size and easily attaches to a key ring so you can take it anywhere you go. There is also a mini brush included to help keep things clean.

Burton McCal T: 0116 234 4611 E: sales@burton-mccall.com

Made from borosilicate glass, these Cambridge

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Bake easy with this new Haden Stand Mixer! Passionate baker or a novice? It does not matter where you are at in your baking journey, Haden’s Stand Mixer will help you to create delicious desserts and New from Haden is a modern kettle fashioned from the styling of the past. Named after Jersey, its colourful past drew Haden to Rectory Red and Marmalade Orange within this stunning range. The kettle benefits from a temperature gauge

dishes with ease. This handy kitchen gadget has seven speed settings, five-litre stainless steel bowl, whisk attachment, dough hook and flat beater.

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favourite tea at the ideal temperature. Matching four-slice

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Burton McCal T: 0116 234 4611 PROGRESSIVE

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IBC_PH SHELF PORTRAIT.qxp_Grid 04/12/2020 13:34 Page 31

Retailer profile

THE TOP

5 SHELF PORTRAIT

THE SHOP’S CURRENT BESTSELLING HOUSEWARES:

l Thomas Joseph Sheep Range from Morrigan l Mugs and Mills from Le Creuset l Knife Block from Arthur Price l Her Ladyship and His Lordship Mugs from Eddingtons or D&C Supplies plus Balloon Glasses from Tradestock l Prestige, Circulon and Anolon Pans from Meyer

COOK CENTRAL

Above and below: On display at Cook Central

“Retailing is in the blood,” says Lyanna Winter who opened Cook Central in St Andrews in 2014. PH asked Lyanna what makes her cookshop a hub for the east coast town, its student and many visitors.

Below: Cook Central is all lit up for Christmas.

ON THE WAY UP “From February onwards, I have never sold so many Le Creuset products.

Some people prepared for a lockdown by buying cookware to help them cook at home, and the momentum has carried on. Le Creuset has so many great Cook’s Specials, and its 28cm Shallow Casserole is a current bestseller.”

Inset: Durobor Her Ladyship and His Lordship gin glasses from Tradestock.

Facts and stats WE ARE FAMILY

Lyanna’s parents both worked in retailing and her sister has a gift shop three doors away. Lyanna’s brother-in-law works at Cook Central one day a week, and her brother has been helping in the afternoons while home from university.

THE BEST THING

“The best thing about the shop is my loyal, lovely customers. I was delivering the whole way through lockdown and customers told me they didn’t order anything from Amazon as they would rather wait and find out what’s best from me. Customers come from a long distance: Cook Central is one of the last cookshops on the east coast of Scotland, and shoppers come from Glasgow too, particularly since Steamer Trading closed.”

l Cook Central is situated in the heart of St Andrews and stocks several thousand SKUs. l Prior to 2014, Lyanna Winter was a buyer for Asda, but wanted to move back to St Andrews to be near to her family. Her father suggested opening a shop. “It was definitely the right choice,” says Lyanna.

Above left: A ‘Time to put ewer feet up’ mug by Thomas Joseph from Morrigan.

Right: Root 7 Copper Bottles.

GETTING NOTICED

Customers are attracted to Cook Central’s large glass fronted windows, as well as Lyanna’s depth of knowledge and expertise. This year, Lyanna installed her Christmas window in early November to spread some cheer. “Every year it has crept a little earlier and this year St Andrew’s Christmas lights were switched on earlier too.” Cooks Central’s festive window features an illuminated snowman and moose.

PROGRESSIVE

UPS AND DOWNS “We’re not selling as many travel cups and bottles as people are not going out so much, and students are not going to lectures. Usually, I would sell loads. They will pick back up again.”

CURRENT TRADE

“Fantastic” is how Lyanna describes trade since reopening from the UK-wide lockdown in June. Many people have shopped early for Christmas.

DURING LOCKDOWN

“Cook Central does not have a website and there was no time to create one in lockdown, but I managed to fulfil orders for my regular customers via Facebook, WhatsApp and phone.” The shop has so far been unaffected by Scotland’s tier restrictions.

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HOUSEWARES

KEEPING IT NEW

“I discovered Morrigan at the Scottish Trade Show earlier in the year, and its Thomas Joseph range featuring funny sheep on placemats, trays, tea towels and mugs has flown off the shelves. I am also introducing ranges with stags and puffins.”

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