Progressive Housewares May June 2018

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www.max-publishing.co.uk Introducing Elevate™ Silicone kitchen tools, part of the new Autumn 2018 collection from Joseph Joseph.

Specifically designed to improve hygiene and reduce mess, this stunning 5-piece set features utensils with flexible, heat-resistant silicone heads, integrated tools rests and an ultra-compact storage stand. Also available individually, these advanced tools have a lightweight design and are perfect for all cookware.

They launch alongside an innovative collection that includes Nest™ Lock - the next generation of Joseph Joseph’s iconic space-saving food storage - and a range of inventive designs in Bathroom.

For more information contact info@josephjoseph.com

Max Publishing Ltd, United House North Road, London N7 9DP T: 020 7700 6740 F: 020 7607 6411 www.progressivehousewares.co.uk ISSN: 25157493 Subscription £50 per year for the UK, £75 for overseas Subscribe online, or email mike@marketingreinforcements.co.uk or call: Marketing Reinforcements on 020 8943 9541 (9am-5pm).

Editor’s comment E

xciting, tempestuous, challenging, engaging – pick whichever word you see fit to describe the fast changing retail environment. Amazon is now the fifth biggest player in UK retail: according to analytics company GlobalData, the online giant accounted for over £4 in every £100 spent on retail in 2017. Meanwhile, the Above left: PH’s Jo Howard at the bira Conference with merged Sainsbury and Argos (as recently announced) would bira ceo, Alan Hawkins and All Seasons DIY’s Kiran mean they hold a combined market share of 32% of the UK Josan, who accepted the new bira president’s chain of grocery market. In the realms of department store multiples, office on behalf of her husband, Surinder (unable to House of Fraser is reportedly planning to shut down up to 30 attend due to bereavement).

Above: Jo Howard with TG’s Jenny Handley and Chris of its stores – almost half of its UK portfolio – as part of a Mancini with their bira bags at the Conference. company voluntary arrangement (CVA) which is due to be laid out in June. However, doors are opening too, as Australian chain, House opens its sixth store (see news page 17).

So, what of independents? The bira Conference in May sought to guides its members, including cookshop and housewares stockists, through these rocky seas, with upbeat presentations (for example from Trouva) predicting that independents are well set to “ride the waves.” The Conference’s popular format of breakout sessions included adapting to changing footfall (with insights from LDC), tackling cyber crime (with advice from the Home Office) and beating retail crime (with news from Face-watch UK) as well a panel on the future of payment, with one expert wearing his payment ring. Unsurprisingly, a major theme was social media, a ‘must try’ even for the most sceptical, with the smartphone becoming ever-more central to life, and developments such as the newly ‘shoppable’ Instagram. (For more on the bira Conference see pages 22-23).

In this issue, PH asks three independents how adding food is contributing to differentiation and footfall in a competitive market (see Cookmate Worcester, Dinghams – which has been facing unexpected challenges - and K is for kitchen, from pages 40-43).

A theme that has gathered pace this year is plastic waste, and, of course, cookshops and housewares stockists are well-placed to provide many solutions for consumers. As retailers and suppliers concur, the ‘Blue Planet effect’ (influenced by the BBC TV series’ heartrending scene of a dolphin caressing her baby that died as a result of plastic pollution), is increasing demand for reusable bottles, cups, containers, wraps and straws (see news and pages 32-35).

There is still time – just – to get your entries and nominations to us for the Excellence in Housewares Awards 2018 (see news page 5 or www.excellenceinhousewaresawards.co.uk). Do not hold back – we need to recognise and celebrate the amazing hard work, determination and creativity that is the lifeblood of our industry.

Of course, there is plenty of news in the run-up to the Exclusively Shows in our pages, as well as Progressive Electrical, published alongside this issue and covering the ‘plugged in’ side of housewares. See you soon at the shows!

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.

Jo Howard

Editor

In this issue in house JO HOWARD Editor joh@max-publishing.co.uk WARREN LOMAX Publishing director warren@max-publishing.co.uk JAKKI BROWN Editorial director jw@max-publishing.co.uk EMMA CAIN Product page editor emmac@max-publishing.co.uk

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40-41 Retailer focus: Cookmate Worcester

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BHETA News

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Retailer focus: Dinghams, Salisbury

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Shop talk: K is for kitchen, Watlington

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Holly Wilson’s From the frontline

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Product focus: Christmas gifts

22-23 bira Cookshop & Housewares news 24-31

Exclusively Housewares preview

32-33 Food for thought: sustainable choices

46-47 What’s Cooking for the great outdoors?

PATRICK WADE Advertisement director mediap@aol.com

34-35 Product focus: eco-friendly products

48-49 Product focus: the great outdoors

MARK GRAYSON Creative director markg@max-publishing.co.uk

36-39 Market focus: tools and gadgets

50-51

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New products

Hygenic Sensor Activated

75 Litre Sensor Recycle Bin NEW for 2018 STAINLESS STEEL

FINGER PRINT PROOF

DIGITAL TIMER DISPLAY

SOFT & QUIET CLOSING

Stunning Colour Collections EVOKE AND DIMENSION RANGES

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Chilly’s reusable initiatives New Exclusively Housewares exhibitor, Chilly’s reports massive growth in demand for its hydration bottles. Co-founder, James Butterfield comments: “Attitudes to single use plastic have changed dramatically – it is a very exciting time to be in our business as we feel we can make a real difference to a wide audience.”

Chilly’s is appealing to an expanding retailer base, including cookshops. James attributes brand building in recent years to Chilly’s huge and sustained investment into communicating directly to consumers via social media channels including Facebook and Instagram.

Chilly’s recently launched its collaboration with Pret A Manger to create a new range of reusable bottles – now on sale in a selection of Pret branches in three exclusive designs. James and Tim, founders of Chilly’s, had seen a blog post by Pret ceo Clive Schlee asking, ‘What if Pret stopped selling plastic water bottles?’ The duo replied suggesting a collaboration to make some bespoke reusable bottles.

Right: One of Chilly’s range, which will be on show at Exclusively Housewares.

Dexam takes on Charles Viancin Dexam is taking on the distributorship of Charles Viancin products for the UK, Ireland and selected other markets from June. Dexam commercial director, Howard Bradley, said: “We are delighted to have secured this iconic brand for Dexam. We will be launching a wide range of its new and existing products both in June, and then more in the autumn.”

Charles Viancin’s UK sales director, Peter Battersby added: “When we made the decision to change the way we worked in the UK, we were well aware that Dexam was the perfect fit for us: a company that understands how to nurture individual brands, and which gives award winning service.”

Burleigh adds colour Iconic British pottery brand Burleigh is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of its most popular patterns, Calico, by unveiling four new colours on special edition mugs. Burleigh has also collaborated with Harrods on an exclusive new additional colour, Mulberry Calico. This continues the long-standing relationship between Burleigh and Harrods, that stretches back over 100 years when Queen Mary chose Burleigh china from Harrods.

Above: Burnt Orange, Teal, Burgess Blue and Moss Green join the classic Burleigh Blue, Red and Dove Grey Calico mugs from Burleigh.

TOP STORY

Still time to enter With the housewares industry stockpiling hair gel, adding shoulder pads to outfits and practising Madonna grooves for the hotly anticipated 1980s themed Excellence in Housewares Awards night in October, there is still time for suppliers and retailers to enter and nominate for this year’s Awards categories.

Suppliers should nominate outstanding and innovative retailers for Excellence in Housewares Awards by emailing PH’s Jo Howard at joh@max-publishing.co.uk (by Winners of The Excellence in the extended deadline of Friday June 15 at the latest). Above: Housewares Awards 2017 and awards host Retailers can also self nominate themselves for display, Charlie Baker (centre), on stage with PH’s Patrick Wade, Jakki Brown, Emma Cain and initiative, training and employee awards by emailing Warren Lomax. joh@max-publishing.co.uk by June 15.

Meanwhile, product entries should also arrive at PH’s HQ by June 15. Exhibitors at Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical can take advantage of an Awards entry drop-off point in the Organiser’s Office at the close of the show. Product samples must be clearly marked for The Excellence in Housewares, with the entrant’s contact details.

PH’s Jo Howard comments: “It need only take a small amount of time to enter The Excellence in Housewares Awards, but this could be your step to recognition as one of housewares’ finest.”

• Meanwhile, retailers are asked to name their top suppliers in three areas: service, marketing and innovation using the forms with this issue or emailing votes to Emma Cain at emmac@max-publishing.co.uk.

• To make your confidential nomination for this year’s Honorary Achievement Award (recognising outstanding contribution to the housewares industry) please email Jo or Emma, as above.

• The Excellence in Housewares Awards is organised by PH in conjunction with bira Cookshop & Housewares. To book for the industry’s big night on Wednesday October 3 (at the Royal London Lancaster) contact awards manager, Clare Davies at Createvents on 0118 340085 or clare@createvents.co.uk.

• This year’s line-up of Excellence in Housewares sponsors include: Ambiente, BHETA, bira, bira Direct, Brabantia, Camelbak, DKB, Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical, IH+HS, Imperial and Eaziglide, Joseph Joseph, KitchenAid, KitchenCraft, Le Creuset, Meyer Group, Morphy Richards and Tower, OXO, Salter, SMART, Spring Fair and Autumn Fair, Tefal and Top Drawer.

The trend for tea drinking The UK’s fourth National Tea Day took place recently, with the second Fes-Tea-val, held at Chiswick House and Gardens.

Taking advantage of the growing interest in tea as a drink and as an occasion, Fes-Tea-val highlights included Mich Turner’s workshop on baking and decorating the perfect tea accompaniment, as well as afternoon tea etiquette lessons. The Museum of Historic Teaware’s Chitra Collection (spanning a Above: Tea-time fun at National 1000 years of tea drinking history) was on show.

Tea Day’s Fes-Tea-val.

Marco Geraghty, concept blending for national Tea Day, urges retailers and cafes to stock leaf teas and associated tea making products: “With coffee no longer a niche, tea is a chance for you to get in front of early adopters who want innovative and different products.” * Meanwhile, a recent report from trends source, Stylus Curve, looks at the ‘evolving teascape’, highlighting that by 2021, the global tea industry is expected to be worth $44.3bn (a $9.4bn increase since 2013). The report uses the term ‘tea theatrics’ to describe specialist tea bars that ‘focus on the slow, ritualistic aspects of tea brewing’ as well as noting that fine dining restaurants are offering a tea list as an alternative to alcohol. Health benefits are also fuelling demand, for example with bottled teas on sale in the US made from a high oxidant containing Kenyan purple tea-leaves.

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Want to survive and thrive?

Independent retailers at Exclusively have the chance to win a “Survive and Thrive” consultation from trend forecasting expert, Scarlet Opus. The winner will benefit from a review of its layout, decor, product offering, website and social media, merchandising, and ‘customer experience’, along with recommendations for development to make their retail offering more appealing to today’s consumer. Entrants should register their interest when visiting the Scarlet Opus Trends Display (and submit images and information as requested after the shows).

• Scarlet Opus’ On Trend selection will be displayed in the Exclusively Housewares’ Trend Hub (next to the Seminar Theatre in the Atrium above Exclusively Electrical) and highlighted on stands. Retailers can book an On Trend tour of the shows’ key ‘must-haves’ via www.exclusivelyhousewares.co.uk (See BHETA news page 21).

• Scarlet Opus will ask, ‘What are today’s customers are looking for?’ in its trends seminar at 12.30 on Wednesday.

Indie’s bira bonus Independent cookshops and housewares members of bira who are attending the Exclusively shows will benefit from the show’s bira £100 Bonus. This can be used towards any order with a minimum value of £300 minimum (net VAT). It is presented to the bira Direct supplier, who redeems it with the organisers at the show. The association also has a stand at the show.

• As part of Exclusively’s seminar programme, Julie Holden, bira’s national membership manager, will be holding a panel discussion (and Q and As) with members to discuss the issues faced by independents today. This will look at retailers in different stages of their businesses, from start-ups to well-established businesses and those that have diversified.

TOP STORY

Action packed Exclusively Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical open their doors on June 12 and 13 (Islington Business Design Centre) with a host of new exhibitors, returning favourites and an insightful programme of presentations.

New exhibitors in Exclusively Housewares include New Soda, Scott UK, Easiyo, Fackleman, The Bergner Group (incorporating The Cook & Chef Institute Foundation) and Arc International, which will introduce its View of Exclusively Housewares 2017. innovative new Lumikit range. New exhibitor, Root 7 Above: Below: Scarlet Opus has selected Navigate’s is launching a 20% off initiative for pre-orders of Beau & Elliot Champagne Edit collection as one of this year’s On Trend designs. It includes new Autumn/Winter products, which include gin insulated lunch tote bags, travel mugs and products in keeping with the high demand for the hydration bottles. spirit. “By offering this impressive discount for orders placed before August 1, we can get a good read of the products’ likely success and our stockists get an opportunity to launch new products and make themselves an excellent margin, with normal payment terms applying,” says Root 7’s director, Rob Ingram.

Seminars (held on Wednesday 13 – see linked stories and Progressive Electrical news) include an overview of the latest trends for online marketing and the move towards mobile advertising from Nett Visibility’s director, Neil Curtis. Topics covered will include SEO, paid search and paid social - essential knowledge to determine how to spend online advertising budgets, with case studies.

• Whithurze is offering visitors the chance to win a bottle of Champagne, while Aerolatte will be serving hot coffee to its guests and Villagio Verde will be offering some free sample while stocks last.

• The shows will also highlight buying ideas for Christmas gifts - see page 45, plus Exclusively Housewares preview pages 24-31, as well as Progressive Electrical (which accompanies this issue of PH) for Exclusively Electrical news and preview.

Earth friendlier at Exclusively The Exclusively Shows will showcase a wide variety of sustainable housewares products, including biodegradable and compostable cooking bags from Planit Products, Dualit’s environmentally friendly coffee capsules, and biodegradable offerings from Chef Aid and Tala. Arthur Price introduces Bamboo place sets for kids, while Green Pioneer present new steel lunch boxes.

New distribution partner for nixxee, Soma is all about environmentally friendly hydration with water filters made from coconut shell. New exhibitor SIGG is celebrating its 100th anniversary with new BPA (bisphenol A) and EA (estrogenic activity) free cups and bottles for hot and cold beverages. (For more on eco-friendlier solutions, see pages 32-35, plus more news on Chilly’s, and Chicago’s spotlight on hydration).

Above: One of SIGG’s range.

Exhibitors pack up to help Shelter Exclusively exhibitors are invited to participate in this year's Housewares for the Homeless Initiative with Shelter and Progressive Housewares by donating any housewares or electrical products from their stands or stockroom.

Donations go to help previously homeless families settle in new homes with the help of Shelter.

As PH’s Jo Howard explains: “Some of these families have very few or no possessions for their home, so donations make a massive difference to people's lives, often providing the means to cook, dish up and clean up effectively.”

Donors from the Exclusively shows are asked to bring their donations to the Buyers’ Lounge at the end of the shows on Wednesday. They are also invited to be part of a photo with Shelter and Progressive Housewares on Wednesday morning at 8.40am on the Exclusively Housewares Mezzanine steps.

The Housewares for the Homeless initiative with Shelter was started by Progressive Housewares and has helped 100s of families, with the generous help of Exclusively exhibitors.

Right: A big thank you to all Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical donors – some of last year’s are pictured.and feedback from customers has been very positive.”

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CELEBRATING

110 YEARS OF SIGG

1908 – 2018 VISIT US AT THE

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TOP STORY

Honeymoon over new spoons?

Traditional housewares are less dominant on wedding lists as more couples ask for tech gifts, honeymoon contributions and charity donations, according to a new report by John Lewis.

To mark the celebration of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, the retailer compared wedding lists from 2018 and 2011, when Prince William married Kate.

In 2011, John Lewis’ most popular gift list product by value was a premium cutlery set, while this year both first and second place were taken by smart speakers.

However, essentials such as plates, bowls, toasters and roasting dishes still appeared on most lists in both 2011 and 2018.

Tasneem Shafiq, manager of John Lewis's Gift List Service, reports on changing kitchenware choices: “Since 2011 the nation's obsession with great food and cooking has continued to rise and as a result, when choosing homeware products, couples are opting for barista-style coffee machines, gourmet steamers, pasta making machines and non-fat frying pans. In 2011 they were more likely to ask for microwaves, woks and slow cookers.” Tasneem also observes: “Not only have cooking choices changed but also how we eat. In 2011 more plates were given as gifts than any other product, but now the most-bought gift is a bowl.” Gin glasses were also a popular choice on this year’s lists, while napkin rings were popular in 2011.

Tasneem highlights: “More couples are asking for honeymoon and charity donations instead of traditional gifts. Requests for Kuoni honeymoon contributions have increased 375% since 2011 and the number of couples asking for charity donations has nearly tripled.”

Above: Gin glasses are a popular wedding list choice. Illustration is from LSA International’s range.

Mugging up on royal souvenirs Several housewares suppliers have been celebrating Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding with commemorative items. These include mugs from Dunoon, Emma Bridgewater and McClaggan Smith, along with tableware from Lesser & Pavey and Widdop and Co, as well as tea towels from Ulster Weavers and a limited edition candle from Wax Lyrical.

“We have had an excellent take up on our Harry and Meghan Royal Wedding mug with orders for the United States notable, no doubt because the Americans will have their own Princess!” says Dunoon’s sales director Peter Smith.

Above: Royal wedding bone china mug from Milly Green.

New distributor for Maxwell & Williams KitchenCraft has announced the acquisition of the exclusive distribution rights for Maxwell & Williams and Casa Domani (owned by HAG Corp Australia) in the UK and Ireland. The brands were previously distributed by Valerie Graham.

“We are absolutely delighted with this new partnership,” commented KitchenCraft’s managing director Matthew Canwell. “The development opens up different channels of distribution for us and complements our current tableware brands, including Mikasa.”

Adds Matthew: “With the Maxwell & Williams portfolio also offering some wonderful glassware ranges and cutlery, we have become a veritable one-stop-shop for the dining category.”

With a family-owned Australian heritage, and available in over 50 markets around the world, the Maxwell & Williams brand is known for producing high quality fine bone china, porcelain, glassware, stainless steel and acrylics.

The company, founded 22 years ago, is dedicated to cultivating the best Australian talent and boasts a stable of renowned illustrators and artists who collaborate with the brand.

Above: Maxwell & Williams will be exhibiting at Exclusively Housewares in June.

Come and visit us u at Exclusively Housewares 2018.

Sttand number EH28 EH280.

sales@gourmetgadgetry.com www.gourmetgadgetry.com

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Come visit us at Exclusively Housewares Stand EH346

Our team will be on hand to talk through our ClickClack and Strahl brands and will be happy to answer any questions and provide further information: Email sales@beamgroup.co.uk, or phone 01954 231616 www.strahlbeverageware.com | www.clickclack.com

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Smart fork at Grand Designs Live The Smart Kitchen was a new feature at consumer show, Grand Designs Live (London’s ExCeL, May 5-13). Its state of the art contents included the Mellow Sous-Vide, which has a 30-second setup, an in-app assistant chef, and built-in refrigeration, and the HAPIfork, powered

by Slow Control. The latter is an electronic fork that helps you monitor and track your eating habits, helping to avoid poor digestion and unwanted weight gain.

The smart fork alerts its user when eating too fast with the help of indicator lights and gentle vibrations. It also measures time taken to eat and intervals between "fork servings". Information is uploaded via USB or Bluetooth to an online dashboard on HAPI.com to track the user’s progress.

Other highlights of Grand Designs Live included the nature-themed kitchen, named as the overall winner of the show’s Interior Room Sets, sponsored by AXA. It included plants, glass storage and use of cork. Victoria Harrison, editor of Houzz and one of the judges commented: “The kitchen, designed by Finch London addresses all concerns for a healthy lifestyle, wellbeing and the reduction of chemicals in the home.”

Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud’s ‘Green Heroes’ feature included Coffee Logs by Bio-Bean, the sustainable ecofriendly fuel source made from used coffee grounds.

Above: The HAPIfork, which encourages better eating habits, was on show at Grand Designs Live.

Asia’s best at Hong Kong’s kitchenware hub Taking place from October 20-23 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the 2018 edition of the Asian Housewares & Kitchen Show (presented and managed by Comasia) will greet visitors with an even wider collection of top-shelf home products, from unique home decor and innovative furnishings to sophisticated kitchenware and tableware.

In 2017 the show gathered 1,350 exhibitors presenting their best offers in 1,748 booths and attracted over 34,000 visitors from 130 countries and regions.

To pre-register online now for free admission visit www.asianhnk.com and apply for a special sponsorship to receive up to HKD2,800 cash towards your expenses during your visit to the show.

TOP STORY

Joseph brothers make the lists Housewares entrepreneurs, Joseph Joseph founders, Richard and Antony Joseph, were placed 139th in The Sunday Times’ Rich List, published on May 13. This was the 30th anniversary edition of the Rich List, which claims to track the UK’s wealthiest individuals, couples or families.

The brothers were also celebrated recently in The Sunday Times’ Maserati 100 list of innovative entrepreneurs. The newspaper noted that Joseph’s ‘colourful kitchenware brand’ established in 2003 - now has three quarters of its sales in overseas markets.

Nick Grey, inventor and founder of cordless vacuum cleaner brand, Gtech, was also on the innovators’ list. Nick left appliance manufacturer Vax to start making his invention in his garage. Gtech sales hit £120m last year, reports The Sunday Times.

Above: Joseph Joseph’s Richard Joseph Trouva founders, Mandeep Singh and Alex Lizou also featured receiving the Excellence in Innovation Award in The Sunday Times’ Maserati 100. Trouva’s online marketplace from BHETA’s Will Jones at last year’s Excellence in Housewares Awards. promotes and delivers goods from cookshops and homewares Top: Antony Joseph with an IHA gia Global boutiques. (For more Trouva news, see page 23).

Honoree for Product Design in March.

RSA and Rainy Day Trust’s common goals Rainy Day Trust ceo Bryan Clover has become a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) in a move to expand the networking and fundraising possibilities of the home improvement industry’s only charity. The RSA’s mission is “to enrich society through ideas and action” and has around 29,000 fellows in its global network.

“In becoming a fellow of the RSA, I will have access to this vast resource of ideas, information and crucially a strong network of people whose common goal is to seek solutions to today’s pressing social challenges,” explained Bryan. “That fits in perfectly with the Rainy Day Trust’s own mission of helping the home improvement workforce and families in times of need.”

He adds: “The RSA has local and regional networking groups, as well as at a national and international level and three themes which they focus on through their Action & Research Centre. One theme is Public Services & Communities.

This supports people in taking an active role in solving the problems in their own communities, driving innovation and changing the way that public services are designed, delivered and managed.” * The Rainy Day Trust is celebrating 175 years this year. Current initiatives include: apprenticeship support, fuel poverty help and a Legal Express service to telephone counselling, e-learning training and skills programmes and a free-touse benefits calculator.

Above: The Rainy Day *To sign up for the Rainy Day Trust’s #Challenge175 fundraising project Trust’s Bryan Clover. (committing to raise £175 during 2018 to help support the charity in its special year) visit www.rainydaytrust.org.uk. Those already raising funds include bira ceo, Alan Hawkins, undertaking a sponsored diet.

Stars of the Red Dot carpet BerfHOFF has scooped three Red Dot Design Awards 2018 for its Gem Stay Cool pans, Leo Universal Knives Block and Leo Bento Box with Travel Cutlery. Paula Leggett, BergHOFF UK’s marketing director commented: “Our in-house designers in Belgium – Pieter Roex and Kenneth Willaerts – work hard each season to create outstanding products where design and function go hand-in-hand. The Red Dot awards have real kudos internationally so to win yet again this year for products (which had a great reaction from retailers at Ambiente) is testament to Pieter and Kenneth’s design skills and BergHOFF’s vision overall.” She added: “We now have an extra story to tell with these three products when we have them on show at Exclusively Housewares.”

Other housewares winners include Jia’s Coffee Grinder, which scoops, grinds, sieves and offers a complete hand drip coffee experience, and Dreamfarm’s Levoop, an adjustable scoop scrapes the top of its contents to ensure accurate measurement.

Above: Red Dot winner – Jia’s Coffee Grinder.

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NEW PRODUCTS AND NO RISK RETAIL – CREATIVE PRODUCTS AT EXCLUSIVELY HOUSEWARES

Creative Products will be exhibiting for the fourth time at this year’s Exclusively Housewares show, the UK’s premier showcase of preparation, cook, table and serve ware, from 12-13 June 2018.

Offering intelligent solutions to everyday tasks, Creative Products will be displaying a selection of colourful and fun products that make light work of daily jobs. Products will include the perforated BBQ Pan, which makes cooking lots of different things easy by separating fish, prawns, veg and fruit from the burgers etc, the Tub Tidy kitchen door hanging bin that provides an extra place to hold prepared veg or can be used as a waste collector or

drainer and the multi-use Slide and Store, an innovative fridge storage system that has been cleverly designed to make valuable use of unused fridge space. The space saving container slides on to fridge shelves and is Ideal for organising and storing small food items. The built-in ventilation holes keep food fresh and it is easy to clean.

As the UK’s number one in-store TV promotions company, Creative Products will also be presenting how its unique merchandising and no risk retail solutions provide retailers with a fantastic opportunity to boost sales.

Mark Hall, Managing Director at Creative Products, commented;

“Exclusively Housewares is the one stop shop for buyers from all sectors of the housewares market and provides an excellent platform for us to show off our range, meet new customers and catch up with existing ones too. At this year’s show we will have a promotional Christmas offer on our Nut Cracker which not only removes shells but champagne corks and plastic bottle tops too. Looking forward to another successful visit to Exclusively.”

Interested retailers should visit Creative Products on stand EH306.

For more information, contact Creative Products on 01476 564230 or email sales@creativeproducts.ltd.uk.Visit our website at www.creativeproducts.ltd.uk

Burton McCall will be exhibiting at Exclusively Housewares, Business Design Centre, London, 12th & 13th June 2018.

Visit Stand EH249 to see our range of innovative lifestyle brands.

Find out more... @BTNMCCALL @burtonmccallltd @burtonmccallltd

Burton McCall Limited

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T: 0116 234 4611

E: sales@burton-mccall.co.uk

www.burton-mccall.co.uk

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Looses to close Above: Gosili, distributed in the UK through Alcado, offers a range of kids and adult drinking cups, all in silicone and including silicone straws.

Chicago’s spotlight on healthy hydration The recent IH+HS Show in Chicago put the spotlight on hydration, with a themed product preview for buyers before the official opening of the show.

Stand-out products included GoSili, whose packs of silicone straws fit the plastic free trend. GoSili was developed by two mums who created a silicone sleeve to go over glass feeding bottles, followed by a silicone range of drinking cups. Pura Stainless Steel also began as a baby’s feeding bottle – stainless steel with a colourful silicone outer – and has developed into a patented product that grows with your child.

Dutch brand Dopper has 100% recyclable drinks bottles and is a B-Corp, (a for-profit company with social and/or environmental outcomes as part of its ethos). Fellow B-Corp, the Canadian company Cupanion has developed reusable water bottles which feature a ‘tag’ that connects to your smartphone, so you can support water-based projects each time you refill. See more on housewares.org/HousewaresConnect365 * Next year’s IH+HS show is March 2-5.

A housewares opening and closure is set for the city of Norwich this summer, as the industry says goodbye to another independent specialist, Looses Cookshop, and Australian chain, House begins its UK expansion – this includes Norwich’s intu Chapelfield shopping centre (see separate story on page 17).

Bruce and Claire-Louise Crane, the owners of Looses, will close their shop at the end of June this year. The cookshop is renowned for its proactive team (see Food for thought pages 32-33) and wide Above: Set to close: Looses, situated in Orford Yard near Norwich city centre. stock of specialist cookware, baking and cake making material.

The partners are launching a new online business, trading under the name of ‘The Knife Expert’. This will specialise in selling knives and knife related accessories and offer a national knife sharpening and repair service. This side of the Looses Cookshop business has grown significantly over the past few years and many leading knife brands (including Global, Wüsthof, Henckels and Robert Welch) recommend the service to consumers for much of their non-warranty sharpening and repair work nationally.

Bruce said, “We have thoroughly enjoyed our time running Looses Cookshop but we have decided it’s time to move on. This was not an easy decision to make and one we have been considering for the last three years. However, the high street is changing rapidly, and our departure and move into online retailing is our response to what we see coming over the next five to 10 years.”

Bruce also reflected: “I’m not one of those pessimists who believe the high street is dying. However it is certainly true that the high street is moving away from products and into service orientated businesses, which is why we are seeing more coffee shops, restaurants, hair dressers and nail bars appearing in units previously operated by small companies like Looses, and these new arrivals are not selling products you put in a bag at the till point.”

He added: “Claire-Louise and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful team, who have been (and still are) fantastic, and we include everyone who has worked for us at any point over the past 20 years in this, because without their help and support, Looses Cookshop could not have become the well-loved shop that it is today.” Bruce also thanked Looses 150+ suppliers; many have become more like old friends rather trading partners.

Claire-Louise and Bruce are also looking at a number of other business opportunities outside of high street retailing which they plan to run alongside The Knife Expert. *For news on independent closures from bira, see page 22.

PR Direct celebrates 20 years

Above: Gennaro Contaldo wearing a Witloft apron.

The apron that is built to last Dutch brand Witloft is attracting a celebrity following. Its leather aprons have been spotted on Jamie Oliver, The Hairy Bikers and Gennaro Contaldo as well as a range of influential baristas, barbers and grill masters.

Witloft was launched in 2014 by cooking enthusiast, Frank Abbenhuis in his garden shed in Amsterdam. Frank could not find a beautiful, durable apron and so learnt about leather design and created a prototype to protect himself and his clothes.

PR Direct, which specialises in PR for housewares companies and whose clients include GreenPan, Kilner and Mason Cash, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Run by former journalist Sarah Selzer and sales specialist Mark Chapman, PR Direct focuses predominantly on consumer media for clients. Sarah reflects on the major changes in this area: “The big magazine publishing houses have seen radical shake-ups and the print side has lost readers as consumers look to other areas for inspiration in home décor, like Instagram and of course bloggers and influencers with their own sites. They can be just as important as key magazines and newspapers for getting your message across but there are many more of them to assess, and the good ones can be few and far between!”

Sarah recognises online content of newspaper and magazine, which are often working with a “radically shrunk editorial team, with many staff and freelance journalists now working across several titles,” which PR Direct is constantly updating. She observes that features request platforms are “great for supplementing contacts and activity, but they’re no substitute for the one-to-one contact you build up over time, including seeing them at press events. That’s also why we continue to focus on ‘home enhancement’ rather than stray into other industries as our contacts are everything.”

PR Direct has always been more than ‘just’ a PR agency, says Mark (who joined the business four years ago). He highlights PR Directs’ wider roles, for example, working with the Chicago IH+HS show to run a consumer media event for them in the UK and introducing international brands to the UK market.

Right: Sarah and Mark raise a glass to 20 years of PR focused on the housewares industry.

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News Left: Image from Wired’s knife test.

TOP STORY

Forest and Forge smashes it The new Forest and Forge knife range from Dexam, which is hand-forged in the UK and features handles made from different native hardwoods, has taken the top spot in a ‘tried and tested’ feature on chef’s knives by consumer magazine Wired.

The test involved two Japanese shashimi chefs who put seven chef’s knives through their paces, with Wired filming the results. Forest and Forge made it to the final two, before the big reveal, giving the British knife the top spot, scoring nine out of 10.

The chefs from London’s Sake No Hana restaurant in Mayfair used the knives to make sashimi – chopping, slicing, filleting, smashing and scooping up fish, meats and vegetables. Wired timed how long it took head chef Hideki Hiwatashi to make sashimi from a 5 x 6cm piece of salmon. “Chef Hiwatashi then picked out his two favourite knives and, alongside chef Thapa from his team, the knives were put head to head in our knife race,” explained Wired journalist, Emily Peck.

Chef Hiwatashi was particularly taken with the knife’s balance, stating: "It feels like the heaviest and largest in the test, but the knife and handle are well aligned, so it’s comfortable to use and feels good in hand.”

Taking a grilling Portable BBQs are a growing market, according to Summit International’s Ian Pemberton, including for festivals and staycations. The company’s range includes an innovative smokeless BBQ that fires up in around five minutes using a small amount of charcoal.

“You can come home from work and light up the BBQ in minutes,” notes Ian. (For more on products for the ‘great outdoors’ see pages 46-49).

New takes on cleaning Housewares chores are getting an attitude makeover, thanks to Robert Dyas. The housewares retailer has teamed up with health and fitness expert and best-selling author, Brian Keane to create a vigorous housework workout video. The workout can burn over 700 calories a day and help participants lose up to one pound per week.

Brian states: “Housework is a great way to keep fit. There are plenty of opportunities to get a full workout without even leaving your home, with the bonus of a spotlessly clean house at the end of it”. He adds: “But as is the case with any workout, the more elbow grease you put in, the Above: No need for the gym: pictured with an Addis mop, Brian Keane recommends ‘turbo-charged’ sweeping or mopping for 30 greater the benefit.” minutes instead of spending 30 minutes on a cross-trainer.

The fitness expert explains: “Polishing, dusting, mopping and sweeping are great for keeping arms shapely, while bending and stretching when you make the beds, wash windows or do the laundry is good for toning thighs and improving flexibility.”

Vacuuming is also good for legs as the task is performed in a semi squat position as well as working the upper body as you move from left to right, according to Brian. Even 15 minutes of washing up each day can equate to swimming 2,500 metres of the pool. Moreover, manual food preparation such as peeling, chopping, stirring, whisking and beating will all help burn calories, emphasises Brian.

Brian’s full Lean and Clean Housework Workout takes around two hours to complete and can be equivalent to an 8-mile run.

Another enlightened attitude to cleaning was highlighted by Helen Jamieson from Trend Bible in her presentation on Global Trends for Homes and Interiors at the recent International Home + Housewares Show (IH+HS) in Chicago. Helen discussed a trend towards cleaning as an art form as consumers want to see their precious time spent well. “Consumers are looking for quicker and easier ways, more efficient ways, more enjoyable or more rewarding ways to get the job done,” Helen commented. As an example of the elevation of cleaning, she highlighted Clean Living’s line of natural, eco-friendly cleaning products that look more like they belong in a cosmetics store than a cleaning aisle.

On the Thermo-Spot

Art in the kitchen Artist Caroline Walker’s expanding range of home textiles and mugs started with her desire to make her artwork more affordable by putting some popular paintings on products, including tea towels and double sided fabric placemats.

All of Caroline’s animal portraits have names, including Ruby the Hen, Molly the Cow, Billy the Hare and Dennis the Pig. Below: Caroline Walker with some of her housewares products, pictured at Spring Fair earlier this year.

Benefiting from greetings Dedicated greeting card exhibition, PG Live 2018 is celebrating ten years of showcasing design excellence, with thousands of original designs, plus exclusive show offers. The show (Islington’s Business Design Centre June 5-6) welcomes the growing number of cookshops and housewares stockists that are benefiting from stocking greeting cards; cards are the joint most popular area of diversification in the recent PH/bira Retail Barometer. See www.progressivegreetingslive.com PROGRESSIVE

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Tefal has been running a major high-profile digital media campaign designed to educate the consumer on the benefits and features of its iconic Thermo-Spot.

Thermo-Spot is a patented Tefal technology that guarantees the correct cooking temperature every time. However, as Stefan Kaczmarczyk, Tefal’s marketing manager for housewares explains: “There are still a Above: Tefal’s Thermo-Spot significant number of cookware in a display unit. consumers who do not understand Thermo-Spot’s functionality. They see it just as a ‘red dot’ without realising its true purpose. Our objective with this campaign is to change that perception.”

During April and May, Tefal blasted out the message that ‘Themo-Spot guarantees good food’ using a multilevel digital media platform incorporating short, sharp, targeted ads, blogs, recipe content videos and banners.

The digital marketing campaign was also supported by in-store POSM and a creative consumer PR campaign.

PreP Cook Serve!

The UK’s premier showcase of housewares, tabletop and small domestic appliance brands

Make the right connections at

www.exclusivelyshows.co.uk @ExclusivelyShow

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@ExclusivelyShow

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News

NEWS IN BRIEF l John Lewis opens in Cheltenham in October, investing £23m in the 115,000 sq ft shop, which will offer home, fashion, technology and services. l Creative Products will be demonstrating its no-risk retail offer at this year’s Exclusively Housewares Show (12-13 June), showcasing bestsellers and new launches, including its BBQ pan and Tub Tidy – a bin that hangs on kitchen cupboard doors providing an extra place to hold prepared food. l After 25 years (with a physical and then online presence), Colanders ceased trading at the end of May. Owner, David Eggison is focusing on his supplier role as director of Hahn. l Belgium start-up company, Studio Corkinho is creating bowls, placements and vide poches out of 100% reclaimed cork waste. Co-founder Klas Dalquist says: “We try to surprise people with what you can do with such an ancient and authentic product.” l Small and medium-sized retailers, who only have limited storage and sales space, will be able to order very small quantities from selected suppliers at this year’s Tendence (June 30 – July 3) identified by the 'Small quantities' label.

See www.tendence.messefrankfurt.com.

Borough Kitchen recently hosted its annual BBQ Workshop in its Chiswick and Hampstead stores, with cooking demonstrations using the Big Green Egg ceramic smoker BBQ and Lotus Grill BBQ and free workshops on how to make your own BBQ sauce. l Harrogate Home & Gift Show (July 15-18) is launching four new sectors: Taste, Design Now, Made and Design Home & Interiors. Taste comprises fun and tasty giftable food and drink products for retailers looking for a point of difference. l The Teflon Diamond Standard Awards, the life-changing cookery competition to win a prestigious threeyear Specialised Chefs Scholarship with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, has launched its 2019 call for entries. The competition encourages the next generation of cooks, including home cooks and catering students. l Blue Eyed Sun has signed a distribution deal with design-led German company Chic Mic to distribute BambooCup, SlideCup and BambooFriends brands of lifestyle giftware in the UK and Ireland.

The company’s re-usable coffee cups were a huge hit at Spring Fair earlier this year. l Design led housewares and gift

supplier Wild and Wolf, has been awarded The Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2018. The company has been recognised for its excellence in international trade, demonstrating substantial growth in overseas earnings.

TOP STORY

House continues UK expansion Australian retailer, House is continuing its ambitious UK growth of 75 proposed stores over the next three years. Its first store opened at Westgate Oxford (the new centre which opened last October, anchored by John Lewis) along with its ecommerce site, followed by stores in Bracknell and Sheffield’s Meadowhall. The continued roll out is due to see openings in both Norwich and Bristol this summer.

House’s product portfolio spans cookware, bakeware, glassware, kitchen gadgets, small electrical appliances, table linens and home accessories. It has more than 150 outlets across Australia.

Chief executive Steven Lew reflects: “We received a tremendous reaction at store openings. Customers are so excited to share in the experience.” He continues: “Our expansion will be very much opportunity-led, and our strategy is to create a sustainable operation that prioritises being best-in-class, over being the biggest. Being the biggest is a flow on from having the best all round offering.”

Steven also comments: “Physical stores are not dead. They are only dead if the retailer cannot adapt its model, and landlords and business partners are not willing to work together in their mutual best interests. The approach must be collaborative, holistic and realistic.”

Above and top: Housewares displays at House. The retailer’s next store openings include Norwich and Bristol.

Embrace change, says Tom in keynote speech Making his keynote address at the recent IH+HS in Chicago, Tom Mirabile, consumer trend forecaster for the International Housewares Association (IHA) and senior vice president of global trend and design for Lifetime Brands said the key to success lies in embracing – not fearing – change.

“We’re in the middle of a retail renaissance and yet we are often so preoccupied with simply coping that we can’t see the dramatic positive changes that are unfolding around us,” said Tom. He talked about the five main demographics, from Gen Z through to Prime Timers, looking at changing life patterns and attitudes, while emphasising the new ways of engaging different demographics, most of which involve social media. “Where you place yourself and your business within social media is critical,” Tom stated.

Left: Tom Mirabile addressing members of the global housewares industry at Chicago’s IH+HS.

Making scents in the kitchen With candles recognised as the joint top area of product diversification for independent cookshops and housewares (in the recent PH/bira Retail Barometer), Lucy Myatt, co-founder of home fragrance specialist, Willow and Honey, confirms a rising number of cookshop stockists. Lucy notes: “Candles are really important for kitchens, particularly as they are a hub of the home – I always have one burning to change the smell after cooking or as a mood setter to create a lovely ambiance for eating or entertaining.” The soy wax candles are made by the family business from a barn in The Cotswolds.

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2018/19

Discover at Tendence the latest fashion accessory and jewellery must-haves, as well as lots of other highlights from the home and gift segments for the autumn/winter season and the coming spring/summer 2019.

All details can be found at: tendence.messefrankfurt.com info@uk.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83

International trade fair for consumer goods.

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DU: 26.04.2018

GB

must hav haves

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News

PEOPLE l Nick Cornwell, previously md at DKB

Household, has been appointed as md of Black + Blum, the award winning design-led housewares company. Founded by Dan Black, Black + Blum is currently enjoying success in the UK and internationally with its Eau Good water bottle collection and Box Appetit food-on-the-go ranges.

Nick states: “It’s a great honour to be partnering with a creative mind of the calibre of Dan. New and exciting products are the lifeblood of our industry, and Dan has a string of great ideas coming through the pipeline. I am looking forward to working with him and the Black + Blum team to build up the brand and our position in these growing market sectors.“ Black + Blum will at Exclusively Housewares (June 12-13, Islington’s Business Design Centre).

Below: Nick Cornwell and Dan Black make a toast to their new partnership.

l Black + Blum has appointed three sales agents in a bid to expand business in independents. Fiona Smith will take on the role of agent for Scotland, Northumberland, Cumbria and Durham from July 1. Geraldine Finnan is appointed agent for the Midlands and the North of England, while Mark Smith is now covering the West Country and South Wales. l EPE Group, leading distributor of branded small domestic appliances and cookware, has appointed Mark Fox as its new general sales manager, overseeing external and internal sales teams. Mark began his career by joining the British Army, Royal Artillery and has since worked for Sainsbury’s, Silver Spring Soft Drinks and most recently Spectrum Brands.

Mark comments: “Being a key supplier to EPE Group for almost three years, I was delighted when the opportunity arose to join the dynamic and rapidly growing business.”

Below: Mark Fox (left) with EPE’s managing director, Noel Pamment.

l After 22 years as president and CEO of the International Housewares Association, Phil Brandl will retire from the Association at the end of the year, transitioning to a consulting role with IHA.

TOP STORY

Mark takes the helm at Meyer Mark Ivory has joined Meyer Group as its new md, bringing, he states, “a wealth of experience from senior global leadership positions in multi-national branded lifestyle and luxury consumer goods companies, both within and outside housewares categories.” Having been at Waterford Wedgwood earlier in his career, Mark admits that, “It feels great” to be back in the housewares industry. He adds: “I am relishing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this role. Mealtimes are such an important part of everyone’s lives so it is extremely satisfying knowing that you are helping consumers to create their perfect culinary experiences.”

Mark acknowledges Meyer as a “global organisation that has established itself as a world leader in cookware, building its reputation on renowned brands.” He adds: “Meyer prides itself on the quality of its products and has a Above: New man at Meyer – Mark Ivory, managing director, is delighted to proven track record in its on-going commitment to true be back in the housewares industry. innovation; for example, Meyer was the first manufacturer to apply a dishwasher safe non-stick coating to its hard anodised cookware.”

As well as “cohesive communication plans including all social media platforms and TV advertising, as appropriate,” Mark highlights the importance of keeping “ahead of the curve by constantly researching consumers’ needs.” He points out that: “Meyer is fortunate to have multiple brands allowing us to target a variety of consumers across different demographics, as well as provide a one stop shop solution for our trade partners.” The new Joe Wicks range, for example, has been “designed specifically for a new generation of consumers,” and “has already created unprecedented levels of interest,” reports Mark.

Talent spotting Top Drawer Calling all small businesses! Top Drawer’s Autumn show (September 9-11, London Olympia) is on the lookout for brands looking to make their trade show debut.

All Spotted brands receive a three-year plan discount programme and are also eligible to Above: Stay Sixty, among exhibitors at Top Drawer in September. enter the Spotted Award, a prestigious new prize judged by a panel of industry professionals. Awarded to the three most original, best designed and most promising brands at the showcase, the prizes include a free stand at Top Drawer Spring for the winner and a series of mentoring sessions with key designers, retailers, brand consultants and PRs for the three finalists.

Spotted, which was first launched eight years ago, has helped to launch over 200 small business, and is a ‘must see’ sector for many buyers.

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NEWS IN BRIEF l The IHA has launched a consumer magazine, The Inspired Home Journal, with ‘Time well spent’ as the first issue’s theme. It includes ideas for Easy Entertaining, Craft Coffee and Cocktail making, with content that inspires and informs consumers on lifestyle, food and housewares products.

The IHA celebrates 80 years this year.

Above: The cover of the IHA’s first issue of The Inspired Home Journal.

l A surprising source of commendation for good quality knives was brought to BBC Radio 4’s listeners on May 2, when Canon Angela Tilby began her Thought for the Day by talking about her recent experience on a knife skills workshop. l Trend agency, USP identified several key trends at May trade show for lifestyle and gifts, Pulse, including Crafted, which sees an appreciation of homespun, repurposed, simple and comforting products. Forma House was among Pulse exhibitors, making its debut at the show. l One in ten men secretly hate their wife’s cooking, according to new research.

Meanwhile 22% of women said their husband or partner is a shocking cook. A quarter said their partner is so delusional when it comes to his or her cooking skills.

The survey makes the launch of HelloFresh’s first cookbook, Recipes That Work.

reversible insert

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All set for Exclusively BHETA’s half day briefing session for members planning to exhibit at this year’s Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical Shows attracted a record level of interest with over 70 members registering to attend. Both of the shows are sold out to exhibitors.

The briefing session’s packed agenda included design trends for 2019 onwards from Scarlet Opus’ Phil Pond and a presentation on experiential marketing from Lindsey Hoyle, Exclusively’s sales manager (following the retirement of Patrick Wade from the shows last year). Phil Pond advised exhibitors on Above: Ready for business: Islington how to use trend information for presentation, display and in Design Centre at the start of last year’s Exclusively shows. marketing collateral, as well as in product design.

Other speakers included Simon Boyd of Brooke House Exhibitions (the company which organises the event on behalf of BHETA members) and his new PR and marketing team for the shows, Pam Ballone and Richard Watts. They discussed PR and social media opportunities for the two shows, including the Christmas Show and pressroom, as well as several new features and collaborations with the likes of the Good Housekeeping Institute, bira and Sirius. (See linked stories and News.)

More sign up: new members for BHETA The latest housewares and tabletop members to join BHETA include Beam Group, Tramontina and Vitality House.

Beam is the UK’s only exclusive distributor of premium electrical kitchen appliances and housewares with a catalogue featuring many top brands. The company offers a multi-channel delivery service, from next day delivery direct to the consumer to pallet deliveries packed and delivered to required retail specifications.

New to the UK market, Brazilian company, Tramontina has an extensive portfolio covering cutlery, cookware, outdoor living accessories, laundry and utility products. The company (showing at Exclusively Housewares) sells to over 120 countries and was established in 1911. With more than 18,000 products, the Tramontina brand is based around innovation, design and technology that focuses on improving peoples’ everyday lives.

Vitality House is best known for its colourful, bamboo Eco Living range. Vitality House was founded in 2008 and started from a simple website. It now has its own shop and warehousing space in Surrey.

BHETA’s Will Jones welcomed the new members, commenting: “BHETA’s scope is developing all the time, which not only makes for great networking, but also adds to the value of BHETA’s new online product, brand and supplier search function www.bheta.co.uk/retailer-zone.”

BHETA’s boost for British export

Lakeland forum announced

In its latest initiative to promote British export and enable its members to make the most of overseas trading opportunities, BHETA has launched an export brochure targeting international contacts, sourcing advisers and buyers.

3,000 copies are being sent to DTI trade advisors based at UK embassies around the world, advisors based at all international Chambers of Commerce and senior overseas retail buyers and commercial directors looking for British brands and suppliers. The brochure raises the profile and awareness of BHETA, its members and the UK, as a key source of international housewares, tableware, home improvement, garden and small domestic appliance brands and suppliers. Its aim is to leverage opportunities for all BHETA members who export and encourage others to do so by promoting UK brand values and enabling overseas missions, presence at international shows and specific sourcing enquiries.

BHETA has announced that Samm Swain, Lakeland’s buying and merchandising director will be guest speaker at a Members’ Forum on November 1 (at Federation House, Birmingham). Having been at Lakeland for over eight years, and previously one of Lakeland’s merchandising managers, Samm was appointed to her current role in February 2017.

Samm will share Lakeland’s latest plans and strategic thinking as well as highlight the opportunities for suppliers and how they can interact with the retailer most effectively.

BHETA’s Will Jones commented, “Whether it’s lobbying, opening up new markets or pioneering our new online product, brand and supplier search facility for retailers, BHETA is ahead of game in bringing suppliers and retailers together for mutual benefit. It’s brilliant that one of the results of this is that we can attract companies such as Lakeland to our events. Save the date!”

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Above: Scarlet Opus’ Phil Pond at Exclusively 2017.

BHETA looks to the future The BHETA sponsored seminar programme at this year’s Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical Shows will focus on maximising the potential of the retail market and exploring the latest predictions for consumer trends into 2019 and beyond. Trends forecaster, Scarlet Opus is again working with BHETA to provide a briefing on key consumer and design trends, organising BHETAsponsored ‘Trend Tours’ and selecting ‘On Trend’ product from exhibitors to feature at the shows. BHETA’s housewares sector director, Will Jones explained, “The whole idea of the seminars is to ensure that retailers and suppliers are enabled to use all these invaluable insights in a practical and achievable way. The objective is that the whole industry can benefit from the very best product development and the very best merchandising and marketing in-store.”

He added: “Both events are very exciting opportunities for suppliers, retailers and opinion formers in the media, with Exclusively Housewares and its sister show Exclusively Electrical already having established a reputation for predicting commercial opportunities for the year ahead. It’s a not to be missed insight for designers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, retail buyers and all those key consumer influencers in the media.”

Below: View of a Lakeland store.

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Bright personalities Ready for Independents’ Day? Cookshops and housewares stockists will be joining the celebration of Independents’ Day on the July 4. Retailers can get involved by following and engaging with the campaigns social channels, using the logo and promoting it across their own channels, contributing blogs on important issues, putting themselves forward to be part of the campaigns podcast as well as its ‘Retail Stories’ video series.

More information can be found at www.independentsdayuk.org or @ukindieday on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Wheel deals from bira bank bira bank has secured a new and exciting deal with Toyota and Lexus cars, whereby members will be able to access heavily discounted vehicle prices that main Toyota dealerships will not be able to match.This offer is exclusive to bira bank customers.

Contact bira bank’s Dave Baker on 0121 446 6688.

H

aving just returned from my last bira Conference and awards as ceo, I am truly humbled by the hard work and dedication of independent retailers, the suppliers who support them and of course everyone at bira. Our awards in particular highlighted those members doing incredible things for their customers, the industry and their local communities, and all of this while trying to run their own business and everything that entails. A huge “well done” to you all.

Our Conference focused on the future and having listened to our expert speakers, I was pleased to hear that there is still a future for our high streets, although I of course already knew this (so long as the Government decides to support it!).

We were told that bricks and mortar retailers need to embrace digital and continually develop to meet the demands of consumers - standing still is no longer an option. Trouva’s Above: Alan with Kiran Josan of All Seasons marketplace for bricks and mortar retailers showed how you DIY and wife of new president Surinder can build an online business through your physical store. It Josan, at the bira Conference. showed how crucial it is to its customers that they are supporting a physical independent retailer, and don’t want to shop with a faceless business. Our delegates also heard that social media is the new shop window and it is therefore important to engage with your customers and potential customers on these channels.

Our keynote speaker Levi Roots, of Dragons' Den fame, gave a rousing speech about the importance of putting your personality into your brand, (something he had in bags full) and staying true to yourself. It got me thinking about bira. We certainly stay true to our mission of being a world leading trade association and exceeding our members’ expectations. We have a friendly membership team ready to take your call and we often talk about being a part of the bira family – something that is at our core.

And we are looking to the future too, so if there is anything that you would like to see us supporting you with, that we don’t already, then please talk to us. I might not be able to implement all of these before I retire this Autumn, but I’ll be leaving the bira family in good hands and I’m certain they will continue to exceed your expectations Alan Hawkins, ceo, bira.

Closing doors in 2017

Above: Mark Fox and Hannah Hawkins of EPE International received the bira direct Supplier of the year for Cookshop, Housewares, Tabletop & Gift from bira’s Steve Akers, pictured with bira Awards' host, Reverend Richard Coles.

Above: Potters Cookshop’s Tom Carter and Alison Hobbs receive a Bronze Award from bira.

Plugging in for bira Awards Leading SDA distributor, EPE International was awarded the title of bira direct Supplier of the year for Cookshop, Housewares, Tabletop & Gift at the bira Awards, held on May 10 in the evening following the bira Conference. Meanwhile, Jeff Baker of electrical distributor, Connect Distribution Services won a Charitable Champion award and the Expansion of the year when to Vin Vara of housewares stockist, The Toolshop Group.

Potters Cookshop was the Bronze Winner for Retail Business of the Year (whose winner was fashion and gift group, Aspire Style).

Data released by The Local Data Company (LDC) and British Independent Retailers Association (bira) shows that there has been a decrease in the number of traditional independent shops compared to the same period last year, along with a fall in the number of national chains. The independent sector saw a decrease of -1,483 shops (-0.49%) in 2017.

This is a significant change from the net increase of +795 shops (+0.28%) in 2016. A net growth of +44 units in retail parks meant that this was the only location type to see an increase in the number of independent shops in 2017.

Homewares is listed among the non-perishable comparison goods category which saw a decline of -2.62% in 2017(-1.50% in 2016). Reflecting the changing nature of high streets, key growth sectors were barbers, beauty salons, tobacconists/e-cigarette shops and cafes.

The West Midlands showed the greatest increase of independents in 2017, while Yorkshire and the Humber and Greater London showed the greatest decline of independents.

Alan Hawkins, bira ceo said: “The figures come as no surprise, and the net loss of 1, 483 independents reflects the more attention-grabbing headlines covering multiples that have dominated the news for the last few months.

Continued concern following the last rates review, uncertainty over Brexit, changing shopping habits, a harsh winter and real incomes falling can all be used to explain these figures. With this sector being faced with a false cost base against their online competitors, we shouldn’t be surprised at these inevitable consequences. With 65% of all outlets being independents, is society really braced for the hole a decline in numbers will bring? A growth of 44 independents in retail parks – while welcome and high in percentage terms - does not redress the balance.”

Cookshop closures in 2017 included the long established specialist and award-winning bira member, Kitchen Kapers, whose branches included Camberley, Surrey.

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Be different, sings Levi!

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he bira Conference on May 10 (at Jurys Inn, Hinckley Island) left delegates feeling uplifted following keynote speakers, Levi Roots and Midlands lifestyle retailer, Aspire Style who encouraged independents to celebrate their differences.

Aspire’s co-owner Samantha Yair commented: “We have to work really hard to be different.” She and business partner, Emma Woodward told delegates about events they host in their shops, including local musicians (sometimes paid in vouchers), circus days (with circus training, in-store trails and refreshments) and, to celebrate the Royal Wedding, afternoon tea.

Above: Levi Roots talking at the “High Street multiples can’t do these bira Conference. things,” noted Samantha. The pair recommended focusing on one or two social media channels but said they are successfully “moving into Instragram” and appreciate that “it is now shoppable.”

Entrepreneur and chef, Levi Roots’ story reflected the importance of passing on family recipes. His phenomenally successful Reggae Reggae Sauce is based on his grandmother’s recipe and was first made commercially by Levi – and stirred by his children – at home in a large Dutch Pot. When appearing on TV’s Dragons' Den, Levi sang his Reggae Reggae Sauce song to the panel in an unconventional presentation. “You have to stand out from the crowd,” Levi told his audience of independents. He also recognised the support of a mentor (Dragon Den investor, Peter Jones) and his family in his business and for many independent retailers.

Other speakers included Danny Crowe of Twenty Ci who provided insights into ‘Buyhavior.’ He reflected on the changing retail environment, saying, “Online is a way of life, not a threat.” Influences on consumer buying include the growing (and older) rental market, smaller and shared apartments, and an older generation with spending power. Danny noted how home movers put a hold on buying until later on after their move, when there is a period when they will typically spend money on electricals and home accessories.

The importance of getting social Remarkable results from social media in boasting footfall were reported by Polly Barnfield from Maybe at a breakout bira conference session on Above: View of Stafford the #WDYT (What do you think?) campaign.

High Street, where footfall Polly highlighted that 78% of consumers are has increased thanks to collective social media influenced by social media when deciding to buy and from retail participants. that “up to 74% of high street retailers don’t have an active social media presence (one post a day.)”

Emphasising the role of the phone as “part of life,” Polly also pointed out that 85% of consumers’ time is “spent with a mobile phone.”

Working with retailers to build social media activity in Stafford recently, Polly stated: “Footfall has increased week after week.” She reflected on one participant who “naively thought” her client base (including older consumers) would not be interested and has since realised she was very wrong, comparing social media to “old fashioned flyers.”

Polly put out an invitation for nine bira members to work with the campaign over the next nine months. She is also creating a “tool set” for bira members, stating: “We want digital to be like cashing up a the end of the day – something you can do in 10 minutes, everyday.” * Delegates were given eight practical ecommerce marketing tips to take back to their retail outlets by Paddy Moogan from aira in his session on ‘Beating the big brands’ (see www.aira.net/bira). These included claiming your Google local page and signing up to Google search console.

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Indies will be the winners, according to Trouva Online independent retailer platform Trouva’s commercial director, Hugo Jenkins delivered an upbeat breakout session to a packed audience of bira conference delegates. His message was: "Independents are uniquely place to be winners in the shaken out high Above: Welcome wags: Some of the street". Hugo Dogs of Trouva featured on Instagram.

One in four Trouva boutiques have acknowledged how Trouva's mix shop dogs. of "unique" collection of independent boutiques are "at the forefront" of the changing retail environment. Trouva aims to be homewares category leader, with two thirds of its content currently homewares.

Trouva is currently a platform for 500 boutiques in the UK, as well as its first few in Berlin. Cookshops on the Trouva platform include Prep Cookshop (see Holly Wilson’s From the frontline page 44) and Kooks Unlimited. Images of Prep featured in Hugo’s presentation. He described Trouva boutique owners as “the best buyers in the world.”

Boutiques that join Trouva need to have “a well curated product range,” as well as a strong online presence and brand direction, said Hugo. He explained how consumers shopping via Trouva regard the experience as “a creative outlet” and enjoy a “voyage of discovery.” Hence the importance of stories about the shops and their owners “so the consumer can feel like they’ve been to the shop.”

Hugo stated: “The Trouva website isn’t just a route to purchase, it’s an experience in itself.”

• Highlighting the personality and friendliness of its shops (and celebrate the platform’s second birthday), Trouva has launched Dogs of Trouva on Instragram, featuring lovable pictures of its community of shopkeepers’ dogs. Trouva is also hosting a dogwalking event on Hampstead Heath. “One in four Trouva shops have shop dogs,” noted Hugo.

Below: Hugo Jenkins of Trouva.

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Together with the Irish designer Orla Kiely, Brabantia has created the new, limited edition Orla Kiely Flower Oval Stem Ironing Board and Cover. With its chic cream metal frame, the Orla Kiely Flower Oval Stem Ironing Board B, 124x38 cm, comes with a solid steam iron rest that’s suitable for left or right-handed use. The striking grey and orange cover, which is also available to buy separately, is made from 100% durable cotton with resilient foam layer.

Complete with cord fastener and Stretch System, the cover is easy to fit and always smooth and taut.

Brabantia Tel: 01275 810600 E-mail: sales.uk@brabantia.com Stand EH446

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Featuring smart, time saving products, ingenious space saving ideas and great cookware products, the clever Kitchen Hacks range is ideal for busy, family kitchens. Range items include clever nesting saucepan sets making the most of every inch of your cupboard and worktops, an easy store dish drainer which is easily folded away perfect for small kitchens. In addition the range includes a prep ‘n’ store Avocado set. This set includes five handy essentials for avocado preparation – simply split, pit, slice, scoop and mash!! The Kitchen Hacks range is available from July 2018.

Meyer Group Tel: 0151 482 8000 E-mail: cholland@meyeruk.com Stand EH293

The Microplane® Chili Mill features pioneering photoetching technology. The ultra-sharp stainless-steel blades, made in USA, effortlessly and precisely grate a variety of dried chillies, without ripping or tearing, ensuring the chillies essential oils are released and when added enhance the flavour of a dish. With a silk feel body for comfort and stability and stainless steel cap, the new Chili Mill uses precise pressure with an engineered tension spring to ensure the optimum level of pressure is applied when grating.

Microplane International E-mail: mjensen@microplaneintl.com Web: www.microplaneintl.com Stand EH305

Another carefully considered addition to Elia’s dynamic cutlery offering, Aquila is a wellbalanced range that tapers gently from a robust triangular base to a defined curve, that adds character and style to any table setting. The new Elia Aquila range is finished in 18/10 stainless steel to exacting standards of the highest quality. With rolled edges and proportioned forms, Elia is pleased to launch Aquila.

Tel: 0208 998 2100 Elia International E-mail: sales@elia.co.uk Web: www.elia.co.uk Stand EH294

T&G will be launching some exciting new products at Exclusively Housewares. With all the current media focus on plastic pollution in our seas T&G will be launching a new collection ‘Ocean’ which includes ceramic kitchen storage, baskets, trivets and wood boards. Having had great success with its ’Bar Boards’ collection, some exciting new additions for summer will be added perfect pick up gifts and great price points for Christmas. Also, on show will be the fun ‘Tutti Frutti’ range (featured) with additions to the fruit wireware basket offer.

T&G Tel: 01275 841841 Web: www.tg-woodware.com Stand EH263

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Creative Products’ innovative fridge storage system, the Slide and Store, has been cleverly designed to make valuable use of unused fridge space. The space saving container slides on to fridge shelves and is Ideal for organising and storing small food items. The built-in ventilation holes keep food fresh and it is easy to clean.

Available through Creative Products’ unique merchandising system, on a fully sale or return basis, the product is supported by an eye-catching merchandising unit with incorporated TV screen demonstration providing a risk-free addition to any shop floor. Available in either clear or blue.

Creative Products Tel: 01476 564230 E-mail: sales@creativeproducts.ltd.uk Web: www.creativeproducts.ltd.uk Stand EH306

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Western House will be showcasing a variety of products at this year’s Exclusively Housewares Show. Featuring the beautifully designed Ella Sabatini Coloré collection (pictured), Gin glasses and Luigi Bormioli’s brand new Mixology ranges.

Visit the stand to see to a glimpse of this year’s creative glassware!

Western House Tel: 01256 462341 E-mail: sales@western-house.com for any enquiries.

Stand EH126

Made from eco-friendly Bamboo, the Polynesia range features a set of cups, travel mug, jug and two serving trays for a stylish yet environmentally-friendly way to enjoy hot and cold beverages. Dishwasher suitable, the range is incredibly practical as well as chic, featuring a bright and contemporary palm design. Great for taking to work, the Sippy Mug comes with a handy silicon sleeve for extra grip. Great for entertaining, the Large Tray and Handle Tray add a touch of style to any meal.

UPGS Tel: 01619 342 268 E-mail: customerservice@portobellomugs.com Web: w: https://www.portobellomugs.com/ Stand EH267 and EE64

Together with Joe Wicks, Meyer has developed a wide range of unique products for the entire kitchen environment. The assortment has been specifically designed with Joe, using his extensive knowledge to develop all the tools needed to create healthy, quick and easy meals for his army of loyal followers. From a wide range of cookware items developed using quality materials such as hard anodized, stainless steel and premium aluminium, to handy tools and gadgets, bakeware, knives and storage items, Joe Wicks will make it even easier and more accessible for people to become fitter and healthier versions of themselves.

Meyer Group Tel: 0151 482 8000 E-mail: cholland@meyeruk.com Stand EH293

There’s glass and then there’s Judge Glass - a beautiful collection of Crystalline glass offering clarity, strength, and good design so that your favourite drink can be enjoyed to the max. Within the collection there’s a glass that’s perfect for every drinking occasion. Beautifully packed in sets of four. The Judge range is crafted in Poland and offers great design, crystal clear glassware and strength, enabling it to withstand the toils of today’s dishwashers for years to come.

Horwood Tel: 0117 940 0000 E-mail: sales@horwood.co.uk www.judgecookware.co.uk Stand EH100

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ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS THAT WORK

If You Care kitchen and household products are carefully and deliberately crafted to have the least environmental impact and the lightest carbon footprint possible, while at the same time, delivering the highest quality results.

The range includes baking cups, parchment papers, coffee filters, sandwich bags, aluminium foil, sponge cloths, rubber gloves, food waste bags and firelighters.

Distributed by

26_HW_May June 2018.indd 1

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Sustainable Non-GMO and Non-Toxic FSC and Compostable Certified Gluten and Allergen Free Totally Chlorine Free Vegan and Vegetarian Renewable Resources All Natural

t | +44 (0) 1488 686572

w | www.eddingtons.co.uk

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This year simplehuman presents a number of products in a brass finish. Brass has been identified as a top interior trend for 2018, in both the UK and Europe. The brass range includes a 45-litre kitchen bin, a 4.5-litre bathroom bin and wall mounted sensor mirror. The 45-litre pedal bin (shown) features an innovative ‘liner pocket’ that stores and dispenses liners from inside the bin for a faster liner change and a stainless-steel liner rim that grips the liner and keeps it hidden. simplehuman Tel: 01491 875974 E-mail: sales@simplehuman.co.uk Stand EH456

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Tower’s popular Rose Gold Collection expands in Autumn/Winter 2018 with the addition of the new Limited Edition Marble range.

Deriving inspiration from the beauty of natural rock formations, this collection of housewares and SDAs blends the elegant smoothness of marble with our on-trend rose gold accents, creating appealing products which elevate the style of any kitchen.

Tower Tel: 0333 220 6070 Web: www.towerhousewares.co.uk Stand EE14

Featuring a stylish satin finish and riveted steel handles, the Salter Timeless Collection provides an ideal way to cook healthy meals easily. Suitable for everyday use, the pans are practical, easy to clean and are safe for dishwasher use. Highly versatile, the collection is suitable for all hob types including induction.

UPGS Tel: 0161 934 2268 E-mail: customerservices@salterhomewares.com Web: www.saltercookshop.com Stand EH267

Exclusively Housewares presents the perfect opportunity for Tramontina to showcase its outstanding collections of steak knives, cutlery, carving sets, and barbecue utensils, which, along with good food and good company ensure good times, whatever the occasion. With high quality dishwasher safe polywood (real wood) handles, which uniquely come with a five-year warranty, the Fandango steak knife and fork epitomises the stylish good looks and high quality of the brand. Visit the stand and savour authentic renowned Brazilian hospitality.

Tramontina UK Tel: 020 3176 4557 / 020 3176 4558 E-mail: alexandre.frubel@tramontinauk.com Web: www.tramontina-churrasco.co.uk Stand EH257

The new Kilner® Breakfast Jar Set is a great way to start your day. This 0.35 litre wide mouth Kilner® Jar comes with a unique stainless steel lid which doubles as a measuring cup for better portion control. This means you can enjoy your overnight oats, granola and cereals quickly without any fuss. This set also includes a stainless steel spoon, silicone spoon holder and airtight sealing disc, ideal for breakfast on the go.

Rayware Tel: 0151 4861888 E-mail: seank@rayware.co.uk Stand EH146

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Megastone is an innovative coating, born from the need for functional, durable cookware. Hard and long-lasting, it will stand the test of time. Megastone coating is five times stronger than standard non-stick cookware; it can even be used with metal utensils and remain scratch-free. The nonstick coating will not fade or peel and the pans are dishwasher safe.

UPGS Tel: 0161 934 2268 E-mail: customerservices@salterhomewares.com Web: www.saltercookshop.com Stand EH267

Centre stage on the GreenPan™ stand this year is a ‘classics remastered’ design, Mayflower, recreating the style from a traditional kitchen but with contemporary features associated with GreenPan™. So, Infinity Professional ceramic non-stick, energy-saving Magneto induction base and heavy-gauge construction for quick and even heat distribution. The design is finished with wooden handles with an extended flame guard, a practical as well as aesthetic touch. It joins two other new cookware ranges – Featherweights and Barcelona with Evershine.

GreenPan™ Tel: 01483 255842 Web: www.greenpan.co.uk Stand EH142

Fleur is a modern take on a classic tableware story combining cobalt blue with contemporary fine line work against a warm sliver shimmer decoration on cream china. Nine key pieces including a dramatic Accent Plate have been reinterpreted for ceramic from Monsoon fabric by Denby’s in-house design team. Delicate in design and appearance but made to last, Fleur has all the qualities expected of Denby.

Denby Tel: 01773 740715 Web: www.denbypottery.com Stand EH352

‘Stay Cool’ from Horwood reflects the key benefits the handle design offers the consumer - the handles stay cool while the pan directs all of the heat into the pan body to insure efficient cooking. This combined with the innovative silicone edged glass lids which seals in nutrients when cooking, make these pans super cool. The unique lid design also promises hassle free draining. Regardless of hob type Stay Cool pans will operate to maximum efficiency on your preferred hob choice, moreover they will perform equally well in the oven in temperatures up to 210°C. Horwood Tel: 0117 9400000 E-mail: sales@horwood.co.uk Web: www.stellarcookware.co.uk Stand EH100

Every home needs a great pressure cooker! And no one knows more about them than Prestige. Our Pressure Cookers will save you time, energy and preserve the healthy nutrients in your food. Who needs ready meals when our new stylish designs give you fast food in minutes? Prestige has launched eight new stylish models to their already strong collection. These new pressure cookers are suitable for all hobs including induction and are available in varying capacities depending upon your family needs.

Meyer Group Tel: 0151 482 8000 E-mail: cholland@meyeruk.com Stand EH293

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Stasher, the reusable self-sealing plastic-free storage bags are the first of their type in the world and earlier this year, won Shark Tank funding in their native US (the American equivalent of Dragon’s Den).

Stasher bags are perfect for both food and everyday use – so whenever you’d usually reach out for a plastic bag, grab a Stasher instead. New colours – citrus (pictured), raspberry and aqua – and a new half-gallon size will be on show alongside products from other PHA brands including Prepara, Cuisipro and CellarDine.

PHA KitchEssentials Tel: 0151 651 2265 E-mail: sales@phassocs.co.uk Web: www.phakitchenessentials.co.uk Stand EH128

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With a contemporary mirror finish, the stainless steel Optimum Collection from Russell Hobbs provides a stylish way to cook everyday meals. The clever pouring lip design allows foods to be drained easily, with the tempered glass lids benefitting from a built-in strainer great for cooking potatoes, vegetables and pasta. Featuring matching ergonomic stainless steel handles, the pans provide a sleek addition to the kitchen. Suitable for all hobs, including induction, the pans are also safe for dishwasher use.

UPGS Tel: 0161 934 2240 E-mail: russellhobbshomewares@upgs.com Web: www.russellhobbs.com/russell-hobbs-products Stand EH267

The AIRGILITY Cordless from Beldray provides a lightweight and powerful way to clean the home. Featuring a motorised floor brush with LED lights for maximum visibility when removing dust and dirt from carpets, underneath tables and in dark corners and crevices. The versatile vac easily converts into a handheld unit for vacuuming stairs and surfaces, and also includes a two-in-one crevice and brush tool for curtains, upholstery and tight spaces. With a battery that lasts up to 40 minutes and a large easy-to-empty 1.2-litre dust container, the 22.2 V vacuum cleaner is the perfect tool for floor-to-ceiling cleaning.

UPGS Tel: 0333 577 9820 E-mail: customersupport@beldray.com Web: www.beldray.com Stand EH267

Harnessing Derbyshire pottery’s skills in creating highly reactive glazes; Blue Haze uses the stunning unique ‘haze’ effect over striking royal blue. The contemporary shapes create a beautiful collection which can be used as a cleverly edited and versatile tableware range but also mixes with Denby’s iconic Imperial Blue enabling collectors to refresh their tableware collection with contemporary pieces.

Denby Tel: 01773 740715 Web: www.denbypottery.com Stand EH352

Originally carved by skilled craftsmen, the new Mason Cash ‘In The Forest’ range of food preparation, storage and ovenware items features detailed woodland style embossments. Additional stoneware table top accessories include a teapot, mug, serving platter and much more, which all feature our favourite forest characters. Adding this range to your kitchen brings a sense of the outdoors inside.

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Quick Recipe is the first of its kind; an innovative way to bring baking into the 21st Century by merging technology and ovenware. On the base of each item is a QR code and with nothing more than a quick scan from your phone or tablet you are directed to a website full of recipes ideas where all recipes are measured and cooked in the same dish that you have scanned.

Secretly smart, these porcelains will remember the recipes for you!

The DRH Collection Tel: 0207 2490710 Web: www.thedrhcollection.com Stand EH204

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In the U.K we throw away 2.5 billion disposable cups every year – that’s 5,000 every minute. Introducing Stojo, the convenient alternative to bulky reusable cups and the environmentally friendly alternative to disposable coffee cups. Stojo is collapsible, reusable, ultra-portable and compact, designed for thousands of uses Stojo is a great choice for the planet and your purse! Stojo is BPA free, dishwasher safe and available in two sizes 12oz Pocket Cup and 16oz Biggie.

Auteur Tel: 01869 338751 E-mail: sales@auteurlimited.co.uk Stand EH265

Architec has a wide range of products featuring recycled materials under its EcoSmart label. The products take a base of translucent recycled polypropylene and mix it with glass (PolyGlass), flax husk (PolyFlax) and launched at Chicago (and on show at Exclusively Housewares too), the new PolyCoco (coconut shell). The other new range pictured here is a custom blend of partially recycled polypropylene, which has been injection moulded. The result is a beautiful marble effect product which like the other EcoSmart ranges are dishwasher-safe and BPA-free.

PHA KitchEssentials Tel: 0151 651 2265 E-mail: sales@phassocs.co.uk Web: www.phakitchenessentials.co.uk Stand EH128

The stylish Mineral Collection from Salter features a revolutionary coating which combines super-strong titanium with non-stick ceramic to provide a durable finish, great for everyday use. Suitable for all hob types, including induction, the pans are also oven safe up to 260°c. Safe for use with metal utensils, as well as electric whisks, the scratch-resistant inner is ideal for cooking delicious meals with ease. The range includes fry pans, saucepans and a two-inone casserole pot and steamer.

UPGS Tel: 0161 934 2268 E-mail: customerservices@salterhomewares.com Web: www.saltercookshop.com Stand EH267

Denby Studio Blue is a new artisan collection of bowls, plates and mugs in four stunning tonal shades of blue capturing the essence of Denby’s hand-crafting skills and textural glazes perfected over 200 years in Derbyshire. Designed to complement global foods and relaxed dining and entertaining, Studio Blue was inspired by colours and textures of natural pebbles and stones. Available individually or in packaged collations.

Denby Tel: 0 1773 740715 Web: www.denbypottery.com Stand EH352

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Baking has never been easier with the Betty Crocker Microwave Cake & Brownie Makers. Available now, this range allows bakers of all skill sets the chance to create delicious bakes in the microwave in minutes. Each comes with an easy ingredients container that utilises fill lines for all ingredients, meaning the mess, measuring and lengthy prep work normally associated with baking are no longer an issue. At almost 10 x faster than conventional baking, those looking to save time, energy and effort without sacrificing taste or texture can have their cake (or brownie) and eat it!

JWP Tel: 01282 688080 E-mail: sales@jwpltd.co.uk Web: www.jwpltd.co.uk Stand EH156

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Salvaged from 100% food grade waste plastic, material that may otherwise go to landfill or be made into single use plastics, the Eco range has the exact same features/benefits you would come to expect from Lock & Lock, (airtight, water tight, four4-sided lockable lids) with the same legendary longevity. The only real difference is the colour. No two containers will be exactly the same, giving each a unique identity of its own. It is hoped that the creation of this range will prevent 100’s of tonnes of plastic polluting the environment in future. All products come with 100% recycled packaging.

JWP Tel: 01282 688080 E-mail: sales@jwpltd.co.uk Web: www.jwpltd.co.uk Stand EH156

Ice.Bag® is the reusable mobile wine cooler that chills bottles to the perfect temperature in just 15 minutes, compared to three hrs in the fridge, and far quicker than traditional ice buckets. Portable, leak proof and durable, Ice.Bag® is the ultimate summer accessory and makes the perfect gift with a bottle of wine.

Suitable for any occasion, simply add ice and water and you’re ready to go. Available in a range of vibrant colours, Ice.Bag® can also be folded away when not in use, making it a fantastic space-saver.

JWP Tel: 01282 688080 E-mail: sales@jwpltd.co.uk Web: www.jwpltd.co.uk Stand EH156

Making its debut at Exclusively Housewares, the Bergner Group has been providing the most comprehensive cookware and kitchenware solutions since 1999. Its offer is based on multi-category, multi-brand product ranges - including private label, and its 360° service package features sales forecasting and planning, follow on promotions, instore retail displays and even help with web-site development. The Cook & Chef Institute Foundation, part of the Group, allows it to share strategic thinking about cooking and technological innovation in kitchenware with more than 80 chefs and cooking schools around the World.

Bergner Europe Tel: 01200858858 E-mail: paul.kempsey@bergnereurope.com Stand EH421

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Food for thought Inset: Retailers recognise BBC’s Blue Planet II has influenced consumer behaviour - image of turtle swimming with plastic from the series.

Centre right: Some of the reusable cups and flasks sold by The Woodbridge Kitchen Company, including Corkcicle, Ecoffee cups (made from bamboo fibre) and Chilly’s.

Bottom right: Part of the display that has been catching the attention of Looses’ customers.

War on waste Consumers and government are realising the horrific extent of plastic waste, including single use bottles, straws and disposable coffee cups, and are taking action. PH considers how cookshops and housewares retailers making the most of the ‘less plastic and less waste’ movement.

n ol m. n: m n.

Tackling trash

Caffeine fix

Images of plastic waste on BBC’s Blue Planet II series haunted TV viewers at the end of 2017, and recent news includes ‘record levels of microplastics’ in the Arctic ice. The government is now in consultation over proposals to ban plastic straws and there are plans for the introduction of a deposit scheme for plastic bottles. PM Theresa May describes plastic waste as "one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world.”

While MPs' calls for a ‘latte levy’ tax on disposable coffee cups at the start of 2018 have not come to fruition, the debate has raised awareness of how difficult it is to recycle cups and the resulting waste. In April, Waitrose announced that it is removing disposable coffee cups from its shops; members of its loyalty scheme can bring reusable cups for a free tea or coffee from self serve machines.

Independent cookshop, The Woodbridge Kitchen Company, Woodbridge is encouraging a feel good factor by giving its customers more sustainable product choices, as well as providing a fantastic incentive for investing in a reusable coffee cup or flask. Owner, Paul Venediger has noticed a “a huge difference to our sales of reusable coffee cups and bottles” due to recent press and explains: “We promote our reusable coffee cups on social media and we have also set up an initiative with the most popular café in the town. If you buy a reusable cup or flask from us you can take it to the café and get a free coffee. After that you get a 10% discount, so if you regularly buy coffee, you’ll cover the cost of your

Showing the savings Looses Cookshop in Norwich brought together its reusable product selection to create a prominent display, as Bruce Crane, director, reports: “We have noticed a huge increase in all products that reduce our dependence on disposables. This has been particularly noticeable on the coffee cups (with increased sales since the announcement of a possible tax on disposable coffee cups), but also on Charles Viancin Silicone Lids and reusable water bottles and products like the bees wax food wrap from Eddingtons.

We have had a really good display of all of these by our busiest till point and supported it with point of sale to highlight the benefits of buying ‘green’.

We have also been around all Norwich’s coffee shops and cafes and - as part of our display- we have created a notice that shows the discounted prices to customers using reusable coffee cups.

This whole initiative was thought up by the staff and has been very successful.

We don’t see this energy and enthusiasm decreasing. The younger generation has really adopted it (although not excluding the oldies!) and for many it has become their chosen route for saving the planet, sharing thoughts on social media.”

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flask in time.

People like having a sense of doing something good. However, it is not just the reusable side of it; insulated flasks are very good at keeping coffee hot and there are some great products out there, including

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Food for thought

Better to refill Hannah Tait, homewares buyer at Oliver Bonas acknowledges: “Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact plastic water bottles are having on our environment, particularly oceans.” She elaborates: “The recent Blue Planet series definitely highlighted this message. Our customers are responding by cutting down their individual plastic waste by buying reusable, well-designed water bottles that fit easily into their lifestyle.” The homeware and gift chain is encouraging its customers to make sustainable choices, as Hannah points out: “The plastic reducing, environmentally friendly message is mentioned in the copy on our website to highlight the additional benefit of buying reusable water bottles.” * Cookshops and housewares retailers have plenty more reasons to encourage consumers to buy reusable bottles. Bottled water received negative press earlier this year after analysis found that more than 90% contained tiny pieces of plastic (based on analysis of 259 bottles from 19 locations in nine countries across 11 different brands). Scientists (based in the US) said that they found about twice as many plastic particles in bottled water that found in a previous study of tap water. The World Health Organisation has now announced a review into the potential risks of plastic in drinking water. * Consumers will be able to refill water bottles for free in tens of thousands of places in England following the recent announcement of a new national scheme by water companies, joining forces with the Refill campaign. The initiative is expected to cut plastic bottle use by tens of millions each year, with a network of refill stations in high street retailers, coffee shops, businesses and local authorities in every major city and town in England by 2021. Some water companies will be installing new public drinking fountains as well as restoring historical ones.

the Chilly’s range, which are also strong sellers. Insulated cups and flasks last longer, while bamboo cups tend to be brittle and can crack so customers will need to buy replacements.

Water bottles by Sistema, Lock & Lock, Rex London and Sass & Belle continue to be solid sellers, but I am surprised at how well wax food wraps are selling here. We are in an affluent area where people are not afraid to invest in a product that will last and looks good. We catch customers’ attention by positioning these at the till, wrapped around bottles, so that they can be picked up and played with.

We only stock paper straws now (although, ironically, these are still wrapped in plastic). BBC’s Blue Planet II sparked people’s awareness of the vast waste of plastic straws and lots of people have come in and asked us not to stock them.

Bamboo children’s tableware is also selling well and we have stopped ordering children’s melamine. Customers like to feel they are making a more responsible purchase.”

Above: Hip bottles from Auteur, whose stockists include Oliver Bonas.

Centre right: Post consumer plastic (including single use plastic bottles) that is now being ‘upcycled’ by What More.

Part of a solution Housewares retailers are introducing What More’s Wham Upcycled range of household storage boxes made from post consumer plastic. Launching the new range, What More highlighted that every year more than eight million tonnes of plastic is discarded into the oceans and over 50% of British household waste is not recycled within the UK. Moreover, since China’s ban on plastic waste, there is increased pressure for UK based solutions.

Natasha Pardy, marketing manager of housewares stockist, Proper Job Superstores says: “We feel that it is important to stock more sustainable products such as the Wham Upcycled range as we are very passionate about helping the environment by reusing and reducing plastic waste. These type of products go hand in hand with our efforts to reduce plastic in our environment by donating the money collected from our carrier bags to local animal welfare and environmental charities in their efforts to reduce the negative effects of plastic waste.” Natasha adds: “We will be promoting the benefits of using these products on our website properjob.biz, social media pages and in all our stores.”

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Below: Among retailer stockists, Gary Lyons, md of Plastic Box Shop with some of his Wham Upcycled boxes.

Bottom: What Upcycled boxes.

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Built from high-grade stainless steel in a lightweight and compact design, the Morphy Richards Equip range of vacuum flasks is ideal for keeping drinks warm or cool when walking, travelling, exercising or on holiday. Requiring only a simple hand-wash to clean, these flasks can keep both hot and cold drinks at the ideal temperature over an extended period of time, and make for an ideal way to enjoy drinks on the go.

Morphy Richards Tel: 0333 220 6070 Web: /www.morphyrichards.co.uk/products/

Eco-friendly products

Bee’s Wrap® is the sustainable, natural alternative to plastic wrap for food storage. Made of beeswax, organic cotton, organic jojoba oil and tree resin. The wraps are fully biodegradable and compostable. The range includes sandwich wraps, bread & baguette wraps, cheese wraps and assorted packs which include three different sizes. There are four different wrap designs including the new Bee’s & Bear’s design. Simply wash with cool water and soap, hang to dry and repeat. Used several times each week, Bee’s Wrap should last for around one year.

Eddingtons Tel: 01488 686572 E-mail: sales@eddingtons.co.uk Web: www.eddingtons.co.uk

The Built Hydration bottles and tumblers combine style and functionality for busy, health-conscious lifestyles. In a choice of metallic, matte or bright colours, this drinkware is double walled for up to 24 hour insulation, as well as being leak-proof to pop in the commute, shopping or gym bag. With its style and innovative design, the Built Hydration drinkware is a convenient alternative to plastic bottles and coffee cups, to reuse every day and be a little friendlier on the planet.

Creative Tops Tel: 01536 207710 Web: www.creative-tops.com

Like many Brabantia products, Bo Pedal Bin is Cradle-to-Cradle® Certified on Bronze level, so it meets strict requirements for (re)use of materials, renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness. On top of that, for every Bo Pedal Bin sold, we donate to The Ocean Cleanup. Like Bo Touch Bin, Bo Pedal Bin is available with one, two or three inner buckets, which are made out of 100% recycled materials. Available in eight stunning colours, there’s a Bo Pedal Bin for every home.

Brabantia Tel: 01275 810600 E-mail: sales.uk@brabantia.com

In the U.K we throw away 2.5 billion disposable cups every year – that’s 5,000 every minute. Introducing Stojo, the convenient alternative to bulky reusable cups and the environmentally friendly alternative to disposable coffee cups. Stojo is collapsible, reusable, ultra-portable and compact, designed for thousands of uses Stojo is a great choice for the planet and your purse! Stojo is BPA free, dishwasher safe and available in two sizes 12oz Pocket Cup and 16oz Biggie.

Auteur Tel: 01869 338751 E-mail: sales@auteurlimited.co.uk

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If You Care kitchen and household products are carefully and deliberately crafted to have the least environmental impact and the lightest carbon footprint possible, while at the same time, delivering the highest quality results. All of the products in the range are made from sustainable, renewable or recyclable resources i.e. FSC certified, compostable. There are no added chlorines or toxins. The packaging is made from unbleached Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) or Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF) cardboard with only vegetable-based inks for printing and non-toxic glues for fastening. All claims are backed by third-party certifications.

Eddingtons Tel: 01488 686572 E-mail: sales@eddingtons.co.uk Web: www.eddingtons.co.uk

Eco-friendly products

Using a re-usable lunch box is a fantastic way of cutting down on non-recyclable food packaging.

There is so much choice in the clic-tite range from Polar Gear. From small containers for yogurt and berries or hummus and crunchy vegetables to multi compartment Double Decker, Duo and Trio boxes making ‘your lunch, your way’ is easy! Made from polypropylene, they are BPA free, dishwasher, microwave (re-heating) and freezer safe. With easy open, latch clips and silicone seals, these boxes perfectly protect lunch until it’s time to eat.

DNC Tel: 01932 836420 E-mail: Sylvie.kent@dnc-uk.com

Cut down on food waste and keep your food fresh up to two times longer.

Tefal’s MasterSeal Food Storage offers perfect preservation: The freshness seal is unique due to an advanced injection mould process, eliminating any gaps –there’s no space for germs to get in, so food stays fresh up to two times longer. Scientifically proven. Tefal’s MasterSeal range is also 100% leakproof, BPA free and Made in Germany. There are even further ranges including Glass, To Go and Micro.

Tefal Tel: 01753 834900 Web: www.tefal.co.uk

GreenPan™ Thermolon™ ceramic non-stick, is natural, made from a sand derivative that does not require the use of toxic chemicals like PFOA or PFAS during the production process. With Thermolon™, 60% less CO2 is emitted during the curing phase of production, compared to traditional coatings. Upcycled stainless steel and aluminium is used whenever possible and many of the GreenPan™ cookware ranges feature the Magneto™ energy-saving induction base. There are three new ranges for 2018, all featuring 5th generation Thermolon™ Infinity Professional and on show at Exclusively Housewares. These include Featherweights (pictured) the first cast aluminium range from GreenPan™.

GreenPan Tel: 01483 255842 Web: www.greenpan.co.uk

We all love our coffees and we’ve got used to drinking more water on the go!

Awareness amongst consumers is rising rapidly about the environmental damage of single use containers. A Polar Gear stainless steel coffee tumbler or quality, re-usable drinks bottle costs less than a week’s take out drinks. From our popular dishwasher safe Aqua Grip 750ml Water Tracker bottle with hourly markings and motivational messages, produced with genuine Eastman Tritan for durability to our Aqua Cool and Fruit Infuser bottles, we have beautiful reusable options for all tastes.

DNC Tel: 01932 836420 E-mail: Sylvie.kent@dnc-uk.com

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Market focus

Ingenious hand-held kitchen tools and gadgets can be small but powerful additions to a kitchen, helping to improve our food flavours and our daily activities thanks to their premium performance.

PH investigated some problem solvers and life enhancers.

Power tools

Inset: Superfood tool: the Chef'n Twist’n Sprout Brussel Sprout Prep Tool from Dexam.

Below left: Spicing up food preparation: Microplane’s 2-in-1 Spice Mill from International Kitchen.

The health-busters Current food trend include a focus on the use of fresh spices with medicinal, antiinflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. As a result, high performance spice mills can be a sought after addition for those who want to maximise their wellness with their diet. Microplane recently launched The 2-in-1 Spice Mill, which has now achieved a Red Dot Award for quality design. Ines Byham, marketing manager of International Kitchen reflects: “Consumers see herbs and spices as totally natural ingredients, and some, such as turmeric, cardamom and cinnamon, as having significant health benefits. At the same time, the trend towards creating ethnic dishes at home has created a growing interest in spices and a broad selection can now be found in consumer

kitchens. Using fresh, quality spices is one of the easiest ways to transform a 'so-so' dish into something exquisite with a more intense aroma. Experience has also taught us that keeping spices whole for as long as possible ensures better flavour, so for this reason the Spice Mill features a convenient airtight compartment to store whole spices.”

Ines also explains the unique attributes of Microplane’s Spice Mill: “We are the first company to apply photo-etching technology to graters, a process specially designed to create ultra-sharp cutting edges which revolutionised the kitchen grater market. Applying the same technology, the manual-style Spice Mill features the iconic razor-sharp stainless steel blades or teeth which effortlessly grate and grind hard spices such as

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nutmeg, cinnamon, tonka beans and even Indian long pepper.”

Meanwhile, the humble Brussels sprout has gained popularity as a meal-time addition through the year as more consumers realise that it contains more glucosinolates than any other common crucifer, more vitamin C than oranges, and almost twice as much vitamin K as red cabbage. With a downside being preparation time, Chef'n Twist’n Sprout Brussel Sprout Prep Tool from Dexam provides a solution for the crucifer lovers.

Roger Morgan Grenville, director, Dexam explains: “The spike puts a hole upwards through the core (which allows the boiling water in to give more even cooking) and the ‘reverse pencil sharpener’ mechanism swiftly removes the unwanted hard outer leaves.” Having been launched in September 2016, Roger acknowledges that the tool is not just a seasonal favourite: “Sprouts are a super food, and we are selling all year round, but obviously, sales spike at Christmas.”

Roger notes: “There is certainly a market for preparation tools that go above and beyond the usual but they must have a real added benefit and not be a gimmick.

Getting the balance between real USP and a product that might just sit gathering dust on a shelf (virtual or bricks and mortar) is quite an art, and this clever Sprout Prep Tool is a good example.”

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Market focus

Inset: Perfect stirring: the new StirrTime by üutensil.

The timesavers StirrTime is the latest version of the award-winning automatic pan stirrer, Stirr from üutensil. The new model was launched at Ambiente this year and won a place in the show’s Solutions exhibit.

Gavin Reay, üutensil founder acknowledges that Stirr is changing people’s cooking habits: “It’s an extra pair of hands in the kitchen and very useful for those continuous stirring tasks - like making porridge and white sauce.”

The new StirrTime adds the ability to accurately time how long to stir something: “The main feature is the timer which ensures the ingredients are stirred for exactly the right amount of time,” explains Gavin, adding, “Another new feature of StirrTime is the reverse stirr action, which increases the “churn” in the pot, ensuring all the ingredients are mixed to perfection.” He notes that Stirr is appealing to busy cooks and gadget fans: “Once the user has found the ideal sauce and meal they use it religiously.”

Distributor PHA Kitchessentials’ Paul Hargreaves recognises that: “It’s really important to us that we try where possible to have products that do a job

but really tell a story. We have that with three of our brands in particular – Cuisipro, Prepara and Urban Trend.” Paul cites several tools that cut down time spent on food preparation, including the Cuisipro Apple Corer that “is the only one on the market that totally removes the core,” while the brand’s graters “with Surface Glide Technology feature grooves which reduce the resistance between the food and the grating surface, making grating effortless.” Meanwhile, Paul highlights Prepara’s new “onion chopper with stainless steel blades for quick chopping and a blade cleaner and cover for added convenience.” Saving chopping and mashing time, The Urban Trend collection includes: “the Mistral two-way mandolin, which slices in two directions so goes twice as fast, while the potato ricer features extra long handles and a ‘rack and pinion’ system which together make it less effort to mash, with reduced hand and wrist strain,” states Paul.

On the grating theme, Spring Fair saw KitchenCraft’s launch of Masterclass West Blade

graters with ‘revolutionary Microblade technology,’ created by Sous chef, Ben Willis and food-centric designer Joe Dieter. Ben was inspired to invent a high specification grater when he needed to zest citrus for an entire menu. The unique West Blade bi-directional grater cut his preparation time from 45 to five minutes.

Bottom: Tala FSC beechwood mills are designed with simplicity and timelessness in mind. The sturdy metal nut on the mills is “very functional for refilling and it does not role away under the counter if you drop it!” notes George East’s Nick Squire. He adds: “We chose a ceramic mechanism for its great performance and because you cannot damage it if you mis-fill pepper into salt or visa-versa.”

Below: T&G’s Classic Cubic Mills (pictured) are a popular introduction. Meanwhile, T&G’s bestsellers include Capstan acrylic mills and CrushGrind Tip Top mills, both offering consumers the confidence of a lifetime mechanism guarantee.

Always at hand: long-serving mills Two manufacturers of salt and pepper mills reflect on the importance of this duo for cooks and diners. With reference to Tala, Nick Squire, md of George East notes why mills must combine equal measures of aesthetics and functionality: “If you cook at home and season foods, salt and pepper mills will be one of the most used pieces of kitchen and table top equipment. A mill is one of the most tactile pieces of equipment we use, so it needs to feel and look great. There is a form of ceremony in seasoning your food before eating; it’s the finishing touch and therefore it needs to feel special. In short it needs to be functional, comfortable and beautiful.”

Jenny Handley, head of marketing at T&G concurs that mills often “take pride of place on the dining table” and that “design, function and quality are more important than ever as consumers are keen to demonstrate their culinary skills and men in particular are happy to show off their latest gadgets.” Jenny also observes that consumers are realising that ‘value’ can equate with investing in a product with longevity. She states: “We are changing from a throwaway society to one which cares about the environment and wants to look after things, and this is where T&G’s lifetime mechanism guarantee becomes an important selling tool.” Jenny adds: “This coupled with T&G’s FSC certified mills helps to support the change in consumers’ purchasing habits.”

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Market focus

Handily re-imagined EasyDo Products has “reinvented” the washing-up brush with its new Dishmatic Glide. The brush boasts a unique patented design, with a sleek and curved appearance, ergonomic handle, and a combination of non-scratch plastic staggered bristles and blades.

Daniel Neumann, joint managing director of EasyDo Products describes Glide as “a washing up tool that is stylish and efficient.” He comments: “We’ve worked hard to develop the next generation dish brush for a category that has seen very little change over the years. We are confident that Dishmatic Glide will bring much needed added value and innovation to out-dated dish brush design.”

Daniel also points out that: “Dishmatic Glide’s innovative brush head reduces the risk of food getting trapped in its own bristles. It goes above and beyond standard levels of dish brush hygiene as food residue is less likely to get trapped and can be easily removed from the dish brush." Glide can be washed under running water or in the dishwasher.

Showcased at Spring Fair earlier this year, I-swift’s Vacuum Pump from Chartlink International is “the most compact and practical vacuum sealing machine on the market,” claims Chartlink’s md, Nicholas Barker. The gadgets fits into the palm of a hand, is rechargeable and “works 240 times before needing to recharge," explains Nicholas. Vacuum sealing extends food life considerably, for example keeping refrigerated cooked meat from up to five days to 18-20 days or berries from up to six days to two weeks, according to I-Swift’s guidelines. The brand also provides a tip to save polishing silver cutlery by wrapping it in cloth or paper and vacuum sealing to prevent tarnish from air and moisture.

Top right: Chartlink International’s Abby Zhou demonstrating the I-Swift Vacuum Pump at Spring Fair.

Above: Designed and manufactured in the UK, Dishmatic Glide comes in stylish white, pink or blue.

Clever ideas: from Chicago’s Inventor’s Corner RJ Batts of Picklehead, the youngest inventor to exhibit in Chicago’s International Home + Housewares Show’s Inventors Corner, was back at the show for his second year (now aged 15), and brought PH up to date with his invention, the Tip Tough. RJ had created the tool to stop his dad, a chef, from cutting his fingers at work.

TipTough is now selling in retail stores,

Right: Teenage inventor, RJ Batts with his Tip Tough – now with retail clip strip packaging – at the recent IH+HS. Left: Steven Audet with the SWIP Spatula at IH+HS’ Inventors’ Corner.

through wholesales and online in the US, while several restaurants have invested in the tool to keep employees safe from knife cuts. RJ explains: “Just last year my mother and I participated in the HSN American Dreams Academy in Washington DC. This was a two-day intensive program for entrepreneurs and we made great networking connections that continue to help grow our business.

For the first quarter of 2018, we have matched the sales of 2016! We have only been in business two years. This summer we hope to break on a national scale because we have taped a CBS TV show that will feature Tip Tough.”

He adds: “We continue to get interest

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from UK and European retailers again at IH+HS. They love the design and functionality of the Tip Tough. We do not have an overseas representative yet but we are going to be carried on Amazon.uk.” Meanwhile RJ has another kitchen invention in the pipeline to “solve a problem and make life easier.”

SWIP Spatulas from Edge Design Global was another tool that grabbed buyers’ attention at the IH+HS Inventors’ Corner.

Founder and president of Edge Design Global, Steven Audet reports: “What inspired us was an existing concept which was a full 360 whisk cleaner and could only be used with a matching whisk. Our concept allows a two-in-one function for usage as a regular kitchen spatula, and whisk cleaner.” He adds: “Our patented shape, it allows to be used for all shapes of whisks.” The dual-purpose spatula and whisk cleaner was launched at Ambiente via EU distributor, Daudignac, based in France.

Also in Inventors Corner, the Rapid Slicer was a finalist in the IHA’s gia (Global Innovation Awards) for product design.

The gadget was invented by Rob Fox to help his wife Cindy when she had tried to slice a handful of cherry tomatoes at once with a method she had seen online. Rob created the new tool in his basement workshop; Rapid Slice enables you to cut around 24 cherry tomatoes, olives, grapes or other small fruits at one time and in seconds.

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T ls&Gadgets

Mason Cash Innovative Kitchen Utensils have been designed for multi-functionality and comfort. Each of the seven tools has two or more uses, making them the perfect space savers for your kitchen drawers. Use your Innovative Kitchen Spatula to create beautiful cupcakes with minimal mess; using the spatula to stir your mix and the jar scraper to decorate.

For perfect portions, you can use the Innovative Kitchen Spaghetti Spoon to measure portion sizes, serve, and stir up a savoury dish.

Rayware Tel: 0151 4861888 E-mail: seank@rayware.co.uk

The user-friendly alternative to a traditional mandolin. Effortlessly grate carrots, beetroot, apples and chocolate. Slip-resistant silicone feet and additional cut-outs ensure superior safety and maximum usability. The grater also comes with a protective shield meaning it can be stored safely, saving all its sharpness for food prepping Burton McCall Tel: 0116 234 4600 Web: Web: www.burton-mccall.co.uk Colourworks Classics is a new collection of tools, gadgets, accessories and melamineware, displaying unique features and elements of multi-functionality throughout. Offering an alternative palette to the original and vibrant Colourworks Collection, the collection features four subtle on trend kitchen tones – English Sage, French Grey, Vintage Blue and Antique Cream, all perfectly co-ordinating with KitchenCraft’s other collections including Living Nostalgia.

KitchenCraft Tel: 0121 604 1111 E-mail: sales@kitchencraft.co.uk Web: www.kitchencraft.co.uk

Add seasoning to soups, salads or family meals with Tower’s stylish Rose Gold-accented Salt and Pepper mils.

These easy to use one-button mills are equipped with an LED light on the base, which illuminates when in use, and an acrylic viewing window, which allows you to monitor levels and refill when required, A soft-touch rubberised body with elegant rose gold accents makes the mills both stylish and comfortable to use, and an ideal complement to your Tower Rose Gold kitchen.

Tower Tel: 0333 220 6070 Web: www.towerhousewares.co.uk Punching out the flavour from your garlic is Stellar’s new Garlic Press SA57. This classic stainless press squeezes the garlic through the wholes with ease and expresses a fine garlic mash ready to flavour your dishes. Effortless to use and Comfortable to hold, you are assured that you will get the most out of every clove.

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Retailer focus

Adding ingredients Inset: A class in action at Cookmate Cookery School.

P

artly the result of a renovation project, the opening of Cookmate Cookery School is largely due to the changing retail environment where experiences take more of a priority. In the opinion of Cookmate’s co-owner, Caroline Gregory consumer attitudes to the high street have changed quickly, with the last two years seeing “massive change in how consumers view retail.” Caroline observes that: “Retailers had it quite easy for some time but now you need to be reinventing what you offer everyday.”

It was around six years ago when Cookmate introduced events to inspire and educate its customers. Caroline reflects: “We realised that we’re selling beautiful, middle to top end equipment in our cookshop but people don’t understand it. For example, they question why they need to buy an expensive knife.”

She continues: “To sell a premium product needs more than just seeing it.” So, Cookmate started to host product demonstrations once a month, showing

consumers exactly why their products are worth investing in. The back room of the shop was regularly transformed with 24 chairs set out and an atmosphere that Caroline describes as “great fun.” Releasing event dates six months in advance, the demonstrations were routinely fully booked. However, Caroline acknowledges: “It became rather like a club, with the same people booking, and once they had bought what they needed, they were not going to buy again, so we had to widen our audience.”

Cookmate Worcester recently opened Cookmate Cookery School to rave reviews. As the city’s only cookery school, Cookmate offers a host of cooking courses, parties, dining experiences, corporate packages and venue opportunities. PH asked owner, Caroline Gregory how she hopes ‘adding food with a twist’ will boost her business.

Having bought Cookmate’s building in 2011, Caroline was well aware that the listed premises needed work, including internal plastering, having been “untouched for around 30 years.” She and co-owner, Andrew saved for six years to create a renovation fund. When plans started to come into fruition, Caroline questioned: “Why are we spending all this money on rooms that aren’t going to be seen?” Cookmate therefore condensed its stock into a smaller room (also in line with the shop’s evolving approach to retailing – see breakout) and used the upstairs space for the new Cookery School.

Getting to the point of opening has had its challenges.

“Every step of the way has taken a lot longer than thought; it took 18 months just to get the go ahead for interior changes due to the listed building status,” Caroline reports.

Working together Caroline recognises that it is now vital for housewares suppliers and retailers to work in partnerships, particularly when suppliers “are going in the direction of their own web shops” at the risk of ending up “with no windows and no showrooms for products – you can't touch, feel and try, and ask experienced staff on the web.” She states: “Suppliers who aren’t willing to collaborate with retailers won’t survive, but also, retailers can’t be too demanding – it has to work two ways. We need them and they need us.”

Henckels and Robert Welch are among suppliers that have helped with the establishment of the Cookmate Cookery School. Caroline adds: “I simply wanted to use the very best equipment in the school.”

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Above: Caroline in the Cookery School.

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Retailer focus

Inset: Well-stocked – a view of Cookmate Worcester.

Below left: Homely fixtures inside Cookmate.

Talking shop Gathering together a “family of chefs” has involved a great many interviews as, “a good chef is not always a good demonstrator, teacher and host.” While spending has been kept “as tight as possible,” Cookmate has had the support of a business growth grant from Worcester City Council to help in the development of the Cookery School’s website. Housewares PR expert, Pam Ballone has also helped with web development and marketing. The local Chamber of Commerce has also been “very supportive,” for example, providing a prime spot for Cookmate in a recent businessto-business expo in order to promote the Cookery School’s corporate events.

Cookmate goes along to local networking events and recently hosted a ‘Women in Business’ evening, which included sushi

Caroline has been in the housewares industry for 24 years and took over Cookmate Worcester with her husband and business partner, Andrew in 2006. “We grew the business and maintained this for a long time,” Caroline reflects. “In the last couple of years we have seen trade drop but we are not faring too badly compared to other retailers. There has been investment in Worcester and there are not many empty units in the High Street and Broad Street, where we are. Our footfall is not as good as it was but it’s still on a par with the High Street.”

Caroline acknowledges that, since the spiraliser, there has not been a “latest thing” in housewares.

However, to reflect the changing role of the kitchen (as a home hub and somewhere to “show things off”) Cookmate is adapting its approach to merchandising. “We have more lifestyle displays and more of a mix of categories to convey how things might look in your own kitchen,” explains Caroline. The shop also stocks an increasing number of gift lines as, Caroline notes, “Even if they don’t spend on themselves, people still buy lovely products for their friends.”

Another major change is a “buy less but more frequently” approach so that there is a constant, fresh turnaround of stock. “I used to do a monthly buying budget, based on weekly sales analysis, but now I do a daily budget and daily analysis,” Caroline reports.

Caroline does not believe that high street retailing is going to disappear; “People still want to do things like meet friends and wander round the shops.

We need to supply the inspiration and the experience for them.”

making lessons in the new school.

With the business market a key focus, the school offers team building, corporate entertaining and training challenges that might conjure up themes from popular TV programmes (such as MasterChef, The Apprentice or Dragons' Den). Caroline is also passionate about offering a service that brings a more balanced to approach

Above: Dining experience: dinner is cooked as guests watch.

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to work and life by “building a really nice corporate course on wellbeing – we are talking to a nutritionist and a life coach on what we can do together.”

Cookmate’s wide variety of courses include Knives Skills, Artisan Breadmaking and Dinner Parties Made Easy, and the overall aim of the Cookery School is to be both “fun and educational.” Caroline states: “We would like to become a school of excellence and be a place to launch new products both for trade and consumers.” One of the school’s many purposes will be as a venue where housewares suppliers can present products to both retail customers and consumers, as well as train their teams.

Parties (such as special birthdays and hen parties) can be tailored to a broad spectrum of themes including street food, sushi making, Indian, Italian and Free From. Meanwhile, Private Dining experiences enable customers to watch a demonstration and then enjoy a meal with a glass of wine, which, Caroline recognises, “Some people prefer to a cookery class.” She acknowledges that: “The school has to work hard to get back what we’ve invested,” and, like retailing, needs to continually reinvent and offer fresh ideas.

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Retailer focus

Re-introducing a café on the first floor of Dinghams in Salisbury is bringing footfall through the shop, as well as creating a buzz in-store. PH talks to director, Becca Hardingham about how the cookshop’s foodie offering is helping, particularly at a time when footfall has slowed down in the city.

Café society D inghams Café, on the first floor of its Salisbury cookshop, has just launched its summer menu, with a range of “hearty salads”. The café opened in July 2017, offering tea and delicious locally-made cakes as well as the “best coffee in town,” notes Becca Hardingham, who, along with other family members, took over the running of the shop from her grandmother and aunt, Ann and Sarah Hardingham. However, the upstairs cafe is not a new idea – it was at Dinghams, Salisbury some 12 years ago, and “People would still come in and ask if the café was still there!” notes Becca. She continues: “Customers are really happy it has opened again. The café brings a nice atmosphere to the shop.”

With large windows that overlook the market place, the bright café now welcomes many regulars who can enjoy watching the world go by. “Retail’s always changing but this is a way to bring people in the shop,” says Becca, adding: “Even if they are not buying something from the shop, they see what’s there as they pass through, so if they need a present or something for their own kitchen, they know where to come!” Naturally, everything that is used in the café, from mugs to cake stands, is on sale.

The menu is “progressing slowly,” with the addition of cream teas, warming soup and rolls over winter, healthy smoothies and an alcohol license. Fridays feature a tempting “toastie and tipple.” However, Becca is mindful of using the café space to its full capacity, including out of shop hours. Recent events include a chocolate masterclass and a hen party with afternoon tea and bubbly. “It is an ideal venue for workshops, evening events, baby showers and birthday gatherings,” notes Becca. Supper Clubs are in the pipeline; a “taster with friends and family”

received lots of positive feedback. “We need to keep adding fresh ideas,” she adds.

Unfortunately, the past two months have seen retailers in the city of Salisbury suffer due to lower footfall as a result of the nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter on March 4. Prime minister Theresa May visited Dinghams in the aftermath, meeting members of the Hardingham family and staff, and the council introduced free parking as a lure for shoppers. On April 20 (as the city’s decontamination started), Becca was a spokesperson for Salisbury, interviewed for BBC TV and Radio news on the continuing effects on retail.

Becca reports: “It’s been pretty tough in Salisbury and we are quite close to the scene. People who live here are coming and going, but the incident has affected people from outside; if they don't have to come in to the city, they are not coming.” She continues: “Free parking in town helped for a couple of weeks but overall the city has been very PROGRESSIVE

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quiet.” Becca does not welcome continued media focus as, she notes: “The longer this goes on, the more serious it seems.”

However, despite the extra challenges, there has been plenty of activity at Dinghams in both Salisbury and the Winchester branch, with the opening of Salisbury’s new first floor Home Emporium – featuring home furnishings and accessories as well as lighting in a lifestyle setting, plus the launch of the retailer’s first ecommerce site in April.

At the cookshop’s Winchester branch, there are no plans to add a café, as it is situated next to a busy restaurant that also encourages footfall. But in Salisbury, adding food – and continuing to broaden the menu – is having the desired affect of making mouths water, getting customers talking and giving regulars a reason to keep coming back for more.

Top: A view of Dinghams Café.

Centre: A hearty afternoon tea at Dinghams.

Inset: Becca Hardingham in Dinghams.

Shop Talk.qxp_Grid 18/05/2018 15:30 Page 2

ShopTalk Guest columnist: Amanda Hinton of K is for kitchen in Watlington

Below top left: Amanda in the doorway of K is for kitchen.

Below centre: Risotto, as made at K is for kitchen.

Bottom left: An interior view of K is for kitchen.

Food glorious food T

he mixing bowls, chopping boards and wooden spoons that fill the white wood shelves in the shop, are also in our kitchen. If a customer wants to see how easily a kettle or teapot pours we fill it with water for them to try.

If they want to check how well a pepper mill grinds, we fill it with peppercorns. The KitchenAid is often in action as well as on display, and the Swedish dishcloths that are sold in the shop are also used to wipe up the cake crumbs on the counter. K is for kitchen is a living shop: customers are inspired to make their kitchen like ours.

And when customers come in for the perfect cake tin, the best pan or simply a can opener, we chat about what they are going to cook and often swap tips and recipes – just as a friend might when calling in for coffee.

At K is for kitchen, we love talking about food. And we love cooking! Wednesday is baking day. AGA chef, Wendy comes in to cook food orders for dinner parties and celebrations. Parmesan pastry is rolled out, soufflés are prepared and tray bakes are cooked. Quiches are in regular demand and almond-topped apple crumbles are often put in the freezer for the weekend. The original idea was to build up a supply of dishes to sell from our freezers, but the food rarely gets that far. The sight of that golden yumminess and the wonderful smell as you open the shop door is hard to resist.

As well as cooking food in the shop, we have cookery events throughout the month. K is for kitchen works with three

Kitted out with a real kitchen, designed by my brother, Tomas Kitchen Living, K is for kitchen is more than a cookware shop.

From the warmth of the AGA down to the Quooker tap over the kitchen sink, food is at the heart of K is for kitchen.

local cookery schools, from a nutritionist to an award-winning Italian chef. Last week CiCi CoCo Cookery School made wild garlic risotto. Next month, Ros and Hen are demonstrating a whirlwind of ideas for the perfect picnic – just in time for Henley Regatta.

The cookery events are ticketed, and run over a lunch-time or early evening and include food tastings, recipes to take home and usually a glass of something restorative. It is a lot of fun and gives the shop a real buzz as well as making it smell delicious.

K is for kitchen also makes lunches to order. Monday sees stacks of wooden trays filled with bite size sandwiches go round to the local architects for their weekly meetings. We stock Cook Ready Meals too – even the keenest PROGRESSIVE

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cook deserves a night off and Cook food is just about as good as it gets when it comes to ready meals. During the winter we often put a Cook Beef Bourguignon or Chicken & Ham Pie in the AGA for a warming office lunch.

Come summer time, we serve the best Italian ice cream and fresh fruit sorbet by Marine Ices (sold in take away tubs or by the scoop in a wafer cone). Salted Caramel is a firm favourite. And whenever there is a spare moment, the KitchenAid whirrs up cookies, cakes and brownies. You usually feel hungry at K is for kitchen – but not for long, as something to nibble is passed around.

A visit to K is for kitchen is experiential. With the focus on food, we appeal to all the senses from the sight of a freshly baked pistachio cake to the sound of the AGA door swinging open.

We avoid packaging so that customers can touch the things they are buying, whether it is a cotton tablecloth or an olive wood spatula. And then there is the smooth feel of our Tomas Kitchen with its curvy island and Corian surface. But most important are the delicious cooking smells. Quite often, customers say, they don’t usually like shopping but they love coming to K is for kitchen whether it is to find the perfect present, stock up on jam jars or buy a state of the art frying pan.

44 Holly From the front line PH MayJune 2018.qxp_Layout 1 21/05/2018 17:08 Page 1

Holly Wilson’s

From The Frontline

Taking stock

Left: Sunny days at Holly's Prep Cookshop, Stoke Newitngton - with new store manager, Janeta outside.

Below: Sunny door open days at Richard Dare in Primrose Hill, North London.

Summers here! Or is it? Who can say? As predicted, we had that crazy out of the blue hot week. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I still wasn’t prepared - still aren’t! It feels like you might jinx it if you utter the words “BBQ” or “melamine picnicware” so I live in denial, almost happy to be unprepared, but able to bask in the sunny warmth!

I

’ve just come back from a long weekend with my best friend in Istanbul - nothing to do with work and I’m even more behind than normal but it was good to get away for a bit. Sometimes running your own shop solo can feel relentless and this felt like a magical break from the day to day.

So, now I’m back I feel a renewed energy to get on with some stuff. My trip coincided with Pulse so this year I haven’t attended. It’s a 'nice to do' show but not really a cookshop show.

That said, it's always hard not to visit just in case you miss something amazing!

My new store manager for Prep started last month and she’s still settling in but this is about to make a massive difference to my life - so I keep saying; no pressure Janeta! I just need some reliable wifi and my ‘empire’ will begin to run much more smoothly! My house has terrible wifi, the shops are barely any better, and the pub beer garden appears to have the best wifi in town at the moment.

I’m not sure that is great for productivity, but my tan is pretty

good though as I write this from said beer garden.

Now that my team is settling I am focusing on Trouva. My internet sales are not what they could or should be - stock room space is an issue so that is my next focus. I have just had to move out of my storage unit for Prep, which I shared with a local cafe. It wasn’t close enough to the store to be useful so wasn’t worth the money but it has left me in a bit of a pickle. We are at capacity of stock we can hold at all times but for some items it is just not enough to cover shop and Trouva sales without updating the Trouva stock hour by hour. I was hoping that they would partner with my POS system but this is looking unlikely so I may need to look at a compatible partner or setting up my own Shopify website. I’m not ready to do that though so for now I just need to spend a bit of time making it work for me with the resources I have and then work on a plan for later in the year to try and smooth the process and make it less labour intensive. I am also hunting high and low for a useful storage unit but in PROGRESSIVE

London that is hard to find without an enormous price tag.

It is also time to start thinking about the up coming shows.

Exclusively is around the corner and that is always a great show for me and on my doorstep. I will get to take both of my store managers for a day each so it is a good moment to take stock of what we’re doing and what we need to do for the second half.

I was also starting to plan the September shows with one of my suppliers this morning. It is time to think about booking Paris for Maison et Objet and trying to work out how to do that and Top

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Drawer as they totally clash on the same weekend. It is pretty tough doing those two shows back to back as it is easy to get ‘show blind.’ Keeping your focus is a challenge but I like to do them both just to make sure we have covered everything.

Wedding season is upon us so I’m off to stock up on platters and beautiful serving spoons and all things gift-able. Happy selling and see you all at Exclusively!

Holly Wilson is the owner of Prep Cookshop in Stoke Newington, and acquired the long established cookshop, Richard Dare in Primrose Hill last year.

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Pictured is the Zoku Naughty and Nice large word Ice cubes maker – put some fun into your drink with these easy to remove ice cubes. For that naughty (or nice!) person you know. The mold makes eight large word ice cubes. Simple to fill and freeze and even simpler to remove – invert the mold and push the cubes out with real ease. Made from the highest quality food safe BPA free silicone. Eight ice cubes per tray.

Burton McCall Tel: 0116 234 4600 Web: Web: www.burton-mccall.co.uk

The new ‘Bar’ boards from T&G will add a little bit of fun this Christmas, choose from Gin, Cocktails and Prosecco boards, the perfect board to your tonic! Made from hevea wood, use these quirky boards for cutting lemon and limes for gin and tonics, fruit for cocktails and even serve nibbles to enjoy a glass of prosecco! A practical, eye catching board for everyday use which will be treasured for years to come, just the perfect Gift this Christmas!

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

The must-have festive trends for 2018 are epitomised in these new Christmas designs from Tradestock, which feature across placemats and coasters. Both Christmas Treats and Rustic Christmas exude a handmade craft style with exquisitely crafted decorations and a festive wreath made from edible goodies set against rustic natural backdrops. Both designs, which are being launched at Exclusively Housewares in London in June, are perfect for bringing a warming creative charm to the festive table.

Tradestock Tel: 01823 661717 E-mail: sales@tradestockltd.co.uk Web: www.tradestockltd.co.uk

Judge introduces the humble but effective Judge Latte Frother. For hot latte coffee, add milk to the container, and microwave to the desired temperature. Then attach the frothing mechanism and pump to create delicious foamed milk in a matter of seconds. For milkshake – repeat as above but omit the microwave stage. The clear borosilicate glass is scratch and thermal shock resistant. Cleanliness is assured as every element of the unit can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Horwood Tel: 01179 400000 E-mail: sales@horwood.co.uk Web: www.judgecookware.co.uk

Stellar has created a collection of kitchen tools that combine the attraction of copper with the unsurpassed functionality needed in the contemporary home. Constructed from a food safe finish, each item in the Stellar copper collection has been designed to perform peerlessly (even with wet hands). The copper will not tarnish or lose its sheen. The collection includes a Corkscrew,Y-Peeler, Garlic Crusher, Nut Cracker, Ice-cream Scoop and Pizza Knife; each finished with absolute attention to detail and sold with a lifetime guarantee.

Horwood Tel: 01179 400000 E-mail: sales@horwood.co.uk Web: www.judgecookware.co.uk

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What's Cooking For Outdoor Dining.qxp_50-51 22/05/2018 11:33 Page 1

What’s Cooking?

FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS? As we look forward to summer, four housewares stockists reveal some bestsellers for outdoor cooking, dining and entertaining, as well as picnics and outdoor pursuits.

Liz Lawson, managing director, Lawsons This historic family business dates back to 1904 and has four independent department stores in Devon as well as an online shop.

Ultimate BBQ Pan from Neat Ideas

This pan sells from the TV – it is very popular and an easy sale.

Fairy Lights 100 LED Battery Operated from NOMA

Don’t put away your Christmas lights; everyone is decorating their gardens, parasols, trees and fences!

Big Fork from New Soda

Our new favourite gadget company - this fork will work well inside and out, on the BBQ or serving up.

Bamboo Picnicware from REX

‘Plastic Free’ is what it’s all about. This range is durable, sustainable and recyclable!

Palm Leaf Plates and Wooden Cutlery from Fallen Fruits

Entertaining this summer? No washing up and this can be thrown away with the food!

Skewers - 100 Bamboo from KitchenCraft

This is a perennial best seller.

Right: The Big Fork from New Soda is a great gadget for cooking and serving .

Right: The perfect pan for those summer BBQ’s Neat Ideas’ Ultimate BBQ needs no introduction.

John Simcox, owner, The Moorlands Cookshop, Leek A family run business with a small shop established in 1976 in the market town of Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands, stocking a wide range of kitchenware, cake decorations and handmade gifts.

Corn Holder Set from Kuhn Rikon

These corn-on-the-cob holders are good accessories for the barbecue season. This brightly coloured yellow and green corn shaped set are popular for us.

Cook & Eat Corn Skewers from Zodiac

As above, this plastic and metal set of six reusable corn skewers is another popular choice for eating outside in the summer.

Le ‘Xpress Insulated Travel Mugs from KitchenCraft and Thermal Mugs from Grunwerg

Essential for hot drinks outdoors and on the move – people are shying away from non-recyclable coffee cups now they are aware of the waste they cause. Coffee shops are also offering incentives to customers that bring their own mugs.

Coolmovers Sports Bottle from KitchenCraft Cook & Eat Barbecue Skewers from Zodiac

A smart, lightweight bottle that is good for walkers, joggers and cyclists as it fits into a drinks holder.

BBQ Tongs and Fork from Kuhn Rikon

We stock various sizes; these are barbecue essentials and will sell when the sun comes out!

Good quality, stainless steel locking tongs with a long handle – these are easy to use and customers can buy a fork to match.

Right: A popular item for BBQ’s and general outdoor dining. Eating corn-on-the-cob has never been easier.

Right: KitchenCraft’s Le ‘Xpress Insulated Travel Mug makes light work of travelling with your favourite hot drink. No mess, and easily re-fillable.

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What's Cooking For Outdoor Dining.qxp_50-51 22/05/2018 11:33 Page 2

What’s Cooking?

Kim Foster, owner, Copperfields of Whitstable Established in 1956, this family run cookware and homeware business takes pride in providing a personal service for regulars and visitors in the seaside town.

Oyster Knife from Taylors Eye Witness Salad Bowl from Guzzini

On the coast at Whitstable, these oyster knives are always in demand. Handmade and kind to the hand!

Stylish, colourful, unbreakable and wonderful for the garden party.

Kilner Drinks Dispenser from The Rayware Group

Great looking trendy retro style and ideal for the BBQ party

Sistema Drinks Bottle from Dexam

Ideal for the gym, running, cycling and outdoor sport. Lightweight drinking bottles - easy to use and keeping you hydrated.

Stow Green Peter Rabbit Cake Stand from Eddingtons

For those summer outdoor tea parties. Stylish and well designed and a fun talking point.

Seafood Crackers from KitchenCraft

An essential item on the seafood table, easy to use and colourful in red.

Right: The essential tool for seafood this summer KitchenCraft’s Seafood Crackers.

Right The quintessential British tea-party is a summer tradition, and Stow Green’s Peter Rabbit Cake Stand brings an element of stylish tradition, as well as cute fun.

Left: This Kilner Drinks Dispenser will add glamour to your party or event. Serve up a selection of fruit drinks or your favourite summer tipple and impress your guests while you’re at it.

Matt Fendall, director, Essentials of Hazlemere The family run shop stocks cookshop and housewares alongside other ‘essentials’ such as garden and DIY products, and prides itself on quality, value and service.

Top Bloke Mugs from History & Heraldry Citronella Candles from Prices

These enamel camping mugs are perfect for outdoors and have names and occupations (including Teacher) on them. They are extremely popular now and we expect to sell even more towards the end of term and over the summer.

We have a stand and the whole range sells well to keep bugs away for barbecues and outdoor dining.

Ultimate BBQ Pan from Neat Ideas

This pan with holes in it is perfect for adding a barbecue flavour to all sorts of food.

We have this on a TV in the shop which attracts huge sales.

Smart Solar Lights from Smart Garden Products

We sell loads of solar lights for people who like to eat and entertain outdoors, as well as the Solar Silhouettes animals, which create a pretty pattern on the ground.

We also do well with Smart Garden’s hand-painted folding tables – perfect for enjoying a drink in the garden. They can be folded for easy storage when the weather is not so good.

Navigate has some amazing designs in its range of insulated cool bags, including the Summerhouse Seville (orange pattern) family and personal coolbags. The innovative ‘Cool Stool’ - aka the Summerhouse Coast Navy Seat Cooler - is also very popular as you can fit 12 bottles of beer inside and use it as a seat – perfect for the beach.

Hand-Painted Glass Table from Smart Garden Products Cool Bags and Seat Cooler from Navigate

Left: Co-ordinate your picniware with Navigate’s Summerhouse Seville range. Celebrate Summer in style.

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Right: It’s camping season and Top Bloke Mugs from History & Heraldry are a ‘must have’ item . easy to transport and non-breakable - great gift ideas too.

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Whats cooking for the great outdoors DPS.qxp_Layout 1 21/05/2018 17:13 Page 1

Suitable for use both outdoors and indoors, this electric barbecue grill is ideal for camping, caravanning, garden parties and other social events in our great British weather. Equipped with non-stick, Cerastone-coated and perfectly ridged grill plates, this electric grill will give each of your items that authentic grilled look, with none of the mess or smoke associated with coal. The grill comes complete with an adjustable thermostat, which allows you to easily choose and set your preferred temperature, and requires only a simple wipe-down to clean, for added convenience.

Tower Tel: 0333 220 6070 Web: www.towerhousewares.co.uk

Bring the inside out with T&G’s ‘Nordic’ range of storage and serving pieces, perfect for organising any table, dresser, bar, counter top or al fresco dining table! The range is made from acacia wood and comes in two finishes: natural (featured) and white.

Create a casual look and brighten up any outdoor dining experience by using the table caddies, trugs, crates, salt and pepper crates, and long serving boards for serving, sharing and storing. If you like your table setting to stand out, these unique, eye-catching accessories will do just that and also make the perfect gifts.

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

With durable, double-wall construction and Swing Lok® Cap, the vacuum insulated Growlers keep cold beverages cold and carbonated – just how you like them. Your beer, wine and cold-brew have never tasted better.

Whitby & Co Tel: 01539 721032 Web: www.kleankanteen.co.uk

Ceramivac™ technology combines the smooth-fired feel of a ceramic mug with durable stainless steel and Stanley’s legendary vacuum insulation. The proprietary finish means that the mug doesn’t retain stains, taste or odour. This means you can confidently use this mug for coffee, juice, tea, water or even beer over the course of a camping trip without mixing up all those flavours. Stanley’s double wall vacuum insulation means that this 0.47-litre capacity mug/bottle keeps contents hot for six hours, chilled for eight hours or ice for 35 hours.

Burton McCall Tel: 0116 234 4600 Web: Web: www.burton-mccall.co.uk

The Eddingtons award winning and exclusively designed Epicurean “I can’t believe it’s not ceramic” Melamine continues our outdoor dining revolution with 2018 range extensions on our best-selling Rio Medallion table and serve ware range. New for 2018 sees the introduction of our Garden Herbs range to offer our customers a unique premium design, heavier weight and realistic touch and feel which sets this melamine range apart from simpler mass market offerings.

Eddingtons Tel: 01488 686572 E-mail: sales@eddingtons.co.uk Web: www.eddingtons.co.uk

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Whats cooking for the great outdoors DPS.qxp_Layout 1 21/05/2018 17:13 Page 2

Reminiscent of the traditional design used

by Butcher’s in Smithfield Market, this heavy cotton twill range is also available in a contemporary grey. With each piece enhanced by a contrast trim and woven tag, this collection is perfect for outdoor cooking. The longer length apron is wider to cover and protect clothing, with a large front pocket, extra-long waist ties and an adjustable halter neck fastening. The pocket faced pot mitt and smart quilted double oven gloves come complete with rivet and hook for hanging on the BBQ stove.

Stow Green Tel: 01488 686572 Web: www.stowgreen.co.uk

Take meal times to the outdoors, away from the hustle and bustle to a secluded spot with new additions to the Drift collection by Creative Tops. Keeping dining carefree and relaxed, this new Drift tableware is made of lightweight and durable to make it ideal for al fresco dining. A tropical pattern of a rainforest canopy and a striking hummingbird in flight decorates hand-moulded plates and a bowl, while acrylic drinkware with ropestyle embossments is a deep indigo blue.

Creative Tops Tel: 01536 207710 Web: www.creative-tops.com

Whether it be barbecues, traditional Sunday lunch or any other gathering with family and friends the outstanding collection of steak knives, cutlery, carving sets, and barbecue utensils from Tramontina will ensure the most memorable of times. With high quality dishwasher-safe polywood (real wood) handles, which uniquely come with a five-year warranty, the Original Jumbo steak knife and fork epitomises the stylish good looks and high quality of the brand.

Tramontina UK Tel: 020 3176 4557 / 020 3176 4558 E-mail: alexandre.frubel@tramontinauk.com: Web: www.tramontina-churrasco.co.uk

‘Raising Spirits’ from Tradestock embraces the current hot trends for cocktails, mocktails, fizz, gins of all colours and flavours and no end of other tempting tipples. This generous 65cl decorated gin & tonic, along with a whisky snifter, elegant Royal Trumpet fizz, decorated contemporary ladies and gents fizz, and ladies and gents decorated gins, which are already best-sellers in their own right, make up the collection for starters with further lines coming soon.

Tradestock Tel: 01823 661717 E-mail: sales@tradestockltd.co.uk Web: www.tradestockltd.co.uk

Every Summer has a story, and of course a KitchenCraft Spring/Summer launch story wouldn’t be the same without its We Love Summer concept offering fresh new designs. This year the company has two beautiful collections to show off Antigua and Santorini. Inspired by the deep indigo blue tones of the sea and sky, Santorini features on-trend motifs‚ across high performance cool bags, beautifully patterned ceramic effect melamine, bamboo serveware and drinkware, all designed to max out summer living to the full!

KitchenCraft Tel: 0121 604 1111 E-mail: sales@kitchencraft.co.uk Web: www.kitchencraft.co.uk PROGRESSIVE

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new

products

New to the Le Creuset Cast Iron range are two innovative Signature Grills. The 30cm Signature Rectangular Grill features a unique special surface design, split into two parts allowing you to cook different types of food at the same time. Two large easy-grip handles and a compact design make for easy lifting and storage. The 30cm Signature Deep Square Grill offers a bigger capacity and is perfect for roasting big joints of meat for larger gatherings. Deep walls minimise cooking splashes and help enclose juices for making sauces. Spouts on two sides allow for drip-free pours.

Le Creuset Tel: 01264 343 909 web: www.lecreuset.co.uk

Discover striking imperfections of the artisan’s workshop with Aventura by Mikasa. This collection celebrates a hand-crafted look for the table with its uneven shaping and strong colour that spills over edges. Aventura’s reactive glaze creates beautiful depth and a unique pattern for each individual piece, making this collection a stunning visual choice for hosting and entertaining. Each Aventura piece is a quality, durable investment for the home, being made in Europe with the finest Portuguese stoneware.

Creative Tops Tel: 01536 207710 Web: www.creative-tops.com There’s nothing like cooking up a delicious meal and then being able to take the leftovers to work the next day. 2018 sees the launch of Pyrex Cook & Heat glass storage containers, which come with an airtight lid that has two very handy steam valves for reheating. The borosilicate glass dish can be used in the oven up to 300.C and features handles for easy transportation. Cook & Heat comes in a mix of rectangular, round and square shapes and has a 10- year guarantee. Cook it, and reheat it!

International Cookware Tel: 01564 786030 Web: www.pyrex.com

Following the outstanding success of the original Lovello range, KitchenCraft now introduces the next level Lovello. The range features the same key storageware canisters for tea, coffee, sugar and a universal canister, a cake tin, a bread bin and a utensil holder, along with the addition of a whistling kettle. The same distinctive retro styling, soft smooth contours, elevated non-scratch bases and raised mirror polished lettering feature in this new range, but with the introduction of a stylish textured surface across three new fresh colourways - silver, navy and ice white.

KitchenCraft Tel: 0121 604 1111 E-mail: sales@kitchencraft.co.uk Web: www.kitchencraft.co.uk

First previewed at Ambiente and on show at Exclusively Housewares, the ‘stay cool’ extension to the versatile GEM cookware range features the same handles, which are easy to remove with a single click, and are suitable for all hobs, including induction. The glass lids is the real point of difference of this Red Dot award-winning range – they have a silicone edge, an ergonomic handle and two different sized pouring areas for straining small and large ingredients without having to lift the lid. The lid can be positioned vertically on the body of the pan, leaving both hands free to stir and the condensation dripping straight back in to the pan, means less mess on the stovetop.

BergHOFF Tel: 01908 049 345 E-mail: uksales@berghoffworldwide.com Web: www.berghoffworldwide.com

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