Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The Cookshop & Housewares Association (CHA) celebrated its 21st birthday last month at the Autumn Fair, held at Birmingham’s NEC from September 6-9.
The celebration coincided with the CHA @ Autumn Fair Awards: an annual commemoration of the best housewares and gift products on offer at the show.
A panel of independent retailers, who are members of the CHA (which is a division of bira: the British Independent Retailers Association) voted Kenwood’s K Cook multicooker as Best Product at Autumn Fair. The judges described it as ‘a competitively priced product that allows you to chop, cook and keep warm all sorts of meals’. Runner up was Roots Candles’ scented beeswax candles.The panel particularly liked the family history behind these products.
Neat Ideas unanimously won Best New Product for its ‘cost effective’ Dip & Go product. Kitchen Rax’s range of ‘aesthetically pleasing’ spice racks, came in second place.
Cafflano won Most Innovative Product for its Klassic All in One Coffee Maker, which includes a grinder, filter dripper and tumbler. Runner up was Villeroy & Boch Pasta Passion.
The Best Packaging Award went to T&G Woodware for its tablet stand, which was described by the judges as housed ‘in a well designed box and clearly identifiable’. Runner up was Churchill China for its Three Little Pigs set.
CHA chair Joan Woulfe said: “There were some beautiful products on offer at Autumn Fair and we really enjoyed picking out the best ones. It was a real honour to be involved, especially in the CHA’s special year. I was so pleased to see Kenwood’s K Cook win the best product category as it was a product that I immediately wanted to buy; which is exactly the reaction we want our customers to have.”
Bira ceo Alan Hawkins added: “We’ve been supporting members of the CHA division for 21 years. There was no better place to celebrate this momentous occasion than at the Autumn Fair, where it all began. We were thrilled to see our longstanding members attend the celebrations – not only those who have supported us for the past 21 years but also our newer members – sharing their experiences of the CHA as well as a piece of birthday cake and a glass of bubbly.”
