The only way is Steamer Trading!

The Steamer Trading chain of cookshops enjoyed a big publicity boost last night when it was featured in ITV2’s The Only Way Is Essex.

The series, which is a cross between a documentary and a drama, follows the lives of a group of Essex youngsters and their friends and is filmed only a few days before being broadcast.

So, as Steamer Trading managing director Ben Phillips told HousewaresLive.net, the shop was given very little notice that the producer wanted to use the Brentwood shop in the programme. He was, though, delighted at the outcome.

“It’s a big, big piece of filming in the Brentwood store,” he said. “There’s a very good shot of the outside of the store, and the programme shows them talking about grills and asparagus and so on.

“It’s not a programme I’m a great follower of but I know a lot of people are great devotees,” he went on. “It’s now got 1.5m viewers – it’s one of the most talked-about programmes and it’s incredibly influential as well. We’ll be interested to see what effect it has on Brentwood’s trade!”

One of the visitors to the store was Joey Essex, who now has 500,000 followers on Twitter, and who caused particular excitement – not just at the Brentwood shop but in other branches of the chain. Said Phillips: “The staff are disappointed they’re not working in the Brentwood store because all the staff got to pose with the boy in the short shorts!”