Pots and Pans are finalists in two categories at the Excellence in Houseware Awards

We found out this week that Pots and Pans are finalists in two categories at this years Excellence in Housewares Awards. The two categories are Excellence in Direct Retailing and Excellence in Retail Display – Independent. The second of the categories is for the window displays in the St Andrews shop. In case you have you have not had the opportunity to see the shop’s window displays we decided to add pictures of some of the recent displays to our FlickR pages so you can see why they are finalists in this category. Being nominated and subsequently discovering that they are finalists in this category is some recognition for the amount of effort and creativity that goes into creating each individual window display.

The Excellence in Houseware Awards are a joint collaboration between Progressive Housewares magazine and The Cookshop and Housewares Association. They were set up with the explicit goal of recognising ‘innovation, integrity and commitment on both the retailing and supply sides of the housewares industry’. They are the only dedicated awards for the housewares industry. In this industry they are viewed as being the equivalent of the Oscars.

This year the awards are being held on Wednesday the 7th of October at The Royal Lancaster Hotel London, in the words of the invitation they are a “Black tie / Posh frocks” occasion. The funds raised from the raffle on the night will be divided between two charities, Shelter and The Rainy Day Trust.

At the 2008 Excellence in Housewares Awards Pots and Pans won the Excellence in Online Retailing Award. It would be nice to add to that award this year, but we will have to wait and see how we do on the night.

New and expanded ranges

It has been a busy time for us recently, we have been expanding several of the ranges that we sell as well as adding new ranges to our online cookware store. Two of the ranges that we have expanded are Jason Placemats and the range of Australian Women’s Weekly Recipe Books. Since they went on the website we have received numerous requests from customers to expand these ranges, and now we stock more designs of placemats and a greater selection of cookbooks.

Furi Pro Knives is one of the new ranges that we have started stocking. Although these knives were designed for professional chefs they can also be fully appreciated by home chefs. They have been constructed in one piece, this ensures that they are easy to clean. Their handles are a reverse-wedge shape with additional vertical ‘microgrooves’ which prevents the knife slipping forward in your hand even when wet or oily. We expect these knives to quickly become one of our best sellers.

Another new range that we have added to the Pots and Pans website is Eddington Tools. Their White Onion Goggles raised a great deal of interest when they first came into the warehouse. Another ‘unusual’ product from their range is the Banana Guard, which is exactly what it sounds like, a protective case for bananas to prevent them becoming bruised while being transported.

The third new range that we have added is the All-Clad Stainless Steel range. All-Clad cookware has been very popular in the USA since it was introduced in the early 1970s to both professional chefs and home cooks. The stainless steel range itself is All-Clad’s best selling range. One reason for this is the exemplary cooking performance from the three-ply construction - an aluminium centre core clad with stainless steel inside and out, which means that it distributes heat evenly.

Pre order from the new Jamie Oliver ranges

This August will see the launch of a new range of Jamie Oliver kitchen tools and the Jamie Oliver Kitchen Knives range. These are the result of an exciting new collaboration between Jamie Oliver himself and Diethelm Keller Brands who already produce the excellent Jamie Oliver flavour shaker.

Due to the popularity of the other products in the Jamie Oliver ranges Pots and Pans have decided to enable people to pre-order products from the new collections. We are expecting to take delivery of stock at the beginning of August at which time we will fulfil all pre-orders.

Included in the new Jamie Oliver knife range will be a five piece knife block set which we expect will quickly become a best seller. Other highlights that we have already identified in the Jamie Oliver Tools Range include mixing bowls, measuring spoons, whisks, peelers and pepper mills.

All the new products have been developed in an exciting collaboration between Jamie Oliver and Diethelm Keller Brands. Jamie Oliver pointed out that “when we started the project I wanted to be involved at every stage to make sure that this kit would be stuff I was really proud of. I didn’t just want a range with my name on it.”

You can view the products from the new Jamie Oliver Knives range, or the Jamie Oliver Tools range on our website. We also stock the full range of the existing Jamie Oliver ranges which are still available to buy through the Pots and Pans website.

Win a Swift Supreme 5 Piece Pan Set in this month's competition

In this month's competition we are giving away a 5 piece set of Swift Supreme pans. To enter it all you need to do is follow the link to visit the competition page on the Pots and Pans website and then leave your email address.

This Swift Supreme 5 piece set that we are giving away usually has a recommended retail price of £187. It is a 5 piece set consisting of three non-stick saucepans, these being 16, 18 and 20cm saucepans with lids, a 14cm non-stick milk pan and a 24cm non-stick frying pan.

Swift Supreme manufacture their pans using high quality 18/10 stainless steal together with an energy efficient encapsulated base. They are suitable for use with all hob types and come complete with a 25 year guarantee.

It could not be easier to enter the monthly competition, all you need to do is visit the competition page on the Pots and Pans website and enter your email address. We will not pass your email address or any other details to any third parties. There is a frequently asked questions if you would like any more information about the prize draw. This month the draw will close at midnight on the 1st of August. The winner will be notified by email, if we do not receive a timely response then we will draw another winner. Any late entries that we receive will be entered into the following month’s prize draw.