On Wednesday 30th September, hundreds of people from across the housewares industry came together for the Excellence in Housewares Awards 2026. Organised by Progressive Housewares magazine and HousewaresNews.net, the awards celebrates outstanding achievements across the industry.
Why these awards matter to us
The Excellence in Housewares Awards celebrate the retailers, suppliers and individuals who have gone above and beyond over the past year, whether that's creating inspiring shopping experiences, bringing new products to market, building brands, or looking after retail partners day in, day out. This is why supporting them sits so naturally with our ethos of 'by the industry, for the industry'.
What makes these awards so meaningful is how they're decided. Entry is free of charge and judged by industry colleagues, many with decades of experience in the sector.
For BHETA, it was a particularly special evening. Once again, we were proud to sponsor the three Supplier Awards: Excellence in Product Development, Excellence in Marketing and Excellence in Service.
Winners and finalists
Every company shortlisted across the three Supplier Awards has shown the passion, hard work and creativity that make our industry what it is, and we'd like to say a sincere thank you to each of them.
Excellence in Product Development
Winner: DK Household Brands
In a category packed with some of the most respected names in housewares, DK Household Brands stood out for its commitment to innovation.
Huge credit also goes to our fellow finalists, whose innovation made this one of the toughest categories to judge: Captivate Brands, Dreamfarm, Eurosonic Group, Joseph Joseph, Le Creuset, Meyer Group, OXO, RKW and Ultimate Products.
Excellence in Marketing
Winner: Smeg
Smeg continues to set the bar for brand-building in our industry, and coming out on top against such a creative shortlist is no small feat.
Well done to the brilliant brands who shared the shortlist, each of whom brought real creativity and energy to their campaigns this year: DK Household Brands, HAUS, Joseph Joseph, KitchenAid, Le Creuset, Lifetime Brands Europe, Meyer Group, Minky and Ultimate Products.
Excellence in Service
Winner: Meyer Group
Great service is often the work that goes unseen, built on strong relationships and consistency over time, so it's fantastic to see Meyer Group recognised for it. Being shortlisted in all three of our categories says a great deal about the strength of the business as a whole.
We'd also like to recognise the hard work of our other finalists, whose dedication to their customers and retail partners earned them a well-deserved place on the shortlist: Burton McCall, Eddingtons, Horwood Homewares, Joseph Joseph, Kuhn Rikon, Le Creuset, OXO, RKW and Ultimate Products.
A proud moment for the BHETA team
The evening also held a very personal highlight for us. Natalia Ciecierska, from our marketing team, was named a finalist for the Rising Star Award, a brand-new category for 2026 that recognises emerging talent who have been in the housewares industry for up to five years.
We couldn't be prouder of Natalia, her hard work, curiosity and commitment have made a real impact on our marketing department, and this recognition is thoroughly deserved. Congratulations, Natalia, and congratulations to Kitty Rose-Walker on winning this year's Rising Star Award.
A great night for a great industry
Beyond the trophies, the evening was a wonderful reminder of the generosity of our industry. Guests gave generously to the raffle, with proceeds split between The Rainy Day Trust and The Light Fund, two causes that make a real difference to people in and around our sector.
Steve Richardson: "It was a privilege to sponsor the Supplier Awards again this year. Every finalist should be proud of what they've achieved, and we're thrilled for DK Household Brands, Smeg and Meyer Group. Evenings like this show just how much talent and dedication there is across the housewares industry."
Thank you to Progressive Housewares and HousewaresNews.net for organising another brilliant evening, and congratulations once again to all of this year's winners and finalists. We can't wait to see what you achieve next.
Here's to another great year for our industry.
You can see the full list of this year's winners by clicking the link below:
https://www.housewaresnews.net/excellence-in-housewares-awards-2026-the-winners/
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