NEWS


August/September 2026 housewareslive.net


Selfridges and Paul Smith bosses call for longer Sunday trading hours R


etail bosses have renewed calls for Sunday trading rules to be relaxed, arguing that allowing larger stores


to open for longer could provide a welcome boost to the UK high street. André Maeder, Chief Executive of Selfridges Group, has called for Sunday trading hours in England and Wales to be extended by two or three hours, saying the current restrictions limit retailers on one of the most important shopping days of the week.


Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994,


large shops in England and Wales are permitted to trade for a maximum of six continuous hours between 10am and 6pm. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Mr Maeder said even a relatively


small extension could make a significant difference to retailers. “I really think even two hours more


would really help, because this is the day that everybody has time [to shop],” he said. Selfridges’ Oxford Street flagship


currently opens for browsing at 11.30am on Sundays, but customers cannot make purchases until midday. Mr Maeder said he would prefer the department store to be able to trade between 11am and 7pm. “We open the store at 11.30am, but you


can’t buy…it’s a little bit crazy,” he added. His calls were backed by Ewan Venters, Executive Chairman of Paul Smith and


former Chief Executive of Fortnum & Mason, who described the existing rules as “antiquated”.


OXO plates up new partnership with MasterChef finalist O


XO has named British chef and content creator Matthew Ryle as its new Chef in Residence, with a five-month partnership set to launch this September. The collaboration will see Mr Ryle create a series of original recipes and cooking


content using products from across OXO’s housewares portfolio. Key categories set to feature include cookware, mandolines, graters and food storage, with the content demonstrating how different products can be used throughout food preparation, cooking and kitchen organisation. Mr Ryle is a classically trained chef who reached the final of MasterChef: The Professionals


in 2018. His career has included time at The Dorchester before becoming head chef at Isabel in


Mayfair. He later launched French all-day brasserie Maison François and has since built a significant social media presence through recipe videos, cooking tips and behind-the-scenes content. The five-month OXO partnership will combine Mr Ryle’s professional cooking techniques with recipes designed to be achievable for consumers at home.


One in four Brits struggle to carve Sunday roast A


lmost a quarter of Brits are struggling to prepare their Sunday roast because of blunt kitchen knives, according to new research from Tormek.


The Swedish knife sharpening specialist surveyed 2,000 UK adults as


part of its ‘Sharpen Up Your Sunday’ campaign, finding that 24 per cent have difficulties with their Sunday dinner because their knives are not sharp enough. The research comes as the traditional roast remains a regular fixture in British households, with 24 per cent of respondents saying they sit down to one every week. However, knife maintenance appears to be falling behind, with 29 per cent of those surveyed saying they have never sharpened their kitchen knives. There could also be a safety issue for consumers. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they had injured themselves while using a blunt knife. Samuel Stenhem, chief executive of Tormek, said: “Blunt knives can be


more dangerous than sharp ones, as they require greater force and are more likely to slip, turning simple kitchen tasks into a potential recipe for injury. “Instead, a truly sharp knife makes chopping, slicing and cooking an absolute joy.”


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