cookware Buy once, buy better Bryony Andrews talks consumers and cookware with Kuhn Rikon’s Paul Marchant.


a risk of harm. The issue of non-stick coatings is a complex one. Those arguing against like to confuse Fluoropolymers like those in PTFE with a wide range of non-polymeric PFAS, some of which are of concern. The International Agency for Cancer Research conducted research that noted, “No toxicity was observed in rats fed PTFE for 90 days, even with a level of 25% in the diet” and has ranked PTFE as ‘not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans’.


BA: What is your role at Kuhn Rikon? Can you tell us about your background in the industry? PM: It’s quite fluid to be honest, I look after some key accounts and work on business development. My background is as a retailer (Marchant’s Cookware Emporium), a manufacturer/importer (Hahn Cookware) and as an agent for a variety of top-end kitchenware. I love this industry.


What are consumers looking for in their cookware in 2022? What will be the top trends for the coming year? Quality and versatility. Consumers are much more interested in buying once and buying better. It’s much more sustainable to buy a cooking product that will outlast you and can even be passed on to the next generation, and that’s aside from the pleasure you get every day from using a nice piece of equipment. With smaller living spaces, cookware that performs several functions is also in demand, a straight sided sauté pan for example can be used for frying, stewing, baking, boiling, roasting and serving. Similarly, a decent forged aluminium saucepan is brilliant for baking cakes.


Non-stick, aluminum, and even copper cookware have raised concerns in recent years, accused of leaving trace deposits of chemicals and metals in food. How can retailers reassure customers of the safety of their cookware offering? Some balance is called for here. There’s a lot of disinformation out there. About twenty years ago there were major concerns about raw aluminium, which is a very soft metal. The truth is if you used it day in, day out, cooking lots of acidic foods in raw aluminium, there could be


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Tell me about your cookware offering at Kuhn Rikon - what sets you apart? When we started putting our new ranges together we were determined to look through the eyes of retailers, with the key demand being above all quality, but also a UK-centric range of shapes and sizes, decent margin potential, small pack sizes, a comprehensive and easy to understand guarantee, low carriage paid, and of course, stock availability


The last year or two have been challenging for the industry in many ways - but what were Kuhn Rikon’s highlights of 2021? Any particular successes or achievements? We have managed to keep our office and warehouse operational throughout the pandemic – that’s a real achievement. In September 2020 we took a view on world-wide events and showed courage in committing to high levels of stock replenishment, the benefit of which is now clear!


What can the housewares industry expect from Kuhn Rikon for 2022 and beyond? Our focus for 2022 will be newness and a continuation of our desire to be more sustainable and increase the range of products made in our own factory in Switzerland. Our EIH award Eco Award winning New Life is a great example of this and the range will be expanded in 2022.


Kuhn Rikon is known for outstanding Swiss design - what quality assurance measures do you take?


QA is at the heart of every development from design to materials purchasing, factory audits and constant QC inspecting. Our products are tested in-house and in accredited external laboratories. Our return rate is very small as a consequence.


What are your consistent cookware bestsellers? Allround is our best-selling and most comprehensive range and perfectly suited to Cookshop and department stores. Our new entry-level Classic range in both coated and uncoated is snapping at the heels though!


• HousewaresLive.net • twitter.com/Housewaresnews November/December 2021


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