Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
A new cookshop has opened in the Derbyshire market town of Bakewell. Doors opened to the 45sq m premises, called Bakewell Cookshop, on March 16.
The owners are Mark Pilkington and David Kidd, who have been trading online as www.bakewellcookshop.com since early 2012. But the pair have now decided to mix bricks and clicks.
Mark said: “The initial plan was to move into a shop next year but when we saw this space become available, we didn’t want to let the opportunity pass.
“Bakewell has been absent of a cookshop for some time now and with the current trend for baking, coupled with the approaching Bakewell Baking Festival on June 8-9, the timing couldn’t have been better.
“The Mayor came down for our grand opening and he’s been very forthcoming with his support – as has everyone else around the town. They want to see shops opening again and have even braved this unseasonal weather to wish us luck!”
Staffed by a team of three, Bakewell Cookshop is in Hebden Court, a small courtyard comprising several independent stores and a vintage tea room, situated just off Matlock Street. “The traditional buildings, cobbled pathway and the outdoor dining area lend to its unique atmosphere, setting it apart from anywhere else in the town,” said Mark.
Bakewell Cookshop is across two storeys. Downstairs is open and the upstairs space will be used “as soon as the dust settles!” Currently, core product categories are food prep, knives and tableware but these will be joined by more product areas on the first floor, such as cookware and a more extensive range of bakeware, in due course.
Mark says the shop stocks “the usual mixture” of products, alongside professional items for the catering industry. Key brands include Sabatier, Kuhn Rikon, Joseph Joseph, Black & Blum, Kai, Bisbell, Chef’n and Cuisipro.
There will also be a heavy ‘Sheffield Made’ influence owing to business relationships forged in the past by Mark and David, who previously worked at Richardson Sheffield in design and technical roles before starting their own housewares design company TheSource-UK ltd in 2007. Since then they have worked closely with Taylor’s Eye Witness developing its brands, products and Sheffield Made ranges.
