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Housewares manufacturer Portmeirion Group has revealed the winner of its window display competition, designed to commemorate the 200th anniversary of its Spode brand’s Blue Italian design.
Retailer Cook ‘n’ Dine in Doncaster impressed the judges with its creativity and beat tough competition from many of the group’s stockists across the UK, with only one point separating first and second place.
Depicting Blue Italian for breakfast, high tea and dinner, the kitchenware specialist created ‘an elegant display showcasing the versatile use of the iconic tableware range,’ Portmeirion Group said. It added: ‘Using props including croissants, tarts and mint chocolates, Cook ‘n’ Dine created an imaginative display securing its position as head of the table.’
Home and furniture outlet Wardens of Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland, and homeware specialist Hargreaves & Son of Buxton in Derbyshire, also designed ‘outstanding displays’ and followed closely behind as runners-up.
The judging panel consisted of Portmeirion Group sales and marketing director Phil Atherton, professional merchandiser Janet Billings and Kate Birch of ‘Tableware International’.
Phil Atherton said: “I’m absolutely blown away by the hard work and effort that all the entrants put into their displays. The high standard made the judging process incredibly difficult. However, we believe Cook ‘n’ Dine’s fantastic display showcased the best of Blue Italian, making it a worthy winner.
“We would like to thank all entrants for taking the time to enter the competition and hope that everyone enjoyed celebrating the anniversary of our much loved design.”
Cook ‘n’ Dine will receive £1,000 worth of Blue Italian product, a £250 Portmeirion Group voucher for its merchandising team and a bespoke winner’s plate made at Portmeirion Group’s factory.
Mark Grant of Cook ‘n’ Dine said: “We really enjoyed creating a special anniversary Blue Italian display, so this is the icing on the cake. Our customers were fascinated to find out more about Blue Italian’s 200 year history and loved the new items in the anniversary collection. We’re absolutely thrilled.”
The runners-up will receive £500 worth of Blue Italian stock for their stores and a £100 Portmeirion Group voucher for their efforts.
The competition, which launched on May 1, tasked Portmeirion Group customers with creating a striking display to highlight Blue Italian’s anniversary and its relevance to today’s homes. With no set theme, participants were able to use their imagination to create displays using the design.
The winning display by Cook ‘n’ Dine in Doncaster
