10 kitchen highlights we enjoyed at KBB Birmingham 2026

KBB Birmingham celebrated its 40th anniversary with a standout edition for its milestone year – Sally Smith reveals her 10 kitchen highlights from the 4-day event.

KBB Birmingham celebrated its 40th anniversary this year with a buzzing show that attracted a total of 16,000 visitors. A vibrant mix of retailers, designers, developers, manufacturers and installers descended on the 4-day event at the NEC, which took place from 1st to 4th March, to enjoy a concentrated does of non-stop networking. Returning, debut brands and international representation from over 20 countries made up the 320 exhibitors spanning 26 kitchen, bedroom and bathroom categories.

Clearwater introduced 2 taps at this year's show adding to its extensive portfolio. Highlights were the ‘English Bronze’ and ‘Patinated Brass’ finishes extending its heritage ranges, alongside an exciting new category of pull-out taps – Elegance and Broadway – incorporating dual spray functionality and low‑pressure compatibility to a more traditional set-up. The Theocsbury – fluted apron-front sink – a recent addition to the British Classics collection was a stunning focal point of the stand with high volume of visitor engagement.

2026 marked Rotpunkt's 14th consecutive year as an exhibitor at the show and was rewarded with winning the ‘Best Kitchen over 30sqm’ stand design. The company was introducing its new collection of furniture, materials, and décors for the whole home. A focus for the stand was a large media centre that proved popular with visitors along with stylish laundry and utility room set-ups, a home bar area and new bathroom furniture designs demonstrating fully integrated lighting solutions, fluted glass designs and its latest Scandi oak and luxurious metal finishes in ‘Inox’ brass and copper were a definite highlight this year.

InSinkErator returned to the show with a strong message on the stand this year focusing on their ‘Compost Caddy Easy’ strategy. Visitors were keen to understand how the new recycling legislation could affect their business and how the ‘Next Generation’ food waste disposers that are quieter and easier to install could open up new revenue streams. There was a real buzz on the stand with a range of hot water taps on display and a preview of the new LEDefense sink flange that features an LED light that kills 99% of odour-causing bacteria and viruses.

Premium kitchen brand Leicht had a good presence with a stand designed specifically aimed at retailers designing for a smaller kitchen at all price points. It was showcasing its interpretation of the Danish lifestyle concept of ‘hygge’ displaying its ‘walk-in’ corner pantry unit, metallic and satin finishes and 6 new Nordic-inspired colours including a Schlamm pink, subtle moss green and deep Skagerrak blue. Visitors numbers were high, with positive retailer and designer feedback throughout the 4 days of the show.

1810/SCHOCK shared their first stand together at KBB this year – a compact space with the signature Spiral range of classic curved spout taps in an array of colours and metallic finishes on display. The recently launched Mono D 100L Rougeberry extra large sink was beautifully matched with the new Aged Brass tap. Quooker’s boiling hot tap collaboration, with SCHOCK’s Cristadur magnolia toned sink was introduced to retailers, alongside the Hex undermounted handmade bowl with a stainless steel finish offering retailers a broader range of solutions and finish combinations.

Blanco's open-plan stand was visually enticing and was certainly a massive presence on the exhibition floor. The company was introducing the innovative and architecturally striking CHOICE LUNEOO-S 6-in-1 water system and OOVALON soft curved designer sink that attracted a lot of interest from visitors throughout the 4 days of the show. The Partner Zone showcased its latest ICONA-L and ICONA-C next generation taps and retailers were keen to discuss showroom displays with the many sales experts on hand on the stand.

The KBBG (Kitchen Bathroom Buying Group) – the UK arm of Der Kreis – had a stand in collaboration with the KBSA (Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association) with a prominent position attracting plenty of interest. This was the group's first time at the show with Owain Harrsion as MD, and the stand was the ideal opportunity to showcase a selection of supplier partnerships with Liebherr, Miele, Franke, AEG and Schüller products on display. Sumptuous modular banquet seating from Nook Furniture – a new manufacturer to the Group – provided the ideal area for current KBBG retailers and potential new members to discuss the benefits on offer.

Rangemaster launched the latest evolution of its premium Nexus range cooker featuring stylish diamond turned aluminium rotary controls alongside satin finished chrome handles, reflecting the mixed metallics theme seen throughout the show. New to retailers was an ingenious accessory for range cookers – a self adjusting magnetic plinth to hide the adjustable legs. The Whispera, wall-mounted chimney hood, one of 3 in the extraction collection, was introduced to visitors at the show alongside sinks and taps in matching PVD metallic finishes.

Leading distributor and specialist manufacturer Häfele UK announced its new partnership with Miele, displaying some of its premium appliances on one of the larger stands in the show. The key messaging ‘Maximising Storage’ alongside ‘Live, Eat Work’ was echoed throughout the set-ups. The wrap-around interactive displays featured accessible desk units, understairs storage solutions, and sliding sound-proof pocket doors revealing hidden kitchens, utility and bar areas. Lighting was a key focus too, with the launch of smart display and task cabinet lighting at the show.

Hettich’s key message this year was to inspire retailers by illustrating the versatility of its product range with plenty of demonstrations for visitors to fully understand its offerings. An impressive extra-large island took centre stage showcasing the ingenuity of the company's hero product – FurnSpin, a door-free furniture cabinet, with a 180-degree rotating mechanism – initially launched as a bathroom product, and now reimagined for the kitchen, living/office space and as a hidden unit behind sliding wardrobes doors.