As Middleby Residential opens its flagship showroom in Northamptonshire, group president Najib Maalouf tells Emma Hedges about his vision for the group's portfolio of brands in the UK.
These are challenging times for many in the KBB sector, so it's truly heartening to be invited to a showroom opening and see significant investment being made in the UK kitchen market. Middleby Residential's enhanced 3,000sq ft space in Oundle will serve as the destination store for the group’s premium brands – AGA, La Cornue and Novy, along with products from AGA Cookshop and the AGA Outdoors collection, as well as innovative outdoor cooking products from Kamado Joe and Josper.
What began as an AGA shop now boasts 6 brands and 51 products, including the groundbreaking ERA – the first-ever glass AGA – and the newly launched eR7i, a 100cm cast-iron model that uniquely combines a fan oven and induction hob with the traditional AGA hotplate and cast-iron heat-storage ovens.
Additionally, the showroom functions as a Novy Experience Centre, offering both retailers and consumers the chance to explore a wide range of fully operational Novy appliances and gesture-controlled lighting models. These include the recently launched Easy 90 Prestige vented induction hob with rotary dial controls. Luxury French brand La Cornue is also well represented, with its exquisitely crafted Château cookers displayed alongside the entry level CornuFé models.
"This showroom is a concrete way to tell our story," says Middleby Residential Group president Najib Maalouf. "It’s the first time that in this country people get to see such a collage of Middleby brands. People assume that Middleby is mainly AGA and Rangemaster but we’re a lot more than that. Now people can grasp there’s a French component with La Cornue, and a Belgian one with Novy. The narrative for each one of those is different and a place like this can tell all these different narratives in a cohesive way."
Middleby Residential has used the showroom opening to announce the appointment of its new UK group MD. Former CDA MD Dominic Worsley has joined the fold, bringing with him a wealth of sales and marketing experience at high-profile brands such as Tefal and Disney, and prior to that at Miele, where he led the marketing and retail sales teams, going on the become the first non-German to serve as Miele’s global marketing director. He's tasked with heading up the portfolio of brands that currently includes AGA, Rangemaster, Rayburn, La Cornue, Novy and Josper.
The UK portfolio is set to grow, says Maalouf, and we can expect more acquisitions to happen. "We are an acquisitive company – we are now 21 brands," he says. In addition, some of the US brands are going to be brought to the UK, including Viking and the high-end outdoor cooking brands.
In spite of the UK weather, outdoor cooking, which spiked during the pandemic, is a trend that's gathering momentum over here. "To be successful in selling outdoor equipment you have to address heating – the more you solve the problem of outdoor living the more people will invest in outdoor cooking," explains Maalouf. "In a sense, these 2 have become interchangeable – outdoor living needs outdoor cooking. And it’s not just cooking – eventually you can transport the kitchen outside. So you have outdoor cooling, outdoor refrigeration, cabinetry, ventilation."
When it comes to selling appliances, Maalouf is a passionate believer in experiential retail in the form of cookery demonstrations. "You can challenge people and ask what their favourite dish is, then say: "Let’s cook", and they can then see how it tastes. That’s how you make them believe that this piece of equipment realises their dreams," he says.
In the future with the date yet to be confirmed, he is planning an inspirational "experience laden store" in the London area, with full room sets to help customers envisage the products in situ. He sees a London showroom serving as an asset for retailers, who will be able to use it to their advantage. "It will be more aspirational. As we refine our role in the luxury market, we have to tell our story in the most effective way," he says.
