Hundreds of professionals from across the KBB sector headed to The Pavilion at The Tower of London on Thursday 20 June to celebrate the industry’s collective successes at the fifth annual BKU Awards ceremony.
The 2019 ceremony provided Classic Interiors with plenty of reason to celebrate, with the retailer taking home not one but two prestigious accolades. Firstly, it was revealed that the industry had chosen the company as the Omnichannel Kitchen Retailer of the Year before being honoured in the Best Customer Service category.
As well as being an opportunity to once again toast the industry’s very best brands, retailers and individuals, the ceremony served as a milestone for the scheme itself – with the event marking the fifth anniversary of the BKU Awards, which was launched in 2015 by BKU magazine publisher, Datateam Business Media.
During the opening speech business director Carl Hearnden commented on the journey to this incredible landmark: “When we launched the Awards, we had one aim: to provide an unrivalled platform to recognise the very best in KBB. We hoped that a BKU Award would come to be synonymous with the highest levels of excellence and that it would truly mean something to win one.
“The fact that you are all here today, excited and raring to go after another record-breaking year, is a testament to the fact that we’re doing something right.”
With outstanding people integral to the success of any company, the BKU Awards wanted to honour an incredible individual in the KBB industry that unfortunately passed away in 2019: BA Components’ sales and marketing director, David Caulfield. The Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to David’s family and it was announced that going forward, the accolade would be renamed the David Caulfield Award in his honour.
After settling down for lunch, guests were then treated to a surprise round of comedy from Mock The Week favourite Andy Parsons – thanks to sponsor Virtual Worlds – before the much-anticipated awards presentation got underway.
The ceremony ended with an opportunity for guests to give a little back by taking part in the BKU Awards’ Lottery – a charity fundraiser in aid of the African Children’s Fund, sponsored by VADO. The total amount raised will be announced on social media shortly.
The organisers of the BKU Awards are delighted to have once again been able to celebrate the industry’s successes with those at the heart of the sector, and would like to extend their thanks to the sponsors who make these unforgettable events possible: 2020, Aqualisa, BA Components, BLANCO, Claygate Distribution, Compusoft, Dallmer, Mereway Group, RAK Ceramics, Trojan, Uform, Used Kitchen Exchange, VADO, Vogue (UK) and Virtual Worlds.
For the full list of the 2019 winners and to view a gallery of images from the ceremony, visit www.bkuawards.co.uk.
