Paderno and Kitchen Supply

NOTE: Originally targeted for publication March 15, 2009

Gourmet News had an article written by Anna Wolfe this month that gave me a jolt at first. The article lead off with this statement:

As of Jan 1, the kitchenware distributor, Kitchen Supply Co, is the exclusive sales agent of Paderno World Cuisine to the houseware and gourmet cookware industry.

Paderno is my one of my principal suppliers and I was concerned that this relationship could have serious negative implications for Your Smart Kitchen. If we lose access to Paderno's quality line of products, that would be a serious blow as one of my other key suppliers, Gourmet Standard, went out of business last October leaving a big hole in product inventory for the holiday period. Paderno is the supplier of Copper Cookware, Cast Iron Cookware, Stainless Steel cookware and an array of other products.

But as the article goes on, it might not be too bad . . .

Paderno World Cuisine combines the forces of Paderno - an Italian manufacturer of commercial quality food service equipment - with World Cuisine, a California company specializing in importing high quality European-style cookware and accessories.

For more than 80 years, Paderno has manufactured professional cookware and kitchen utensils. The line is distributed to more that 120 countries and has a strong reputation for excellence in the food services and restaurant business.

The issue here is that Paderno is not that well know in the US and certainly does not have the following of competitors such as All Clad or Calphalon even though the quality, flexibility and selection is every bit as good or perhaps even better.

The progress over the last year or so has demonstrated this as well. Both product breadth and material alternatives have expended.

Paderno collaborated with World Cuisine Inc. to extend its line of high-end commercial quality products to 2,600 items. The line includes cookware, tools and utensils, bakeware and bar items.

World Cuisine handles sales to food services and restaurant businesses.

Retailers now have access to the full range of Paderno World Cuisine professional and restaurant quality cookware and utensils through their Kitchen Supply sales representative.

Now the Paderno line of products will get exposed to the retail markets and should have a complementing marketing campaign to support this new channel. Further, the quality and breadth of products is a big advantage for many Chef Wannabee shoppers as stated in the article.

The breadth of the Paderno World Cuisine line is what attracted Ktichen Supply. "For instance, in cookware they offer full assortments of stainless steel, stainless steel tri-ply, copper, non-stick aluminium, carbon steel and enameled cast iron." In bakeware, molds of every size and shape are available and the decorating equipment along would mke a pasty chef swoon. Yet all the basics are covered from tart pans to silicone baking mats, and all are made in the finest European tradition and quality."

So the final assessment is that this could be a good thing. The market awareness is being expanded, the acknowledgment of the wide assortment of products is being marketed and Your Smart Kitchen should still be able to provide the complete line of products at really good prices compared to retail outlets.

You could validate this by checking out our copper and cast iron cookware selections available now.

Then we may also gain access to some additional products as well.

Kitchen Supply is best known for Old Stone Oven pizza stones - which it manufactures - along with an extensive range of houseware products, which it distributes to both small and large retail outlets across the United States.

We will be discussing the opportunities with both Paderno and Kitchen Supply this weekend at the International Home and Houseware Show in Chicago this weekend.

I will provide a report on what we discover next week.