Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Budget Statement yesterday, the CEO of BIFIS, Damian Walters responded with a warning that persistent cost-of-doing-business pressures, tightening margins, and the rising cost of living risk blunting growth for manufacturers, independent retailers, and sole-trader installers alike.

Cotswold-based range cooker manufacturer Everhot has introduced Aqua, a new colour inspired by sea glass and soft coastal tones.

The new Soft off-white Cotton Star from Königstone’s KönigZero collection features a subtle micro mirror chip in a zero-silica engineered surface. For kitchen retailers, the décor presents an opportunity to introduce customers to the benefits of zero-silica surfaces.

The British Institute of Fitted Interiors Specialists (BIFIS) has launched BIFIS Unplugged, a podcast channel featuring conversations with people working across the fitted interiors installation sector.

Cosentino has expanded its Silestone® portfolio with Mineral Harmony.  Thea collection of mineral-inspired surfaces is available in Soft Sand and Clay Veil.

Keller Kitchens has launched Calm Flow, a new kitchen design featuring rounded end panels, soft forms and a muted colour palette.

Grant Westfield has launched an online Installer Training programme offering on-demand guidance training to help installers build product knowledge, develop fitting skills and achieve a professional finish first time.

CRL Stone has added Tivoli to its Ceralsio ceramic collection; this latest surface features soft grey veining for a versatile, understated aesthetic.

Falmec has launched a new compact version of its Brera Slim cooking system. Now available in 76 and 90 cm dimensions, it features a silent plug-and-play internal brushless motor that takes up less room than the previous model, resulting in a more compact structure.  

Following recent national media coverage examining respirable crystalline silica exposure within the stone industry, including a Sky News investigation into the future of engineered stone materials in the UK, Königstone has outlined the work it has undertaken over the past three years.