How Smeg UK’s professional division is bringing design excellence to professional kitchens
Globally recognized for its colorful appliances and iconic designs, Smeg seamlessly combines expert engineering and industry heritage with modern visual confidence to deliver products that make kitchens feel curated, not just equipped. Whether it’s a bright kettle to inject color into a new home or a professional dishwasher for busy restaurant applications, Smeg’s extensive product range includes something for everyone.
Founded by Vittorio Bertazzoni Snr in 1948, Smeg has since established itself around the globe as an Italian brand synonymous with superior design aesthetics. “Smeg established a UK subsidiary in 1989, and we moved to a new head office and showroom facility based in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 2015,” opens Phil Coulstock, Professional Sales Director at Smeg UK. “We supply a range of more than 1900 products across the UK, and we operate a dedicated nationwide delivery network via several key logistical partners, as well as after-sales service support via Smeg Service. Smeg UK also has a beautiful London retail store located on Regent Street, and with the building being owned by the crown estate, it’s quite the statement venue from which to showcase our products and run events.”
Design meets functionality
Although Smeg is perhaps best known for its iconic domestic appliances, the company has also evolved into a leading manufacturer of professional foodservice equipment for the catering and hospitality industries, as well as specialized instrument machines for the medical, dental, and laboratory sectors. Smeg’s R&D investments across the group allow new technologies to be shared between domestic and professional ranges, providing measurable specification and performance benefits.
“In the professional division, our primary offering is a wide range of professional glass and dishwashers with three tiers of specification, including the recently launched and now multi-award-winning Pura range,” Phil explains. “Pura offers premium features and specifications such as completely tailored wash options and full Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as models with energy saving features like steam heat recovery and drain heat recovery. We also have three models of utensil washers, a small selection of dedicated semi-professional machines for shared offices, and thermal disinfection models specifically for critical care sites.
“Another key product line is our freestanding convection and bake-off ovens. These range from small entry level models to four, six, and ten tray models for quick service restaurant environments. For a dine-in restaurant kitchen, however, a five or ten tray combi steam oven may be more suited. Continuing further into the range, we also provide upright refrigeration options, including single and double door fridges and freezers, wine coolers, and hotel mini bars, all carrying the Smeg brand’s hallmark premium aesthetical finish. The professional product range is completed with espresso machines from La Pavoni, an iconic brand with a history dating back to 1905, laying claim to several defining moments in the world of coffee. La Pavoni was added to the UK range shortly before the pandemic.”
Building on reputation
Known for functional aesthetics, Smeg’s professional products effectively balance specification and competitive pricing to offer some of the industry’s most technological solutions.“We’re not the cheapest option and never will be, but when you compare us to the competition, we represent and offer the most balanced products when it comes to affordability and performance,” Phil states. “Our extensive range, from dishwashers with award-winning features to convection ovens that offer fantastic, uniformed baking results, are all manufactured with the premium aesthetical look and feel of all Smeg products.
“Whilst Smeg might be better known for it’s beautiful, colorful, and retro designs, this only scratches the surface of what we offer as a brand. Our technologies, premium build quality and range depth ensures a solution for all domestic and professional environments. In the professional division, our newly adopted strapline, ‘The Beauty of Performance’, perfectly encompasses our brand identity, homing in on the beauty of design not just being about aesthetics but the importance being focused on the quality of performance being delivered by premium internal components. The rebranding also includes our bright orange theme, which we launched last year in the UK along with the Pura range. This vibrant color scheme has been well received, giving our brand image a distinctive and modern look that stands out across showrooms and advertising. We believe this fresh visual identity not only reflects our commitment to innovation but also reinforces our premium image with customers.”
Looking ahead
Despite both the domestic retail and commercial catering equipment sectors reporting flat or declining trends in 2025, Smeg UK’s professional division experienced its best year ever, with significant double-digit growth. “For 2026,” Phil shares, “we are looking to build on our successes across all hospitality sectors and product groups. With investments in strategic areas and plans to implement systems that will improve operating efficiencies across the business and enhanced engagement with our group headquarters, Smeg UK is aiming to deliver a record year of trading.
“We’re excited about work underway internally to implement a streamlined approach across our operating systems to elevate key focus areas within the business and overall enhance our customer engagement, consumer journey and after sales services to a new level,” he adds. “After launching a new e-commerce website with Shopify integration for the domestic market a few months ago, we’re also planning to launch a dedicated B2B site for other areas of the business this year. This will be a brand-new site with multiple functionalities to enhance the trade order processing journey. This B2B website will give added value to our customer and provide a platform to host many additional touch points and functions for our valued trade customers.”
It’s clear that sustainable growth is a key target for Smeg, but the company is equally passionate about keeping customers at the heart of this growth. “Over the last 12 years at Smeg, I’ve seen great growth and development in all areas of both the UK and global business,” Phil concludes. “Personally, I would like to see the Smeg Professional UK division breakthrough into eight-digit turnover, to align with the wider UK businesses ambitions for continued and consistent growth.”