HETAS CEO Barry Cope, COO Serena Sumner, and Training and Development Manager Ben Harvey attended The Trade Stove & Fireplace Professional Show 2026 on 30–31 May at the historic Doncaster Racecourse.
Organised by the Stove Industry Association (SIA), Fireplace Specialist Magazine, and M.A.C. Metalcraft, the show brought together 79 exhibitors spanning appliances, flues and chimneys, fuels, and industry bodies under one roof for the first large-scale, industry-focused trade event in a number of years.
About the show
The show spanned a wide range of exhibitors – from long-established UK manufacturers and fuel suppliers to international brands and specialist companies supplying ancillary equipment. The outdoor live burning area showcased some of these appliances, giving attendees the chance to see appliances performing in real conditions.
For those exhibiting and attending, both the scale and quality impressed. Industry professionals and those involved in the sector were able to have genuinely meaningful conversations, and the variety of companies exhibiting meant there was something for everyone.
HETAS logos were visible across shirts, stands, and banners everywhere you looked at the show – a tangible reflection of our presence across industry and the trust the scheme logos instil in both stove owners and industry professionals.
Key observations from the show floor
Technology was a dominant theme across the weekend. Conversations consistently returned to the same question: how is industry continuing to modernise – and what does that look like in practice?
Retrofit upgrades featured prominently, with ESP upgrades offering a practical route forward for homeowners not yet ready to replace. Recoheat, whose heat recovery device carries HETAS approval, was also heavily discussed due to the system’s ability to recover up to 1kW of heat that would otherwise be lost.
There was a clear awareness that retrofit technologies allowing for more heat or lower emissions are part of the future and are something all professionals should keep a close eye on as consumer interest keeps growing.
Contura, a Swedish brand offering soapstone stoves, also signalled a different direction for homeowners. Their appliances offer not only a unique design, but also the ability to retain a comfortable level of heat over a prolonged period of time. Each stove owner is different, but for those looking for a comfortable, consistent, and hands-free burn, soapstone appliances offer a solution.
Exhibitors all shared a genuine care for air quality, and a clear understanding that acknowledging that we can keep doing better will continue to drive innovation. Manufacturers were sharing thoughts and ideas as the banners behind them didn’t just use lower emissions as an addendum or a box to tick. Instead, innovations that minimise smoke were points of genuine pride, and areas they were keen to talk about. Leading manufacturers are not shying away from the conversation, and there was no shortage of other professionals keen to hear more.
