Spotlight on… Cleaner Choice 

Cleaner Choice manufacturers 

Over the months, we’ve visited and learnt about a range of manufacturers, all of which are known across industry for their appliances’ high efficiency, low emissions, and intricate design. 

Starting with Town & Country Fires, the trend of British-made, family-ran manufacturers kicked off with a bang. Our insight delved into the commitment the company makes with its manufacturing, ensuring that not only are their stoves manufactured in Britain to the highest standards, but they are also only made using 100% British materials. 

Our next stop was our good friends at Chilli Penguin Stoves, where we learnt how Chilli Penguin was born from Stephen and Karen’s son’s favourite book. From their first stove which featured a small oven box to their most recent Cleaner Choice certified appliances, Chilli Penguin’s design principles are driven by a deep care for the environment. The team at Chilli Penguin don’t just want their stoves to warm homes, they want them to do it as efficiently and cleanly as possible. 

Up next was Midtherm, hailing from the heart of the Black Country – continuing the recurring theme of family-run traditions. Midtherm were the first manufacturer highlighted offering not only highly efficient stoves, but also a range of quality chimney and flue systems. Our article also explored further the environmentally conscious ethos at Midtherm, as well as the recent product expansion into fabrications, unveiling the company’s prototype biomass boiler. 

The world-renowned ESSE and the company’s established legacy of being the heart of British homes followed Midtherm’s spotlight. With a rich heritage, the solid fuel appliances on offer from ESSE were detailed – but not without acknowledgement of the wide array of oil, gas, and electric product ranges that ESSE offer. Over 150 years since ESSE was established and the company is showing no signs of slowing down, continuing to manufacture high-quality stoves and cookers that are independently verified to produce minimal emissions. 

From the past to the present, we then took a look at Salamander Stoves – founded in 2009. Their flagship stove, The Hobbit, has come with HETAS to a number of exhibitions and caught the eyes of thousands of attendees, and for good reason. Specialising in high-quality, efficient stoves for small spaces, the team at Salamander show great pride in their products featuring in smaller cottages, cabins, horse boxes, shepherd’s huts, canal boats, and even George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces! In addition to their stove lineup, Salamander have a unique offering of trinkets, accessories, and extras for your stove, letting you cook, toast, or stew meals during those cosy nights in. 

We then followed the story of Percy Doughty – starting from humble beginnings as three employees in a small shop, all the way to a comprehensive team of 75, combining logistics, commercial, creative, technical, research & development, and customer service. The rapid growth of Percy Doughty in particular was featured. Over the past decade, their product portfolio has continued to grow and shows no sign of slowing, largely thanks to the company putting its people at the centre of what it does. 

Shifting gears slightly, Island Pellet Stoves were next up. Diverting from the traditional solid fuel appliances previously featured, this month’s spotlight featured a type of appliance that has been rising in popularity in recent years – the pellet stove. Conceptualised over a cosy Christmas drink, Island Pellet Stoves took over 10,000 hours of research and development before they officially launched their first appliance. Exceeding their brief, not only were the team able to uniquely replicate the beautiful roar of a wood burner in their pellet stove, they also made a highly efficient appliance, capable of heating a room with ease. 

The family traditions and implicit luxury that emanates from the Chesneys brand were intertwined with the engineering excellence next. Established in 1977 where they specialised in antique, luxury fireplace surrounds, the evolution of the company was explored in the Spotlight article. Through the combined commitment to elegance and innovation, the journey that Chesneys have taken – and continue to take – to manufacture highly efficient solid fuel appliances was highlighted, pinpointing the delicate mix of traditional styling with modern elements that compose their stoves. 

The rich history and recent diversification that AGA have taken into solid fuel appliances was next on the docket. AGA’s article included comments from Carl Moon, AGA Stoves National Sales Manager, where the company’s commitment to making the Cleaner Choice was explored, as well as the thought process behind expanding into the modern solid fuel appliance market. With the high efficiency and minimal emissions that an AGA stove offers, it is no surprise that AGA are driven to protect the environment and do their part in continuing to reduce the UK’s emissions. 

South Wales’ first manufactured wood-burning stoves by Ironwood Stoves highlighted the pride that the team find in their heritage. This Spotlight demonstrated the unique position Ironwood Stoves are in, allowing them to keep their manufacturing process as close to home as possible, minimising the miles their material travel to align with their environmental commitment. In addition to this, Ironwood Stoves boast high efficiency and minimal emissions, being independently verified under the Cleaner Choice certification scheme. 

Our most recent Cleaner Choice manufacturer spotlight was Dunsley Heat, based in Holmfirth, Yorkshire. From developing solid fuel open fire central heating boilers in the 1950s to manufacturing highly efficient stoves in the modern day, Dunsley Heat have undergone a lot of changes over their seventy years of history. The one thing that has remained the same, however, is the family values. The Broadbent family are still at the helm, guiding the business to ensure each and every stove that is produced is held to the highest standards. 

HETAS Approved Products 

Equally, we have featured a select number of manufacturers of HETAS Approved Products in our Spotlight series. 

Our first stop was at SFL Flues & Chimneys – award-winning manufacturers of flue and chimney systems providing products for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The NEXUS® new twist lock twin wall flue system was a prominent feature, with the article delving into the technical aspects of what makes this new development so unique. SFL have earned their reputation across industry and have leveraged this position recently, furthering the company’s wider environmentally conscious approach to innovation. 

A mix of stoves and flue liners followed, with the Flue Supplies spotlight featuring the Oakleaf Stove collection and the widely trusted Ultraflex flue liner. The years of research and development that created the well-regarded Ultraflex flue liner were utilised by Flue Supplies to manufacturer their Oakleaf Collection of stoves – featuring the Cleaner Choice certified Birchley and Farrow. 

November’s spotlight – and the most recently published Spotlight article – took us on our farthest journey yet. Vigo, Spain is where Dinak are headquartered (with a UK branch in Erdington), and their chimney systems and trusted across the globe. The DW Design range of flues is a newly launched range and are HETAS Approved Products. With installation and efficiency at the core, Dinak’s core ethos are once again reiterated in the quality of the DW Design range, with the added perk of sleek, stylish, modern design elements. 

Stove accessories 

In addition to highly efficient appliances and high-quality installation components, some manufacturers supply stove accessories and extras.