Wham
What More UK Limited, trading as Wham, is a Lancashire-based B2B manufacturer founded in 1999, producing 1,500+ plastic housewares, bakeware, and storage products under the Wham, BetterWare, Baker & Salt, PushPan, and Sizzl brands for UK supermarkets, 1,600+ independents, and 75+ export markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBurnley, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Wham does
What More UK Limited, trading under the Wham brand, is a Lancashire-based manufacturer founded in 1999 by Andy Holt that the company describes as the UK's largest manufacturer of plastic housewares, producing over 1,500 SKUs across brands including Wham (storage and plastic housewares), BetterWare (in UK homes since 1928), Baker & Salt (bakeware), PushPan (leak-proof cake tins) and Sizzl (newest bakeware line). Manufacturing capability is vertically integrated through injection moulding for plastics, pressed-steel bakeware production, and metal coil coating performed in-house at Firsteel Ltd (acquired March 2023) — a combination the company describes as making it the only end-to-end European bakeware manufacturer controlling the process from metal coil to finished product, all Made in Britain. The business also operates an in-house tool room and mould-making facility (reinforced by the Canteen Smithy acquisition) and runs fully automated 24/7 production lines that process 5,000–10,000 tonnes of recycled post-consumer plastic annually into the Wham Upcycled range.
Distribution is exclusively B2B wholesale to trade customers: all major UK national supermarket chains, over 1,600 independent UK retailers, and export partners in 75+ countries. Notable enterprise customers include B&Q and IKEA (custom-engineered Studio Cube storage baskets), Wilko (long-running online partnership), and QVC Germany (prime-time PushPan placement reaching 37.5 million households). Sales and channel development rely on a field sales team, local representatives managing independent-retailer accounts, and 20+ years of continuous exhibiting at Ambiente (Frankfurt) and The Inspired Home Show (Chicago), augmented by TV retail in Germany and the Made in Britain campaign as a marketing differentiator.
Revenue is generated entirely through wholesale hardware sales of plastic housewares, bakeware/cookware and storage products at competitive trade price points; no direct-to-consumer pricing is disclosed. The group is privately held by founder Andy Holt via the 0404 Investments group structure and has no recorded external funding rounds, with growth funded through operating cash flow and reinvestment. A £20m multi-year investment programme — covering 13 new injection moulding machines, a state-of-the-art tool room, and a planned 200,000 sq ft factory in Altham — is the principal capital allocation underway and is the primary signal of the company's current growth posture.
Wham firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wham
- Legal name
- What More UK Limited
- Website
- https://whatmoreuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- What More UK Limited, trading as Wham, is a Lancashire-based B2B manufacturer founded in 1999, producing 1,500+ plastic housewares, bakeware, and storage products under the Wham, BetterWare, Baker & Salt, PushPan, and Sizzl brands for UK supermarkets, 1,600+ independents, and 75+ export markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wham industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plastic Housewares & Bakeware Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Household Appliances, Electric Housewares, and Consumer Electronics Merchant Wholesalers (42362), Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers (4232)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Thermoformed Consumer Products & Housewares (IMANAHAD)
Keywords
Where Wham is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burnley
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Wham business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- B2B Wholesale of Plastic Housewares: Wham brand plastic housewares (storage boxes, kitchen accessories, garden planters, cleaning/laundry items, pet care) sold wholesale to UK national supermarket chains, 1,600+ independent retailers. Products made from recycled single-use plastics, including the Wham Upcycled range.
- B2B Wholesale of Bakeware & Cookware: Bakeware and cookware products under Wham Bakeware, Baker & Salt, PushPan, and Sizzl brands sold wholesale to retailers. Includes the only end-to-end European bakeware manufacturer capability — from metal coil coating to finished product, all in Britain. PFAS-free options and non-stick coatings available.
- International Export Sales: Export of UK-manufactured housewares and bakeware to 75+ countries worldwide. Active participation in international trade shows drives export growth. Markets include Germany (QVC Germany), USA (Chicago trade shows), Costa Rica, Senegal, and others.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Wham product offering
Product offeringCore offering
What More UK (Wham) manufactures and wholesale-distributes plastic housewares (storage boxes, kitchen accessories, laundry items, garden planters, pet care) and bakeware/cookware (cake tins, oven trays, roasters, air fryer bakeware) under the Wham, BetterWare, Baker & Salt, PushPan, and Sizzl brands. The company sells exclusively to trade customers — UK national supermarkets, 1,600+ independent retailers, and international distributors across 75+ countries — and operates as the UK's largest plastic housewares manufacturer and the only end-to-end European bakeware producer with in-house coil coating through Firsteel Ltd.
Product overview
Wham (What More UK) is a Lancashire-based manufacturer of plastic housewares and bakeware, operating as the UK's largest manufacturer of superior quality plastic housewares. The company produces over 1,500 products across multiple brands: Wham (core plastic housewares brand), Baker & Salt (British-made bakeware), PushPan (100% leak-proof cake tins), BetterWare (housewares including kitchen accessories and storage), and Sizzl (newest bakeware brand). The portfolio spans storage boxes, kitchen accessories, bakeware, garden products, laundry items, and DIY storage. Products are manufactured using both recycled plastics and new materials, with eco-friendly ranges including Wham Upcycled. Manufacturing is done in-house with full control of tooling, and the company claims to be the only end-to-end bakeware manufacturer in Europe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wham Bakeware: UK made non-stick and enamel bakeware product line
- Wham Upcycled
- Wham Recycled
- Wham Crystal
- Studio
- PushPan
Products and services
- Wham Bakeware
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,000–10,000 tonnes of recycled plastic given new life per year, diverting waste from landfill
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Wham
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wham technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Wham partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Firsteel LtdcoreWhat More UK acquired Firsteel Ltd in March 2023. Firsteel is dedicated to manufacture and development of customised prefinished metal including coil coated metal. This acquisition secured What More's bakeware and cookware lines of supply, giving total quality control of the whole production process from metal coating to finished product.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wham competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Addis: Long-established UK household brand manufacturing and supplying housewares including laundry, cleaning, and storage products through major UK retailers. Directly comparable to Wham in product mix, B2B trade channel, and UK-centric retail distribution.
- Sistema Plastics: New Zealand-headquartered manufacturer of plastic storage and housewares products sold globally through retail and wholesale channels. Comparable as a plastic housewares specialist competing in the same product categories (storage, kitchen) across multiple geographies.
- Lock & Lock: South Korean manufacturer of plastic food storage containers and kitchen housewares with global distribution. Directly competes with Wham in plastic storage boxes and kitchen accessories across international retail channels.
- Curver: European plastic housewares brand (part of the Berry Global group) offering storage, laundry, and home organization products. Comparable as a plastic housewares specialist with European retail distribution and similar product categories.
- Sterilite: Largest North American manufacturer of plastic housewares and storage products, selling through mass-market retailers. Comparable scale and product mix in plastic storage and housewares, though primarily US-focused versus Wham's UK base.
- Joseph Joseph: UK-based designer and supplier of innovative kitchenware, storage, and home organization products with global retail distribution. Comparable as a UK housewares brand selling design-led products through premium and mass retailers, with similar B2B wholesale model.
- Lakeland: UK retailer and supplier of kitchenware, bakeware, and home products. Comparable in the bakeware/kitchenware category overlap and UK retail presence, though Lakeland is primarily a retailer versus Wham's manufacturer model.
- ProCook: UK-based cookware, bakeware, and kitchenware brand selling through retail and direct channels. Comparable in bakeware product categories and UK retail distribution, with similar focus on British-made quality positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Meyer Corporation: Global cookware and bakeware manufacturer with multiple brands including Circulon, Anolon, and Farberware. Comparable as a broad bakeware/cookware manufacturer serving mass-market retail channels; Wham's PushPan and Baker & Salt compete in overlapping premium bakeware segments.
- Pyrex (International Cookware): Established bakeware and kitchenware brand with European distribution through major retailers. Comparable in bakeware category overlap and presence in UK supermarket channels, offering broader kitchen glassware and bakeware assortment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wham social profiles
Digital presenceWham compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance11 records
Wham financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wham leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Wham subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Wham funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wham M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wham
What does Wham do?
What More UK (Wham) manufactures and wholesale-distributes plastic housewares (storage boxes, kitchen accessories, laundry items, garden planters, pet care) and bakeware/cookware (cake tins, oven trays, roasters, air fryer bakeware) under the Wham, BetterWare, Baker & Salt, PushPan, and Sizzl brands. The company sells exclusively to trade customers — UK national supermarkets, 1,600+ independent retailers, and international distributors across 75+ countries — and operates as the UK's largest plastic housewares manufacturer and the only end-to-end European bakeware producer with in-house coil coating through Firsteel Ltd.
Is Wham a public or private company?
Wham is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wham founded?
Wham was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wham based?
Wham is headquartered in Burnley, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Wham make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B Wholesale of Plastic Housewares are the primary driver. The others are B2B Wholesale of Bakeware & Cookware and international Export Sales.
Who are Wham's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Addis, Sistema Plastics, Lock & Lock, Curver, Sterilite, Joseph Joseph, Lakeland and ProCook. Broad incumbents are Meyer Corporation and Pyrex (International Cookware).
Does Wham have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wham.
What industry is Wham in?
Wham's product category is Plastic Housewares & Bakeware Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANAHAD, Thermoformed Consumer Products & Housewares. Its NAICS code is 42362 and its SIC code is 5020.