Golden night with silver linings
Andy Slater- 1 day ago
Hot tub retailers enjoyed a golden night with silver linings for their professional installations and showroom services during the BISHTA Awards ceremony of the 2025 British Pool & Hot Tub Awards.
BISHTA accolades were bestowed on members attending the awards ceremony during the annual industry Gala Evening at the Coventry Building Society Arena, following the first day of SPATEX 2025. In recognition of Peter Newbery, who was a driving force in the hot tub industry as the owner of Spaform, there was a third presentation of The Peter Newbery Award for UK Innovation as part of the BISHTA Awards ceremony.
Previous winners of this innovation award, which was launched to highlight individuals, staff members, organisations, companies, and partnerships for introducing initiatives, products or processes with inventive approaches as they navigate a developing and competitive industry, have been Darlly Europe, for the outstanding achievement with its Sanistream System; and Hot Tub Suppliers for assisting the work of BISHTA in the formation of an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy and working group to help modernise practices in the industry.
The third presentation of The Peter Newbery Award for UK Innovationwas bestowed upon Widnes-based SpaFlo for the ContraSpa design; which was officially launched last year on the company’s stand at SPATEX 2024 and this time round was showcased on the EMEC stand during the 29th edition of SPATEX.
Designed and developed by SpaFlo founder and Managing Director Richard Gowland, pictured on the stand with the Peter Newbery Award, ContraSpa is a dual-use hot and cold water therapy product within a single shell. It was proclaimed as the UK’s first designed and built double-zone contrast water spa during its official launch at SPATEX last year, which was supported with a special VIP appearance and demonstration by hurdling star and TV celebrity Colin Jackson CBE.
As part of the manufacturing process, ContraSpa incorporates UK sourced sustainable commercial grade steel within the design that it is based on the SpaFlo logo and ethos, with a unique Ying / Yang configuration separating the two dedicated water zones; whilst allowing easy access through cleverly integrated steps. The design also cleverly incorporates dedicated lighting to ensure there is a visible distinction between the hot and cold water areas.
1 Stop Spas, with showrooms in Sleaford in Lincolnshire and East Bridgford in Nottinghamshire, was bestowed with the Gold Award in the ‘Peter Geekie Award for Retail Excellence’ category. The Tuff Spas and American Whirlpool retailing specialist also landed a Gold Award in the ‘Residential Hot Tubs £8,000 to £15,000’ category; as well as Silver Awards in the ‘Residential Hot Tubs £15,000 and Over’ and ‘Hot Tubs ‘Hot Tubs in a Business Setting’ categories.
Czech hot tub and swim spa brand USSPA, supplied by Vita Spa and Covana distributor Aqua Warehouse Group, had a golden night with a hat-trick of top BISHTA Awards from the ‘Residential Hot Tubs £8,000 to £15,000’, ‘Residential Hot Tubs £15,000 and Over’, and ‘Swim and Exercise Spas’ categories.
Hot Tub Suppliers also had a golden result with a duo of top awards from the ‘Best Use of Digital Media’ and Hot Tubs Change Lives’ categories. Hydropool Devon gained a Gold Award in the ‘Hot Tubs in a Business Setting’ category, along with Silver Awards acclaim in multiple categories; while Cornish Hot Tubs achieved Gold in the ‘Hot Tub Happiness’ category.
Although North Outdoor Living was pipped to top award status, the Artesian Spas specialist achieved a silver lining with BISHTA Silver Awards across several categories and BISHTA Bronze Award acclaim in the ‘Residential Hot Tubs below £8,000’ and ‘Hot Tubs in a Business Setting’ categories.
2025 BISHTA WINNERS were:
Residential Hot Tubs below £8,000
GOLD – Concept Spa
SILVER – Hydropool Devon
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
BRONZE – North Outdoor Living
Residential Hot Tubs £8,000 to £15,000
GOLD– USSPA
GOLD – 1 Stop Spas
SILVER – Concept Spa
SILVER – Hydropool Devon
SILVER – Hydropool Devon
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
Residential Hot Tubs £15,000 and Over
GOLD – USSPA
Gold – SpaFlow
SILVER – 1 Stop Spas
SILVER – North Outdoor Living
SILVER – North Outdoor Living
Swim and Exercise Spas
GOLD – USSPA
SILVER– USSPA
SILVER– Concept Spa
SILVER– Hydropool Devon
Hot Tubs in a Business Setting
GOLD – Hydropool Devon
SILVER – Hydropool Devon
SILVER – 1 Stop Spas
SILVER – Concept Spa
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
BRONZE – North Outdoor Living
Hot Tubs Change Lives
GOLD – Hot Tub Suppliers
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
Hot Tub Happiness
GOLD – Cornish Hot Tubs
SILVER – Hot Tub Suppliers
Peter Geekie Award for Retail Excellence
GOLD – 1 Stop Spas
SILVER – Hydropool Devon
Best Use of Digital Media
GOLD – Hot Tub Suppliers
The Peter Newbery Award for UK Innovation
GOLD – SpaFlo
