Our History

1972: I'm going to start my own business making furniture... I've found a little building in Hungerford that would make a great workshop. I'm spending too long fixing this workshop, I want it to be just right but I mustn't put off making some furniture for much longer... My hair froze to the wall last night and the gas froze. It's very hard but I've got to keep going... Yes. A 4'6" Welsh dresser. That will be £97.50 and delivery will be 4 weeks.

1973: I need to improve the workshop, get more efficient, maybe get some technical advice... Jim Boyne from COSIRA is really helpful, on his advice I'm going to buy a spindle moulder.

1976: I took the lease on a new showroom in Hungerford High Street last year. The turnover I needed seemed huge, but sales are going well. Now I need more workshop space... a big new factory in Wantage, yes, I'll take it!... It's so hot this summer and I'm working so hard; building, selling, installing. I can't keep this going, I must take a break... Positano in Italy for a holiday in my Alfa Romeo, OK. Maybe I'll see how they make their kitchens while I'm here...arched fielded panel doors, brilliant, we can do that!

1978: Created the new 'Breton' kitchen last year and took another showroom in Henley on Thames. People love our products, the new design and the craftsmanship... I want everything to be perfect, the design, production, showrooms, but I can't do everything, I'm going to have to stop working in the factory and doing installations and concentrate on the development of the business.

1984: We're going well, growing and I have added new ranges, we needed more factory space so 2 years ago I took another 5000 sq ft opposite our existing building. Business in London is booming. We need to expand to meet the constant demand.... Connaught Street near Marble Arch, yes... we better take on a PR company too.

1987: I've found a fantastic four level building in Bath to show off our growing product range but I still want to make the best kitchen showroom in the world. The I.D.I. Exhibition in Londonis booked and we have a fantastic stand with two stunningly beautiful kitchens to display.

Richard Liberty asked if I would like to open a kitchen showroom in Liberty's on Regents Street. . .YES! . . The Liberty showroom is fantastic. Richard also asked if I'd be interested in displaying bathroom showrooms as well. . . sure we can do that!

1989: Business is going well and the economy is very strong, we now have four factories, seven showrooms and employ eighty five people. . .This is quite a business! But there are signs of things slowing down, perhaps a recession?

1990: Building trade has collapsed and sales are down. We have big overheads and I have painful decisions to make. Our kitchens are truly beautiful, premium quality with a price to match. The Liberty bath house will have to be closed, as will the Bath showroom, redundancies are inevitable. It's a very lonely time.

1991: We are surviving a tough recession, retaining twelve employees, two showrooms and only one factory. My passion for kitchen and furniture design remains strong and I have a great idea! 'The Artisan Kitchen' using all my knowledge of cabinet making and the best elements distilled from our bespoke kitchen range, this new kitchen will be affordable, classically designed, functional, practical and timeless...

1997: So many people love the Artisan product and our care and attention to detail. I've expanded the Artisan range to include 3 styles, the Original, the Shaker and the Urban. Our kitchens are affordable, look great and are built to last... we're growing well and have now become a PLC.

2001: Our 'affordable quality' continues to be popular, now with the children of our original customers from years gone by and we have great opportunities to expand our ranges and open new showrooms across the country. Our Artisan and Shaker kitchens our available in many more paint finishes now.

2004: A new flagship store this year on the Wandsworth Bridge Road in Fulham. Our largest showroom opens and includes the very special new Crème de la Crème kitchen, a detailed recreation of the original 1950's English Rose. We are delighted to receive an award for Outstanding Design from the British Interior Design Association.

2006: Another busy year of development and two new products are launched, 'The Cool Kitchen' and the 'The Steamer Bay' have been developed along our ethos of affordable, quality supported by superb design. Our kitchen and furniture portfolio now provides our customers with a comprehensive range to select from. These are exciting times, our passion for kitchen design and attention to detail continues to grow and the future looks bright.

2008: We start the year with the launch of our on line shop and our furniture makers are all very, very busy but suddenly we find ourselves in the grips of a swift recession and things are snug. With ten showrooms trading across the country, we have to take great care to ride this difficult time calmly, sticking to our values and preparing for better times ahead. We celebrate with a couple of our workshop makers and painters, who have longstanding service records of over 20 years at John Lewis of Hungerford.

2009: With nearly thirty five years of successful kitchen making behind us the demand for nostalgic kitchen styling has resulted in the revival of our traditional 'Front Framed Kitchen.' Being a British manufacturer we are firmly putting the great back in Great Britain once more. Locally sourced and produced items are an important part of our makeup, enabling us to remain competitive yet also flexible for our customers. We launched our very own paint chart this summer, with over 92 exclusive colours to choose from and our turn key service is better than ever with fully managed installation supported by the government backed IKBBI.

2010: We are thrilled to open our twelfth showroom in the market town of Beaconsfield. The showroom, which features some of the most popular ranges and furniture as well as a few new surprises, is bang in the middle of the historic Old Town in a stunning Grade II development. The showroom offers all the charm of a Grade II listed building with high ceilings and a characteristic shop front which shows off John Lewis of Hungerford's collections to their best. With almost 220m2 of space, the showroom comfortably displays six ranges as well as furniture such as the Cool Pantry and the beautifully designed new Front Frame Island Unit, allowing visitors to easily imagine each range in their own homes.

2011: We've done it! Our painted kitchen cabinetry is now officially the hardest wearing in the kitchen world. Our Gloss and Satin Eggshell finishes have been awarded the highest rating available by SATRA Technology Centre, certifying the kitchens for, severe usage. All painted cabinetry is now resistant to wet and dry heat and marking by liquids, oils and solvents. As specialists in painted kitchens, this is one of the highest accolades we can achieve. "We have worked extremely hard over the years to perfect our formula and thrilled that we‟ve been able to achieve it" says Jon Rosby, MD of John Lewis of Hungerford.

We have recently opened our 13th showroom in Cirencester and are planning to celebrate our 40th anniversary in style during what is a quintessentially British year of celebrations including the Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I look forward to seeing the company continue to flourish whilst remaining true to the ethos of producing wonderful kitchens of outstanding quality in the UK