Alan de Maid: Interview with Kent's kitchen & joinery 'guru' Jack Hone.

Hi Jack, your company Great British Kitchens & Interiors has established a great reputation in the area, how long have you been in business?

Quite a while! We have recently celebrated our 40th anniversary.

We were established in 1984, designing and installing kitchens but over the years we’ve grown and adapted our offering to suit our clients requests and now include bespoke furniture for every room in the house, though handmade kitchens are still at the heart of what we do.

Kitchens are the heart of most homes and a critical ingrediant into how homes are valued, why do you think that is?

Food brings people together, I think it is as simple as that. Kitchens are one of the most used spaces in a home and it is all about bringing people together to eat, entertain, chat or work and relax!

We love working with our clients to make sure that their kitchen works perfectly for their family dynamic, whether it’s a sociable entertaining space, a comfortable spot for the kids to do their homework, or a more professional kitchen for budding MasterChef’s.

What other furniture do you handmake?

Pretty much anything and everything that our clients ask us to… !

We complete a lot of full home renovations whereby we ensure each and every room works perfectly for our clients. Bespoke wardrobes and dressing rooms, home studies, walk in pantry’s and utility rooms but also more unique cabinetry designed around their lifestyles and requirements; personalised display storage, wine stores, entertainment units and boot rooms..

You have over 200 five-star Google reviews –how do you do it?!

We’re so grateful to our amazing clients for leaving these reviews, it’s really kind of them and so important in a world where you are instantly judged by what people read about you online. I just think they really appreciate how we listen carefully to what they want throughout the process, and that we deliver kitchens and fitted

furniture that have a real “wow factor”. Its quite special to have something completely bespoke to your requirements..

Having been around for so long, we even have customers who are now enjoying their second kitchen from us. It’s great fun to take a design we did 20 years ago and start again from scratch!

Do you have a showroom our homeowners can visit?

Absolutely! We have a large showroom in a converted barn at Badgers Mount near Sevenoaks; opposite Polhill Garden Centre. With 6 Large Kitchens, Bedrooms, studies and other bespoke Furniture, as well as samples and examples of our materials and fixtures.

We also have appliances to try out, including BORA, Miele and Siemens and Quooker boiling water taps. It’s a great location for us, because it’s easy for people to reach from Kent, Surrey and Sussex, as well as South London.

Which locations do you cover?

Most of our customers are south of the river and within 30 miles of our workshop in Tonbridge.

If there’s one piece of advice you could give to a family who are in the market for a new kitchen, what would it be?

Just one? That’s tricky!

I think it would be make sure that you go to the company’s showroom and spend a bit of time looking at their display kitchens. Open doors and

drawers, check the fixtures and fitting and have a good poke around to see if the quality is there. Ask questions, take your time, and entrust your designers …

You can get a good idea about a company’s design skills from looking at their website, but nothing beats going into the showroom and seeing their work for real.

Orchard Barn, London Road, Badgers Mount, Nr Sevenoaks, Kent. TN14 7AD

www.handmadekitchens.co.uk

t. 01539 532233 info@handmadekitchens.co.uk