RETAILER PROFILE | George Robinson Kitchens RIGHT:
A bespoke butler’s pantry can keep dry goods and other ingredients out of sight
team can only really work on one or two kitchens a month, as so much time and dedication is required. One of their most significant projects this year will take around two months to complete, with the work being started in July for an October installation date. As ‘bespoke’ is at the heart of the company’s design philosophy, according to Robninson, there’s nothing that the designers cannot do. From modern- looking handleless kitchens to country-house chic, any look can be achieved. Traditional techniques are always used, no matter the design. Robinson says: “If there is one thing that I will not compromise on if I am doing a modern kitchen, is that we still do a dovetail door. We do not use modern methods of screwing in the door.”
Even after being in the industry for such a long time, Robinson is still thrilled at the thought of people actually using his kitchens. “It excites me more if someone is using the kitchen, and it is not just a show kitchen. A lot of the kitchen designs
Jointed wooden drawers hand made by craftsmen
are based upon people who love cooking,” he says. Though kitchens are the main focus, the team also creates bedrooms, dining room tables, bookcases and vanity units. He says: “We tend to stick to kitchens because that is what we know and love.”
Surviving and thriving
It is a tremendous passion of mine that we are not putting a footprint on this world
Moving slightly away from sustainability and focusing on the turbulent last year, how has the business coped, and what lessons have been learnt? “We have been fortunate that we are so busy,” says Robinson. “The internet has worked well over lockdown. On the first lockdown, we closed down for the first three months and then after that we have worked all the way through. “We have been busy, and I think that is due to Instagram pages and people sitting at home looking at the internet. We do get 40% to 50% of our business through word of mouth.”
The workshop showroom had to close last year, but a new one will open up when the team moves to a larger space over the coming year. At the moment, if required, customers can see a design in situ about 10 minutes away from the workshop at a lighting firm where they have collaborated to install a small display.
Robinson acknowledges that there is still a need for the business to have a showroom. However, he also sees the value of showing customers around the workshop, ashe believes it gives people a better appreciation for the crafts manship that goes into each design. “I like showing people around the workshop, because it gives an honest view of what we make and how we make it,” he says. “The workshop has the units that we are making at the time, so if someone wants to come in and see us, then we can show them a work in progress. We have some really lovely customers we are in contact with all the time, and if we wanted to show a potential client a kitchen in situ, we would take them to see those old clients.”
Social media has been a powerful tool for the company. Its Instagram is a blend of finished kitchen
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shots and behind the scenes pictures of the team in the workshop. Robinson believes that showing his clients the process is vital, whether that is through a tour of the workshop or photos on social media. “I like to get a complete picture diary story together from the start – from buying the material to the final product,” he says. “I then give it to the customer at the end of the whole process.
“The kitchen is such a big room in the house that it takes longer than most people think. Some may think that we can turn around a kitchen fit in a week, but it can take a month, because we are entirely bespoke. We are in someone’s house and life for a month, and it is a big disruption, so showing pictures of the workshop and what goes on there helps them appreciate what the whole project involves from start to finish.”
Showing off the craftsmanship and the team behind the work is a way to get the customer engaged and understand the kitchen’s detailed process. It also showcases each bespoke design’s individual and human nature and how much care and attention has gone into every cut and joint.
· June 2021
The devil is in the detail and those finishing touches
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