June/July 2025
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with Mindy continuing to run that shop until she passed away a few years ago. Trevor and his new wife found the location here in Tunbridge Wells and essentially repeated what they had done before. That was back in 1975. It was very traditional—black and white, steel, white plates, stainless steel. I suppose that’s just what was popular at the printed in the centre. And Trevor would have died rather than have something like that in the shop! The vision was always to sell products that people aspired to own—things that would elevate their lives—and that ethos is still very much true today. Trevor eventually retired because he went off to design wine bars and
things like that. His wife, Wendy, then took over the shop. And she soon worked out that actually, people did want more variety—more colour, more individuality—in their kitchens.
Q: When did you start to get involved? SW: So, when I started here, we had moved down from Cambridge for my husband’s job. I was working for a recruitment management agency and hated it. We were at Trevor’s one night when he mentioned he wanted to open an interior shop, actually. Then he changed his mind—Wendy, his wife, wasn’t very well, and they were planning to move to France, so he wanted to sell this shop. Several bottles of wine later, I agreed to buy it. Almost immediately after, I found out I was pregnant. So my son is nine months older than the time we’ve effectively had the shop. I was running it with my cousin Sophie, who is Trevor’s daughter. I didn’t get much maternity leave! It was tough running a shop when you’re a bit baby-brained and learning a new industry. I’d grown up in the restaurant business, so I knew customer service, but what really helped me was that I’m a very keen cook—which means I know what I’m talking about.
Q: How did you stay on top of current trends? SW: I keep an eye on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and
RETAILER SPOTLIGHT
publications such as Housewares Magazine provide invaluable insights. TV also plays a huge role. It can be a bit of a pain because people come into the shop and say things like, “I’d like the knife James Martin used this morning.” Of course, we try our best, but it’s hard not to say, “I was working here in the shop, so how am I supposed to know!” Being independent means we don’t have to go through multiple channels
to decide whether to stock a product. If it works, we can make the decision almost immediately—there’s no bureaucracy. and I’m not afraid to give feedback if something doesn’t work. I attend many shows, including Exclusively and Ambiente, which I think
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