Home / Why us / The specialist difference
What it means to be a kitchen specialist
Most of the value in a kitchen sits in the parts you can’t see in a showroom: the planning, the survey and the fit. That’s where we put our attention.
The whole project, held in one place
A complete design built around how you live.
A technical survey on site before anything is ordered.
Our own fitting team, from start to finish.
Electrics, plumbing, plastering and flooring coordinated by us.
One point of contact from first sketch to the final photos.
The perfect balance of form and function
Working heights set for the people who cook.
Clear preparation space just where you need it.
Fully integrated appliances for streamlined ergonomics.
Storage planned around what you actually keep.
Materials chosen for style and longevity.
What it means for you, specifically
Four fitters, all employed by us
One of them a qualified electrician, one a plumber, one a tiler. They wear our uniform, drive our vans, and we’re accountable for their work — no subcontracted team booked in for the week.
One person, all the way through
The designer who measures your kitchen also designs it, orders it and sees it through to the end. Our senior fitter double-checks the measurements, but otherwise nothing gets lost in a handover, because there isn’t one.
One strip-out, one installation, each week
Each week we start one strip-out and one installation, which means honest lead times rather than optimistic ones, and it’s the reason the finish is consistent from the first job of the year to the last.
The survey comes first
Services, levels and installation practicalities are checked on site before anything is ordered. It’s the single most effective way to avoid a delay mid-installation.
Two brands, chosen on merit
Stoneham and Sachsenküchen, selected for build quality rather than the margin they offer us. We could have carried a dozen ranges. We carry two, and we know them thoroughly.
Protected payments
KBSA membership and the insurance-backed Consumer Care Plus scheme cover your deposit, staged payments and work in progress.
Nine questions worth asking us
Ask them of anyone you speak to, us included. They’re the quickest way to understand what a quotation actually covers, and we’d rather you asked than assumed. Our own answers are underneath.
Who measures the room, and does it happen before or after I place the order?
Your designer, and always before. They measure the house themselves, then the fitter who will install the kitchen carries out a technical survey on site, double-checking the measurements and looking at services, levels and installation practicalities, before anything is ordered.
Are the fitters employed by you, and will the same team be here throughout?
Yes to both. Four fitters (three full-time, one part-time), including a qualified electrician, a plumber and a tiler, all employed by us. The team that starts your kitchen is the team that finishes it.
Who handles the electrics, plumbing, plastering and flooring — you, or me?
We do. Removing and disposing of the old kitchen, plastering, plumbing, electrics, tiling and flooring are all part of the same job, managed by us, with specialist subcontractors we’ve used for years where a trade is outside our own.
Is my deposit protected by an insurance-backed scheme, and by whom?
Yes. We’re KBSA Approved, and all our work is backed by the insurance-based Consumer Care Plus scheme, which covers your deposit, your staged payments and the work in progress.
How long does the installation take?
It depends on what you’re having done, but a typical kitchen takes about four weeks. Week one is preparation: stripping out, electrics and plastering. In week two we install the furniture and template any solid worktops. While those are being made in week three, we can get on with flooring and decorating if they’re included. In week four the worktops go in, with the hob, plinths, sink and tap, and you have a fully working kitchen.
If something needs adjusting in two years, who do I ring?
Us, on 01223 236 456. We register your Cosentino worktop warranty for you at handover, and it’s the same people to call in five years.
What guarantee do I get, and who deals with it if something fails?
Five years on the furniture, whichever house made it, and two to five years on the appliances depending on the range. For anything on the furniture, ring us and we arrange the replacement with the manufacturer — you shouldn’t have to.
How far do you travel?
All of Cambridgeshire, plus a 30-mile radius of our showroom in Histon. If you’re just outside that, ring and ask rather than assuming — it depends on the project.
If I recommend someone, is there anything in it?
Yes, for both of you. £25 when someone you refer books an appointment, £75 more if they order a kitchen, and £100 to them when theirs is finished. Over half our work already arrives this way.