Kitchen design specialist and Masterclass Kitchens retailer Jones Britain is celebrating 15 years in business – MD Dan Stronge reveals how maintaining that personal touch when dealing with customers has been the key to their ongoing success.
Q: What's the background to the business?
A: Jones Britain was formed 15 years ago at the end of March 2009 by myself and my then business partner Mark. I had come from the domestic side of the kitchen industry having worked in retail for 5 years and then as an area manager for furniture manufacturers for a further 5. I also spent 4 years in France where I ran a design consultancy. Mark came from the commercial side of the industry selling tea-points and breakout areas to main contractors and fitout companies. The plan back then was to run 2 sides to the company in tandem, but the commercial side took a nosedive and Mark decided to move on to pastures new. Within a year Jones Britain found a new home when I opened a showroom in Heathfield, Sussex and the domestic side of the business grew from there. In 2022 we moved the showroom to Groombridge just outside Tunbridge Wells where we are today on the Sussex/Kent border surrounded by the beautiful countryside.
Q: What's your business model?
A: At the heart of our business model lies a passion for artful design and personal touch. As creative, family-run business, we see our clients as individuals with unique visions, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. We bring a rich background in art and design, ensuring that every kitchen we craft is not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and bespoke.
Our approach is genuinely design-led, always thinking outside the box to maximise the potential of a space. With almost 30 years of experience in a dynamic industry and multiple awards to our name, we have maintained enduring relationships with top suppliers, guaranteeing quality and innovation. I personally oversee each project from inception to completion, ensuring seamless execution and no loss in translation. Our ethos is to guide, not to sell; we’re designers, not pushy salespeople, dedicated to bringing our client’s dream kitchen to life.
Q: You're celebrating your 15th anniversary this year and the business must have faced quite a few challenges in that time – what's the key to your success?
A: I would say most of the challenges have been set upon us in the last 4 years! Obviously, the early days were challenging as with any business is in its infancy but, the secret to our success is that personal touch we offer and the fact that our designs often stand out from the crowd. We are proud to say that we have many returning clients and a lot of our new business comes through recommendations.
Q: Which brands do you offer?
A: We have two paths for clients to take. The first is Masterclass Kitchens and the other is our own Bespoke brand. This gives us a good wide offering for most budgets as well as options between contemporary and traditional kitchens. Appliance brands we major on Siemens, Neff and AEG and worktops Caesarstone, Cosentino and CQ.
Q: What's the thinking behind the design of your showroom?
A: Our showroom is a lifestyle showroom with several large-format displays. I wanted it to feel inviting as people walk round and therefore, created a path around a central display. As people move through the showroom, they’re met with the next display which invites them to walk further. The office hub is set up on a mezzanine away from the main showroom and a presentation area set to the side. Each display is quite large and reflect the real-life kitchens that we tend to design and sell. We have a good mix of traditional, contemporary and modern classic.
Q: How's business going at the moment?
A: Business has been quite unusual since Brexit, Covid and the war in the Ukraine, which impacted supply chains for some time. Months that have historically been busy haven’t and vice versa making business patterns increasingly hard to predict. Having moved to a new location in 2022 it has taken a little time to find our new market but with our new marketing team on board we are seeing an increase in enquiries.
Q: Are you optimistic for the year ahead?
A: Looking forward I do think there is some positivity down the line. I believe once the election is out of the way the market will fully kick back in after a somewhat tepid start to the year.
