Viva Lewes Issue #138 March 2018

Alistair Fleming
Fine English bespoke kitchen cabinet maker
I began making kitchens over
35 years ago. Starting out as a
one-man band, with no formal
training beyond an interest in
design and making, I had a lot to
learn. I set up my first workshop
in my late twenties in a barn
in Hadlow Down. I had very
supportive landlords who didn’t
charge me much rent while I
got the business established. Jon,
who has worked with me since
those days, still manages the
workshop now. It’s a far cry from
where we started. There are ten
of us now, designers, cabinetmakers
and fitters. Mark and
Jack started with us as apprentices
and we’re about to take on
another one. We’ve gained a lot
of expertise along the way and
we’re growing!
We had the opportunity to
move to our current workshop,
in Plumpton Green,
back in 2000. It had been an
open cow byre and we got planning
permission to enclose one
side of it and convert it into a
purpose-built workshop. We’ve
recently updated our heating
system, with the help of Bhesco
(Brighton & Hove Energy
Services Co-op) who help to
fund green energy initiatives
for business. Next week we’re
installing solar panels which will
cover our whole roof and help
offset some of our electricity
usage. We try to be as green as
we can and continue to explore
ways to minimise our waste.
Although everything is made
in the workshop, the design
team are based in our Lewes
showroom and I spend most of
my time either here or visiting
on site. At any one time we
might have 20 clients on the
board, ranging from initial
inquiries, projects in the design
stage, kitchens being made in
the workshop, to final installation
and project completion.
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