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