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About Us

Howdens was established in 1995 to provide trade customers with kitchens, joinery, and hardware products, which are available from local stock at depots across the UK, France, and Belgium. Starting with just 14 depots, there are now more than 800 locations supporting the trade achieve exceptional results for their customers. As a British manufacturer, we were founded on the principle that the business should be worthwhile for all concerned. That includes our customers, the homeowners they serve, the local communities we operate in, local and national charities, our large network of suppliers, our investors, and of course our people. Our commitment to these areas has led to many accolades, which include being voted in the Top 25 Best Big Companies to work for by the Sunday Times in 2020. We also hold a Royal Warrant by Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen to supply goods and services to Royal Households since 2015. And in 2023, the Mintel group named us as the UK’s number one supplier of trade kitchens.

Supporting local businesses

UK No. 1 Trade Kitchen Supplier*

We pride ourselves on providing the best service to our customers, and as a result, we are the UK's Number 1 Trade Kitchen Supplier. *Source: Mintel, Kitchens and Kitchen Furniture, UK September 2023

UK Number 1 Trade Kitchen Supplier
- Our history
  
  Founded in 1995, Howdens has grown from just 14 depots to more than 800 across the UK and Europe thanks to our trade-only model.
  
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  Our history
  
  Howdens is the UK’s Number 1 Trade Kitchen Supplier providing thousands of products across kitchens, joinery, and hardware. We have more than 800 depots throughout the UK and Europe – making us the first choice for more than 470,000 loyal trade professionals.
  
  Founded in 1995, Howdens has grown from just 14 depots thanks to the success of our trade-only model. We only sell to trade who have the expertise to ensure that our products are fitted to the highest possible standard. Our local depots build trusted partnerships with trade professionals, helping them to exceed their customers’ expectations and allow their businesses to grow.
  
  Initially offering a choice of just five kitchens, the idea proved popular and sales of £1million were achieved in the first year.
  
  In 2015, Howdens celebrated 20 years of trading, and was also granted a Royal Warrant as a supplier of fitted kitchens to Royal Households.
- Product design and innovation
  
  Our customers expect market-leading products at the best price, which is why product innovation is at our core.
  
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  Product design and innovation
  
  Product innovation is one of our strategic objectives to meet our customers' demand for the best products, at the best price, and from local stock .By doing so, we help them develop their business and provide products that are industry leading. That is why we constantly invest in new product, with disciplined range management that balances the benefits of having new with the costs of managing it through its lifecycle.
  
  Kitchens
  
  As the UK’s number 1 trade kitchen supplier* we provide everything our customers need to complete their kitchen jobs, including worktops, sinks and taps, flooring, appliances, and handles. All our cabinets are manufactured in the UK from sustainable FSC® and PEFC™ certified materials and carry a 25-year guarantee for total peace of mind that they are built to last.
  
  In 2020, we introduced 18 new kitchen ranges, including two new styles, additional colour options for existing ranges, and a new handleless cabinet platform to offer a stylish linear look at an affordable price. This means we have more than 100 kitchen designs to choose from and that can customised for a truly bespoke fit in any home.
  
  Appliances
  
  We are proud to offer our customers an exclusive range of Lamona appliances across cooking, cleaning, and cooling, which are packed full of innovative features and the latest technology to achieve a professional setup in the home. Since its launch in 2009, Lamona has grown to become the UK’s largest-selling integrated appliance brand by volume. Trusted by the trade, all Lamona appliances come with a 3-year guarantee as standard thanks to rigorous testing that assure us they are built to last.
  
  Joinery
  
  Our range of joinery products offers our trade customers the same great quality and value as our kitchens. We offer a broad range of internal and external doors, including fire doors, flooring, stair parts, and general joinery items. We sell more than 2.7 million doors each year, which means that 1 in 4 doors sold in the UK is from Howdens.

Serving local communities

- Manufacturing
  
  One in four of our products are manufactured in the UK at two dedicated manufacturing factories in England.
  
  Manufacturing
- Sustainability
  
  We are committed to protecting the environment and 100 per cent of our chipboard and MDF materials are from certified sources.
  
  Sustainability
Our sustainable Greenwich matt kitchen range

Our sleek and modern Greenwich Matt kitchen range is not only one of our most affordable, but we are proud to say it’s also one of our most sustainable too.

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Our sustainable Greenwich matt kitchen range

Our sleek and modern Greenwich Matt kitchen range is not only one of our most affordable, but we are proud to say it’s also one of our most sustainable ranges too.

Designed with sustainability in mind, we have control over every part of its production process, from sourcing our raw materials in the forest, to its delivery in the depot.

Made in our carbon neutral factory in the UK, it has a recycled content of 35%, and is 100% FSC certified. The panels are made from a combination of recycled wood, including old kitchens and new wood, which comes from a sustainably managed forest in the UK, where for every acre of trees harvested, an acre or more is planted.

Because our timber originates from these UK forests, the raw materials, once made into chipboard, travel only a short distance by road rather than round the world in shipping containers, helping to keep our emissions impact to a minimum.

It has a sustainable coating that is 100% recyclable at the end of life, and like our other kitchens its cabinet comes with a 25-year guarantee, testament to its robust and durable quality.

It even includes custom designed cabinet legs made in the UK from 100% recycled plastic, which also can be recycled at the end of their life. In addition to this, all the frontals and panels are packaged in cardboard that is 100% recycled and recyclable.

Our Greenwich Kitchen range was recognised and highly commended in the Real Homes Eco Brand of the Year Award in 2022. We are continuously striving to make every part of our business more sustainable, and the Greenwich kitchen is a great example of how we are achieving this.

Awards

Whether through our crowd-pleasing collections or our efforts to help local communities, we’ve won an array of awards that we’re proud of. Explore our winning styles and products to get inspired for your next project.

SEE AWARDS

Empowering local people

Apprenticeships

At Howdens we are proud of our apprenticeship and graduate programmes, which help young people get ahead in their careers.

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Apprenticeships

Helping young people get ahead
In 2020, more than 450 apprentices were part of our apprenticeship programme, which covers many areas of the business from manufacturing to HR, digital to supply, logistics and depot support. It offers young people an opportunity to develop and prepare for a productive and stable career at Howdens, while helping us find bright individuals who contribute to the growth of our business.

From the first day’s training and during integration into the workplace, we want our apprentices to find a warm welcome from colleagues who have genuine passion about the department they work in. That’s the best way to make apprentices feel valued, secure and in a position to make long-term commitments to Howdens.

We also work in partnership with carefully selected Apprenticeship Training Providers which enables us to provide the highest possible standard of training. An apprenticeship is an excellent foundation for a career with Howdens, and many of our apprentices have gone on to achieve success in specialist roles.
Careers

We also have a huge variety of teams, all linked together by one common purpose - to offer great service to our trade customers.

Careers at Howdens