With kitchen retail business Kutchenhaus celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, head of marketing Paul Lee speaks with KBN about the journey the business has been on

Founded in 2004, Kutchenhaus was born out of a collaboration between UK kitchen professionals and parent company Nobilia, which saw the opening of its very first showroom in Urmston, Manchester.

Head of marketing Paul Lee comments: “The UK kitchen industry has transformed significantly since the early 2000s when the brand first started selling German-engineered kitchens from its Urmston showroom.

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“Styles have certainly changed since those early days, which served as the very first introduction to Kutchenhaus for customers.

Kutchenhaus showroom in the Trafford Centre, Manchester

“Many will know us also from the Trafford Centre showroom we occupied from 2013 – 2018. Both the Urmston and Trafford Centre locations showcased our German kitchen design to the public, and the business owned these showrooms.”

Moving to a franchise model

Indeed, the biggest change in the Kutchenhaus business came when it began to move to a franchise model in 2015.

The first Kutchenhaus franchise in Brentwood, Essex

Since, Kutchenhaus has offered talented designers, investors, and those who would like to run their own business, the chance to be part of its network, whilst keeping its flagship York showroom as a Kutchenhaus-owned space.

“Growth has always been on the agenda,” Paul Lee explains.

“We’ve truly made it our mission to work with a talented collective of people who live and breathe the industry.

“By having a franchise partner network that is dedicated, we empower showroom owners to make the decisions which are right for them, and then support them every step of the way with expertise and guidance.”

This started with the very first franchise showroom in Brentwood in 2015 and now the brand has over 75 showrooms across the UK, with a number of franchise partners owning more than one space.

Kitchen retail experts Andy Barwell and Paul Turner have a significant portfolio, owning four locations after opening their Whiteley showroom in the second half of 2023.

Andy Barwell comments: “Thanks to our collective knowledge and experience, we’re able to offer a first-class service for our customers across four locations, which are Whiteley, Chichester, Petersfield and Romsey.

“We’ve assembled a fantastic team of professionals who treat it like it’s their own business and this has been the secret to success.

“Being part of the Kutchenhaus network means we’re part of a family of experts, supported by Nobilia, and therefore the product we can offer is first-class.”

The Kutchenhaus journey over the past 20 years has also led it overseas. In 2019 it opened a showroom in Australia, and, following this, it added a US location in 2022 and a showroom in Portugal in 2023.

Paul Lee adds: “We’ve adapted to a changing market, progressing to produce forward-thinking solutions which range from the latest kitchen styles to bathrooms and home furniture for modern living.

This creates a great opportunity for franchise partners, no matter the location, to offer an all-encompassing solution and really create a dream space for their customers.”

Anniversary activity

To mark this year’s anniversary, Kutchenhaus recently brought its franchise partners together for a conference in the Algarve, Portugal.

Franchisees celebrate 20th anniversary in Portugal

It welcomed franchise partners, alongside parent brand Nobilia and representatives from the central team, to celebrate and say thank you for their collective hard work.

The event saw the Kutchenhaus team speak about the brand’s 20-year journey and achievements, while outlining plans for the future and how it will continue to support its franchise network on the growth of their businesses.

Additionally, as part of this year’s 20^th anniversary activity, the business has planned a mindfulness and wellbeing initiative, designed for Support Centre colleagues who have all contributed to Kutchenhaus’ growth.

Looking to the future

Paul Lee concludes: “At the heart of everything is the people who make it happen, both in our showrooms and Support Centre office – our brand really is our people.

Kutchenhaus Reading in Berkshire is the 75th franchise showroom

“As we look to the future, we remain committed to growing our network of talented franchise partners, whilst supporting those who are already part of our family.

“Our brand will continue to create kitchens that are skilfully engineered and beautifully designed, and we have the strength of Europe’s largest kitchen manufacturer, nobilia, which drives innovation. It’s been fantastic this year to look back on 20 years of the business and we’re excited for the future.”