Neville Bernard Johnson, (June 1943 – September 2024) business entrepreneur and industry pioneer, has passed away at the age of 81.

Often considered to be the “original” architect of the fitted kitchen concept, he leaves  behind a professional legacy.

Johnson started out as a mechanic’s apprenticeship and the first van he sold was the Beatles’ official tour bus!

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However, it was the kitchen industry where he made his career, selling Formica worktops from his garage in Whitefield after securing an £1,000 loan from a friend’s father.

From these humble beginnings, he started his first business –  Kitchen Queen – building a network of retail stores and factories across the UK, with one officially opened by Prince Philip.

When Johnson floated the company on the Stock Market in 1979, shares were reportedly 33 times oversubscribed.

Setting up his eponymous company Neville Johnson Kitchens, in 1987,  he expanded the offer of bespoke fitted furniture to corporate and commercial clients.

By 1991, Neville Johnson further identified a niche in the prime residential market to offer luxury fitted furniture, offices and bedrooms.

He further expanded the business in 2010 to introduce Neville Johnson Staircases.

Having retired from business at the age of 73, and with all these businesses sold in multi-million-pound deals, his name can still be seen across Neville Johnson showrooms and their vans to this day.

From CEOs and national housebuilders to independent kitchen designers and installers, the Johnson family has been inundated by an outpouring of messages of gratitude and appreciation, which they state is a testament to his legacy.