Cheshire Granite Worktops
I met with Donna OKeefe, the co-owner of Cheshire Granite Worktops, to discover more about the business, current kitchen trends, plus the wide range of products & services they offer their customers.
Who are Cheshire Granite Worktops?
We’re an independent family run business who have been based in Knutsford for almost 13 years. We specialise in the design, supply, and fitting of quartz kitchen and bathroom worktops, plus some bespoke items for our local customers.
Cheshire Granite Worktops is run by myself (Donna) and my business partner, Darren. With his son, Dean, working alongside 'Dad'.
As we’re a small business, we're all hands on, which means our customers deal directly with the owners from start to finish.
So if I'm looking for a new worktop, how does the process work?
As the initial point of contact, I begin by guiding customers through the ideas and design stage, helping them choose the right worktop for them.
We have over 100 different design & colour samples in the office, and customers are invited to bring in their kitchen cupboard door, tiles, or even paint samples. We then get to work, laying these out against our vast selection of worktops to find the ideal match.
My marketing background within the creative industry has given me a keen eye for colour, plus a knack of finding tones that really pop.
I have a saying ‘colours don’t lie’, and it's true. With so many undertones to every worktop – even the white ones - it’s important we find the right one. And I will keep looking until we do!
Tell me more about Darren and his role at CGW
Darren began his career learning the skills of joinery and stonemasonry, before he launched his own marble & granite worktop business in 1994. We then joined forces to form Cheshire Granite Worktops in 2011.
Darren uses his skills and expertise to create the worktops. First by templating, then he fabricates (makes) and fits each one himself, with the help of Dean.
Between us, we see the whole project through with our customers from initial ideas to final fitting.
That sounds like the dream team
It's worked well for us over the past 13 years, and we're busier than ever!
Has much changed in the world of worktops over that time?
Yes, trends are constantly changing, which means so are the needs of our customers.
The biggest shift has been from granite to quartz. When we started the business, over 90% of our customers chose granite worktops, compared to around 10% wanting quartz. That has completely flipped on its head, and most of our customers now select quartz worktops.
Why is that?
The main reason is the rise in popularity of white worktops. Granite is a natural stone, which means it’s hard to find granite in the pure white many people want in their kitchens. Whereas quartz is engineered stone made with natural materials, which can be produced in the colours people are looking for.
Also, when quartz first came on to the market, the colours and design choices weren’t very inspiring. Now there are many more options available to match current trends.
Talking of trends, which new ones have you noticed recently?
Worktop trends will always follow kitchen trends. There's recently been movement away from cooler greys to natural wood cupboards mixed with warmer colours.
We’ve noticed an increasing use of copper vein in worktops, which looks stunning next to the Scandi inspired wooden tones.
If customers don’t want a vein pattern, there’s a soft concrete colour with pink undertones which is a gorgeous alternative.
We’ve also seen an increase in customers ordering matt worktops instead of a high gloss finish. Again, this really compliments the lighter, more natural wood.
What if your customer has a specific design they're looking for?
There’s a quartz for every design and personality – and I can find it!
Whether it’s a plain worktop, minimalist vein, heavy vein, or different patterns, we will endeavour to source the perfect worktop.
We buy from a large list of importers, which means we have a huge range of colours and patterns to choose from, and often receive the newest designs too.
Can I ask about pricing?
I approach every job to get the best possible price for our customers. As quartz comes in certain sized slabs, my aim is to always utilise as much as possible. I'll sometimes even suggest a slight design tweak to minimise waste.
Something else I’ll often recommend is for our customers to choose a 20mm depth of quartz, instead of the standard 30mm. 20mm slabs are still structurally strong, and do the same job as the 30mm piece, just at a lower cost.
If we do end up with a large offcut, we’ll offer to make our customers a bespoke tabletop, giving them even more value for money.
Are there any other services you offer?
Yes, we can also provide offcuts for utilities and bathrooms at very competitive prices.
And although we work directly with customers who are having a whole kitchen refit, we also offer a replacement worktop service. This is a much more cost-effective way of giving a kitchen an uplift and adding value to a home. We also have a team of specialists who can remove the old worktops and make all utilities safe while we transform our customer's kitchens.
For a bit of fun, can you give me 5 interesting facts about quartz?
- Quartz is one of the hardest minerals on Earth. It's classed as 7 on the Mohs Scale of hardness (the hardest are diamonds and rubies at 10)
- Quartz worktops are non-porous, which gives them great anti-bacterial qualities.
- A quartz worktop is extremely scratch resistant, but it will blunt your knives if you cut directly onto its surface. We aim to save our customers knives by gifting them a free chopping board after fitting!
- Quartz worktops are made of 93% quartz and 7% epoxy resin.
- Quartz is also used in sandpaper, watches & clocks, radar & electronics, scouring soap, and even toothpaste!
And finally, if I'm looking for the perfect quartz worktop for my home, how do I contact you?
You can contact us for an initial chat and free quote via our website: www.cheshiregraniteworktops.co.uk or call 01565 300065