Festive focus: Bdaily catches up with Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens MD Rob Cole

Today we have Rob Cole, managing director at Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens.

Can you introduce yourself and your business to our readers?

“Rob Cole, MD of Sheffield Sustainable Kitchens, an ethical company in Nether Edge, Sheffield, which creates bespoke kitchens using recycled pieces and sustainable materials.

“A member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen, many of its kitchens have a story to tell, whether it’s the cabinet door fronts that were originally railway wagons or shelving that had a previous life as a graffiti-covered school lab bench.”

What was your company’s biggest achievement of the year?

“We’re incredibly proud to be one of the winners at this winter’s Sheffield Business Awards. We won the award for Excellence in Corporate, Social and Environmental Responsibility.

“After designing and fitting kitchens for over ten years (while keeping to a firmly moral and environmentally-conscious business model), this feels like a milestone for us as a team. We are absolutely delighted to have official recognition for what we have achieved.”

How would you approach 2018 differently, given the chance?

“This year has been a tricky one. Brexit has increased the cost of a lot of our components and the general uncertainty has made it difficult to forecast and plan ahead.

“If we could approach this situation all over again, I think we would find the confidence to invest earlier in more in-house processes, which would give us more control and flexibility. Ideally we’d also have moved to bigger premises and improved all our internal systems.”

What are your company’s plans for the new year?

“We’re excited about 2019. We have a lot of plans for growth and hope to complete a move to a larger site.

“We would also like to increase our electric vehicle fleet, making our business even more sustainable, and roll out the final bit of our IT upgrade so our site team are using our new technician app.”

What’s your favourite Christmas song?

“For me it has to be ‘Thank God, it’s Christmas’ by Queen. The run-up to the festivities is our busiest time of year – all our clients need their kitchens finished in time for hosting Christmas dinner! We are so glad to finally close the doors and enjoy a well-earned break.”