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A fine heritage: from the kitchen to the sink

Leisure Sinks is renowned for its range of stainless steel kitchen sinks and taps, but its origins are steeped in history, with a distinguished background in manufacturing.

In fact, the Nottingham-based company has actually been manufacturing stainless steel sinks since 1933, beginning mass production in 1935 prior to being appointed official contractors to the Ministry of Works after the Second World War. By 1949, Leisure's factory was soon at full capacity producing 10,000 units per week and supplying 1,200 building and plumbing merchants throughout the UK and Northern Ireland.

Then, in 1955, the current Leisure Sinks factory was built in Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire, while the actual business was purchased by Allied Ironfounders, which led to the company trading as Leisure Kitchen Equipment. Glynwed International PLC took over in 1969, resulting in Leisure becoming a member company of an international organisation. Two years later (1971), a press release was issued announcing the 5,000,000th Leisure sink had rolled off the production line; this went on to be displayed at London's Design Museum, where it was given away as a visitor competition prize. The high quality, competitively priced inset sink - the Lexin - was then launched in 1979, and is still a best seller today.

Finally, after several changes of ownership, the company was eventually bought by the AGA Rangemaster Group in 2002 and is now part of a global organisation that includes high profile British brands such as AGA, Rangemaster, Falcon, Mercury and Rayburn.

While the company itself has gone through numerous changes over the years, one thing that has remained consistent is the quality and performance of its range of kitchen sinks. Indeed, Leisure remains the UK's largest manufacturer of domestic stainless steel sinks, turning over in excess of £15m and employing over 200 staff at its factory. The 51 sinks in its stainless steel range, including seven BSI Kitemarked models - are all manufactured from a single sheet of high grade 18/10 steel, providing a robust, rigid frame that won't bend or flex under pressure. So, whether its Guinness Partnership refurbishments or stylish Barratt Homes' apartments, Leisure's extensive stainless steel sink selection offers a wide choice of models for a range of applications and budgets.

The Leisure portfolio doesn't stop at sinks, with the company also offering a stylish selection of pillar, lever and mixer taps to complement a wide variety of sink styles. The latest innovation in the range is the Spa Filter tap, which offers homeowners ultimate convenience for food and drink preparation. The stylish dual lever tap has a three-way dispenser system to provide crystal clear filtered water, mains cold water and hot water. Also in the tap range are the 'Aquanomic' flow restricted models, which have been designed to meet the latest Building Regulations.

"Leisure continues to be a standout success in the building and plumbing industry," says John Peter, trade sales director at Leisure Sinks.
"While kitchen and sink designs have changed over the years, our values haven't. An extensive product range, commitment to excellence and a strong British heritage are the fundamental elements that have contributed to our ongoing success.

"We are always striving to be the best in our sector, by investing in the latest production methods - such as the 26 robots operating in its factory to support the manufacturing process - to ensure that our standards of quality do not drop." 

Having produced more than 30,000,000 sinks to date, Leisure Sinks is determined to keep developing products that not only suit customers' needs, but also remain market leaders for many years to come.

T: +44 (0)115 946 4000
E: [email protected]
W: www.leisuresinks.co.uk

4th July 2014