About Us

History

Kitchenalia was first launched in 1994 in Lime Street, Bedford by its owner, Susie Allen, who had previously spent 10 years working for John Lewis and had been Deputy Manager in the Kitchenware Department in their prestigious Oxford Street branch. What began as a small independent enterprise has continued to blossom and expanded over the years.

In 2005 Kitchenalia relocated to Bedford's distinctive Arcade, adding to the unique flavour of this shopping hub with its dramatic window displays and its diverse range of enticing wares.

Having doubled in size, the shop required even more space and another move was made to larger premises within The Arcade.

Susie, having grown up in the Bedford area, now combines a busy working life with bringing up her two daughters. Her high standards and committed work ethic have served to inspire and fuel her loyal team.

Ethos

Kitchenalia is designed to warm and uplift anyone stepping through the door, providing a comfort zone of inspiration. We are always striving to provide customers with the information they need to make educated decisions for themselves and we are able to offer a comprehensive range of kitchenware to meet the needs of our enthusiastic customers... If we don't have it, we will do our very best to find it! We love what we do and it's important to us that our customers enjoy their shopping experience and leave us feeling more than just satisfied.

The Team

Introducing our friendly, knowledgeable team, we have Susie, Sally, Sarah, Cheryl, Melanie, Kay and Sandy. When it comes to cooking and food, we all have our own preferences:

Sally says that the best purchase she ever made was her stainless steel shallow casserole (Le Creuset), as she really enjoys cooking one pot dishes.
Melanie has always loved to bake, but in recent years has discovered how much she enjoys bottling, preserving and pickling, cordials, jams, jellies and chutneys made from foraged fruit and berries or whatever is seasonal or in glut.
Sarah thoroughly enjoys cooking roast dinners on a Sunday for family and friends. She says her favourite cook is Mary Berry as her recipes "are easy to follow and usually successful."
Sandy loves all types of cooking and will try her hand at anything, spicy or sweet. Her current passion is desserts and cakes which allow for a lot of creativity.
Cheryl also enjoys making cakes and trying all kinds of recipes. She loves making flowers for birthday cakes and creating celebration cakes. She makes different types of bread and tends to follow Paul Hollywood's recipes as his instructions "are very user-friendly."
Having been brought up by the sea, it is probably not surprising that Kay's favourite meals usually include fish or shellfish. She prefers uncomplicated dishes and thinks that seafood offers one of the quickest and easiest options at meal times. She confesses to being a bit of a "last minute" cook.
Susie champions casseroles and anything with cooked cheese is her complete achilles heal. Nothing better than a baked Camembert with fresh baked bread! Yum!

Awards

Over the years Kitchenalia has:

Reached the final 6 for Best Independent Retailer of the Year (Excellence in Housewares Awards.)
In 2011, one of the team was awarded Employee of the Year (Excellence in Housewares Awards.)
Sarah thoroughly enjoys cooking roast dinners on a Sunday for family and friends. She says her favourite cook is Mary Berry as her recipes "are easy to follow and usually successful."
On a number of occasions we have been Finalists in Excellence in Retail Display (Excellence in Housewares Awards.)

Come and see us for a true taste of what makes Kitchenalia a place worth revisiting...again and again. Alternatively, if you don't live locally and shop with us online please call us if you have a question, we are always very happy to help.

Until we meet or speak again, we all at Kitchenalia wish you health, good fortune and lots of fun cooking!