Happy Birthday Benchmark!
Benchmark Woodworking was incorporated as a limited company on 17 December 1986 so we are officially 25 years old today!
In those days we made prototypes and small batches of furniture for leading retailers with just three employees and our workshop was in a stable on a disused farm.
We’ve certainly come a long way since then…
Today, still on the original site, we have expanded into the calf sheds and the barns that we’ve converted into 35,000 square feet of workshops for timber milling, carpentry , specialist metalworking and upholstery as well as a full service design studio and furniture showroom. We now employ over 50 designers and craftsmen, run an award winning apprentice training programme, make and sell our own furniture collection and as one of the leading woodworkers in the UK, enjoy working with many of the world’s top architects and designers on a range of projects, fitting and furnishing offices, hotels, bars, restaurants and public buildings.
What hasn’t change is our commitment to create useful and beautiful furniture that is the best of its time.
Meet our Mo Bros
Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.
Here at Benchmark we’re really proud of our generous and selfless ‘Mo Bros’ – Barry, Mark, Steven, Mike, Andy, Steve and Pete who have groomed, trimmed (some better than others!) and waxed (ouch!) their way throughout Movember with the following results.
Benchmark’s ‘Mo Sistas’ conducted the judging and have voted Mad Mike’s magnificent mo as the ultimate winner:
In salute to our gallant Mo Bros, Benchmark are sending a cheque for £100 to support prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.
Take a tour of the workshops
Jonathan Glancy from the Guardian recently visited Benchmark to make a film about Terence Conran and the Design Museum’s The Way We Live Now exhibition which celebrates Terence’s contribution to British design. The film includes a tour of Benchmark’s workshops and showrooms.
Watch the interview to take your own tour of Benchmark. If you’d like to see more, do come and visit us here in Kintbury - we would be delighted to show you around the workshops to see our furniture being made.
The Way We Live Now exhibition opens at the Design Museum today and is running until 4 March 2012.
We’re currently planning a trip to the Design Museum to see the exhibition to mark Terence Conran’s 80th birthday which opens next week.
The Way We Live Now explores Terence’s impact and legacy, whilst also showing his design approach and inspirations. The exhibition traces his career from post-war austerity through to the new sensibility of the Festival of Britain in the 1950s, the birth of the Independent Group and the Pop Culture of the 1960s, to the design boom of the 1980s and on to the present day.
Benchmark is featured in the exhibition with Terence Conran designed pieces from the Benchmark Furniture range on display, along with other pieces that we have made for Terence over the years.
The exhibition is running from 16 November to 4 March 2012.
Watch Terence interviewed by Alan Yentob on The Culture Show, BBC2 Saturday 5 November, 6pm.
Benchmark’s benches in St Helier
50 of Benchmark’s Chico benches have been delivered to Jersey’s Millennium Town Park which opened on Saturday. Thousands flocked to the opening of the St Helier park which has been created on the site of an old gas works. Used as a car park for two decades, the space has been transformed into a beautiful park with unique character and facilities.
The Chico bench is part of our Street & Park Furniture Range – a collection of contempory outdoor seating designed by Wales and Wales for public spaces. We are currently working on new designs with Rod and Alison Wales which will be launched over the next few months.
A world class business
We’re always striving to improve our performance so we’re pleased to have achieved the quality assurance standard ISO 9001:2008 certification which recognises us as a world class business.
ISO 9001:2008 is the world’s most established quality framework. It helps us to deliver continual improvements in customer focus and satisfaction as well as staff motivation.
Joining forces with local businesses
Last Thursday evening we hosted an evening of wine tasting with local wine merchant Caviste and a preview of work by artist, Julie Collins. Kintbury Butcher, Bastable Brothers, supplied some fabulous food to accompany the wines. Over a 100 people joined us for the evening creating quite a buzz in the showroom.
The teams at Caviste and Bastable Brothers are great people to work with, they provide a top notch product and service and they really know what they are talking about. We’d highly recommend paying them a visit when you are next in the area.
We do hope that you will make a visit to the showroom to view Julie’s work which will be on display until Christmas. Julie’s paintings are a personal reflection of the beauty in our contemporary world and look fantastic alongside our furniture.
We are currently building up our stock of smaller items in readiness for Christmas – chopping boards, bowls, ceramics by Linda Bloomfield and Rowan Whimster as well as some fabulous pieces by designer Nick Munro.
As always, a very warm welcome awaits you and we hope to see you very soon.
Meet Hannah…
Hannah is one of the Senior Designers at Benchmark. She first worked for Benchmark in 2004 as a student on placement from Loughborough University where she studied a BA Hons in Furniture Design. After travelling the world, Hannah returned to Benchmark in 2007 and has been a key member of our design team ever since. She’s also our resident Party Organiser Extraordinaire!
Hannah recently decided to try her hand at sculpture casting in concrete. She spent an intensive five days in Cornwall learning about concrete and casting techniques and making her own original concrete sculpture. We love her piece so much that it is now on display in Benchmark’s showroom. This one is not for sale but commissions are welcome.
We asked Hannah a few questions about life at Benchmark …
Best thing about working at Benchmark: The mix of clients that we work with and the range of projects as well as the location – I love being out in the countryside on the farm.
Most rewarding project: One of my first main projects was furniture for the top floor of the “Gherkin” – which was amazing just to be working in such an iconic and well known building. Lutyens Bar, Restaurant and Club was also a big achievement as it was a large project to run and Terence Conran’s last restaurant to date.
Favourite piece of Benchmark furniture: The Maiden Table - I love the physical weight of it against its visual lightness. I think it would go really well with original bentwood Thonet chairs and would look great in my cottage!
Favourite Benchmark lunch: Roast vegetable cous-cous with feta
Best Benchmark Party: There have been a lot… but the 60s Christmas Party that we put on in 2009 was brilliant, from what I can remember… might be beaten by our Vegas one this year though!
Meet more of the Benchmark team in future blogs….
Happy Birthday Terence!
Everyone at Benchmark gathered yesterday to wish Terence Conran a very happy 80th birthday and to present him with his birthday present. Terence was thrilled with the exquisite handmade toolbox made by Benchmark craftsmen, Mike, Noel, Kelvin & Mark. Made from solid walnut and sycamore with burr walnut inlay, it was specially designed and made to house a selection of tools which were individually chosen for being the best of their kind.
Terence spoke of his love for Benchmark and how, out of all his businesses, we are the closest to his heart because we make things. He is immensely proud that we produce such outstanding design and craftsmanship here in England.
Bravo Terence! We thank you for all the support, advice and friendship you have given to Benchmark over the last 30 years. You are an inspiration to us all.
Chico Benches for Hereford Cathedral
60 Chico benches, designed by Wales & Wales and part of Benchmark’s Street & Park Furniture collection, are heading out of the workshop this week.
Nine benches made from European oak and all hand carved with individual inscriptions, have been commissioned for Hereford Cathedral whilst the rest are being shipped to Jersey, for the Millennium Town Park in St Helier.
Benchmark’s exciting collaboration with Wales & Wales commenced earlier this year with the launch of the Chico, Norfolk and Harpo ranges. These will be supplemented with new designs in the forthcoming months. Benchmark also offer a bespoke service. Recent clients for bespoke outdoor projects include the Woodland Trust Headquarters, the National Trust and the Boundary Hotel.
