A State of Perpetual Evolution

The move to Swallows near Hailsham a year ago was the culmination of a decade of Inglis Hall, and the start of a new era for the company. A workshop without the compromises of our old home, one with space to grow and to learn.

Inglis Hall was founded by Toby Hall in 2013. Having successfully completed a small number of hand-crafted kitchens, it was evident that there existed a discerning consumer who appreciated and wanted something quite different. Craft in a modern kitchen.

And so, Inglis Hall – The Kitchen Maker was born.

Our timing was good. With the lens firmly focussed on British Craftsmanship it was easy for us to stand out. A natural appreciation for real materials, treated with skill and respect, coupled with considered design. In a world living in the fast-lane of the mass produced, our humble approach to the treatment of fine materials resonated with our people.

Proudly not for everyone, but for those that care. Those that care about timber selection. Those that care about light. Those that care about a coffee ritual that puts you in the right place, at the right time for these things to come together. Simple. Job done.

Ten years in and these are still the conversations that excite us. What sort of music do you listen to...in what format? What time do you rise in the morning and who is up first?

Same as it ever was.

Those first kitchens, built in my father’s barn at Breaky Bottom Vineyard were very basic. Crude almost. But they contained the right essence. Built without compromise. Our early clients such as top Lawyer and Expeditionist Rupert Grey, brother of legendary kitchen designer and kitchen authority Johnny Grey had to have tremendous faith. Almost blind faith. From a tiny crumbling workshop, we managed to build amazing things for amazing people and both were changed by the experience.

600 square feet became 6000, and now 10,000. Mud floors became rough concrete, became polished concrete. Dark and dusty has become light filled, clean and packed with precision technology. At last, a permanent home for us to apply our craft.

That leap of faith still remains, for designing and building a kitchen from scratch is still a journey. It is the Everest of design challenges. The success of the mission can only be fairly appreciated when the fitters, plumbers and electricians have all gone home and you get to explore your kitchen. Details discussed in long forgotten design meetings will return to you with a reassuring nod. “Oh yes, that is why Joe wanted the Island to finish there, in line with the Fridge, I remember him saying that it would make unloading shopping an absolute breeze, and it is!” Or the fact that the layout of the drawer internals had one final tweak to accommodate the BBQ skewers you inherited and they fit perfectly. Oh, such small pleasures make big differences. Once in a lifetime.

We would love to show you round our investment at Swallows Workshop, just a stone's throw from Lewes and our High Street Showroom, AKA An Actual Kitchen. It is worth seeing in order to understand what we mean when we say we build your kitchen from scratch. One of our loading bays has a sign saying “Beautiful Raw Materials In” and another says “Perfectly Crafted Kitchens Out”. It is all part of our quiet evolution. Now we’re just a little bit bigger, and dare I say, that little bit better at what we do.

A decade on. Same as it ever was.

With over 500 skilled making hours going into an average Inglis Hall Kitchen, we are always going to be limited in the number of projects we can take on in any given year. This is the way we want it. Every project remains important. Every client a vital link in our evolution.

So, whether you are actively considering a kitchen project or not, please come and let us show you round our Swallows Workshop, and or our Actual Kitchen at 29 Lewes High Street.