Buying a new kitchen is always a game of catch-up. Because it’s an occasional and significant purchase, it pays to have someone tell you what’s moved on, style-wise. When I got my last kitchen, soft-close drawers and a carousel for your corner cupboard were new-fangled, now it’s an integral extractor fan in your worktop and sparkling from your tap (water not fizz sadly, but let’s hope that’s next, eh?)

So, who you gonna call? When my bank manager green lights a new kitchen I’m making a beeline for Dekor Kitchens in Exeter. They’re a family-run indie, owned by two couples – Paul and Jo Brimecombe, and Lee and Maz Nebbett – and when you walk in the door, it doesn’t matter who comes down the showroom stairs to greet you, they’re all passionate about kitchens, plus they have their own in-house fitter and a team of local artisans who they know and trust to turn out work of a high finish.

As they’re not a franchise, they free to curate their own choice of brands, which include Leicht, Brigitte and Alno, picked because they rate the German-design quality, plus the kitchens are all made to order, so arrive fully built and ready to install.

Here’s how it works: give them a call or pop into their Marsh Barton showroom to discuss your ideas and your budget and following a free home consultation (they even managed to design a kitchen remotely in lockdown) you will get a free fully costed and detailed design created by Lee or Paul presented to you in the showroom which you can then refine until you’re sure you get the kitchen you want.

I can honestly say I was agog at all their new designs and gizmos. The hidden pantry (great use for undertstairs), the range of worktops (did you know Neolith is practically indestructible?), the sleek matt doors that don’t get covered in sticky fingerprints when you touch them, and loads of other cool stuff.

If you want to support local and get a gorgeous, cutting-edge kitchen in the process, m’lady, go check them out!