» By Royal Appointment
Martin Chadder can count The Queen as one of his satisfied customers
Chadder & Co. is a Sussex success story. The bathrooms designed and manufactured by Martin Chadder can be found across the globe, including royal palaces. Martin doesn’t just design baths and showers, he has also developed his own material, inspired by technological developments in the marine industry, a world he knows well from racing catamarans. Latest Homes Sussex visited his showroom in Forest Row to find out more about his innovative business.
How did you find yourself earning a Royal Warrant?
You can’t say a great deal about it. You get the Royal warrant if you supply the royal household over a number of years. It is a very nice endorsement to have (Martin has the signed warrant mounted on the wall by his desk).
I don’t know how they heard about us, they must have just discovered us through the grapevine.
How did you get started in the business?
I started out enamelling roll top cast iron baths in 1985. People would always ask if we supplied taps and fittings, which we didn’t at the time. So I started expanding the service offered, refurbishing antique fittings. We then moved on from baths to the whole bathroom, sometimes renovating antique bathrooms, sometimes designing our own. Our designs proved to be very popular.
What is it that makes you different?
There are many bathroom designers and suppliers offering good quality, but the products here are a bit different. Its like choosing a car. Not everyone wants to drive the same brand of car, some like to have a car which is different from the rest. We also pride ourselves on our attentive and dedicated service.
Do you think people tend to associate Chadder & Co with the wonderful roll top baths, like the baths shown on our cover this month?
Not really. I think people associate us with a certain classical style. We are known for our quality, upmarket bathrooms, not just the baths. Also we always have Made in England on our fittings. People like to see that we can still manufacture quality products in this country.
It is a very striking photo shoot.Where did it take place?
It was at Camber Sands. It was quite a challenge. We got some very funny looks when we were lugging the heavy baths across the beach. It was quite a struggle. It was a very funny experience trying to deal with the tide coming in as the photographer was taking the pictures. I had no idea if the photos would work, but the photographer did an excellent job.
What are the latest developments or trends in bathrooms?
We have our own big new development. We have invented a brand new material for making baths, which we have called ‘Chadite’. People like to have the traditional cast-iron baths, but antique baths are often hard to get hold of. This material is a composite made up of many layers which feels like cast-iron but is half the weight. Cast-iron baths are very heavy, and some floors cannot cope with the weight of the bath, the water and the person in the bath. Also they can be difficult to install in some flats. The Chadite material is also warmer to the touch - cast-iron can feel very cold. I got the idea from monitoring some of the developments in the very competitive marine racing industry. Everyone is looking for new materials that are faster on the water.
Sailing is a passion of yours, I believe…
I spend as much time as I can on the water, and water is part of my job, working on bathrooms. I sail at the club in Worthing and also enjoy sailing at Lake Como. I race in catamarans. I managed to get down to Cowes for a short while this year, where my son, Sam, was racing.
Sam Chadder, friend Adam and Dame Ellen MacArthur
If you were to advise a budding entrepreneur, what would be your advice?
You just need to persevere and never give up. Just keep going and you can make it.
Chadder & Co, Blenhein Studios, High Street
Forest Row, East Sussex, Tel: 01342 823243
www.chadder.com
