Shaker & May

Handmade kitchens designed and built in Somerset

Shaker & May is a British kitchen company that designs, manufactures and installs bespoke handmade kitchens. Its workshop sits on the edge of Frome, in Somerset, and the firm also runs a design studio there. The company presents its work as furniture made to order by traditional craftsmen, with an emphasis on combining design with practical, hidden functionality.

The starting point of each project is the customer's own brief. According to the company, it invests time in understanding the specific challenges and the intended result before translating them into a layout, so that the finished kitchen fits the way the household actually uses the space.

From design consultation to installation

The service covers the full sequence of a kitchen project: design, manufacture and fitting. Customers can book a design consultation and are invited to share their project details, including the current kitchen design or inspiration images, through the contact form on the website. The company describes the process as a personal collaboration, with the design developed in conversation with the client before anything is built.

Installation is carried out by the company's own fitters. Among the services mentioned in customer accounts published on the site are the removal of the old kitchen, electrical work, plumbing and decoration, organised as a turnkey solution; the same accounts refer to a sister company, Gem Solutions, providing other services alongside the kitchen fit. A follow-up visit by the original fitter some months after completion is also described.

Materials, craftsmanship and finishes

Every kitchen is made by hand at the Frome workshop. Shaker & May states that it sources high-quality materials so that each kitchen is durable and unique, and that pieces are completed with precision. Painting and finishing form part of the offer: one customer account mentions a final visit to check that the paint finishes are perfect once installation is complete.

Showrooms in Bath and Lyndhurst

Beyond the Frome design studio and workshop, the company maintains two showrooms where the collection, its details and its appliances can be seen. The Bath showroom displays the kitchen range and its engineered functions, and the Lyndhurst showroom in Hampshire serves the same purpose. Both showrooms operate by appointment only.

What customers describe

The website reproduces several customer accounts that highlight the design team's patience and creativity, the fitters' attention to detail and the value of having a single company coordinate the whole job. These are individual testimonials rather than an aggregate rating, and they are presented here as the company's own published material.