Royal Oak kept busy

As with most makers and retailers, the team at Royal Oak Furniture had little idea how the Covid-19 lockdown would affect their business, although ‘negatively’ might have been the consensus prediction.

That, however, proved not to be the case – just the opposite, in fact – as the Grassington-based company’s Joanne Kent explains.

“We didn’t know what to expect after lockdown but it brought us a surge in orders,” she says. “Perhaps as people have spent more time in their homes, they have realised the importance of practical, welldesigned and attractive furniture.”

Whatever the reason, Royal Oak’s designers and craftsmen are now back at work, creating beautiful furniture for delivery around Yorkshire and the UK.

Likewise, the showroom on Moor Lane, just above the village, is once more open to the public, with potential customers free to call in any time between 10am and 4pm, Mondays to Fridays, or by appointment on Saturdays (telephone 01756 753378 or email sales@royaloakfurniture.co.uk to book).

The Royal Oak shop, in Grassington’s village square, is also back in business, showcasing a selection of the company’s products alongside a carefully-curated selection of crafts, homewares and accessories by British designers.

Royal Oak is a genuine family business, established more than 40 years ago by Janet and Paul Kent, with their son,

Mark, leading the design team. Along with daughter Joanne, who is chiefly responsible for the shop, they are still at the heart of the company, which has been based at Moor Lane for three decades.

The showroom there has an extensive selection of carefully-designed traditional and contemporary furniture Royal

Oak’s real strength – and its nationwide reputation – is for its bespoke design and manufacturing service. The company’s aim is to create whatever furniture a customer wishes, starting from as little as an outline idea or a rough sketch, and then working with the client to create their perfect piece of furniture.

Only the best quality timber is used, originating from environmentally managed woodlands where sustainability is a prime concern. Each piece of furniture made at Royal Oak starts the same way: English timber, whenever possible, arrives at the workshop with the bark still intact. There it is matched for grain and colour before the team of craftsmen set to work to get the very best out of each piece of wood.

The resulting pieces not only look amazing but are built to last, too, with traditional cabinet-making techniques, such a dovetail and mortise and tenon joints, going alongside more modern methods to create quality furniture that stands the test of time.

Lockdown led to an increase in business for the bespoke furniture maker.

The main showroom at Moor Lane, Grassington, is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.

The shop, at 2 Wood Lane, Grassington, is open from Wednesday to Monday, from 10am to 4pm.

Telephone 01756 753378. www.royaloakfurniture.co.uk