Matt Deighton, Managing Director & Partner at Saxon Furniture, invites Big Furniture Group’s editor to the factory.
It’s been just over two years since British handcrafted furniture manufacturer Saxon Furniture announced its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). The significant move marked a new era for the company, which has been delivering exceptional craftsmanship and customer service for over four decades.
Established back in 1982, Saxon Furniture has continued to evolve and expand while remaining true to its traditional way of furniture making from its Bolton factory. Over the years, the business has consistently adapted to changing market demands and has become known as a specialist in bespoke upholstery. From the moment I arrived, it was clear to see this.
The 8,500sqft factory is split into three core divisions, which includes the frame workshop, the main upholstery floor and an in-house foam conversion facility, with the latter only being in place for around 18 months. But before the tour began, Matt guided us to the showroom first. Not only do you get a closer look at the finished products in the flesh, but you also get a glance at the main factory workforce busy building bespoke orders through a unique window experience. You don’t realise how much time passes when watching through the glass. It’s a really nice touch that instantly connects customers, and visitors, with the people behind the products.
From the outset, Matt was keen to reinforce Saxon Furniture’s manufacturing partnerships within the trade. The company often works with retailers, but with a different attribute that not many others can follow. Flexibility. “We value our partnerships with retailers and are always open to working on any project. Flexibility is one of our biggest strengths. We regularly produce bespoke pieces and undertake white-label projects. Those are capabilities that retailers may not realise we offer, but it’s something we take great pride in and also an area we are looking to expand on.”
What’s more, Matt was also keen to highlight that becoming employee-owned back in June 2024 has forged the company closer together, creating a unique bond with everyone sharing a common passion for beautifully crafted furniture. The 73-strong workforce all play crucial roles in the company’s growth and development, where they also now share in its continued success. “The transition to employee ownership has been really positive for the business,” Matt said.
“In practical terms, there has been continuity, as the senior team was already in place before the transition and has remained in place since. At the same time, becoming employee-owned has helped create a stronger sense of involvement and ownership across the business. We now share more information with our partners than ever before, including updates around business performance, challenges and future plans.”
Matt added that the move to an EOT was about continuity, legacy and protecting the long-term future of the business. “The previous owners, a husband-and-wife team who had been involved with the business for around 40 years, wanted to see the company continue in a way that protected its values, its people and its manufacturing base.
“Selling to an external buyer can sometimes create uncertainty around the future direction of a business, particularly around manufacturing, employment and culture. Employee ownership gave us a way to preserve the business while also giving our people a greater stake in its future.”
It was now time to meet some of these employees as the tour turned towards the frame making division. In fact, Saxon Furniture is made up of staff from three different generations and has a well-oiled apprenticeship programme every year to try and introduce the next generation into the industry. Further still, Saxon Furniture was the first in the UK to develop a Cutting Apprenticeship through its collaboration with North Lancs Training. The business has 13 apprentices throughout the company at present and runs an annual intake, something Matt is really proud of.
“For us, apprenticeships are not just about recruitment. They are about preserving traditional manufacturing and upholstery skills, passing knowledge from experienced craftspeople to the next generation, and ensuring the business has the capability to continue producing high-quality British-made furniture in the future. It remains a challenge, as it does for many businesses in our sector, but it is an area we see as vital.”
But I digress, back to the frame making area, where each frame is hand crafted from FSC-certified beech hardwood, it was fascinating to watch the construction from single pieces of wood to the end structure where frames are glued, screwed and doweled – offering a quality frame construction. And the weight of just the constructed frame alone was heavy! The production process looked effortless, but that was down to the master craftsmen behind the build.
Time is key too. There is no frantic flurry of wood flying to push out fast frames, it was calm, methodical and precise where a swivel chair frame would take around 25 minutes to make and a chesterfield frame would be almost double that. This atmosphere set the tone for what was to follow in the main factory floor.
However, the tour took us through to the new in-house foam conversion facility first, which used to be a former canteen, where Matt explained the move behind the investment. “We have invested in both machinery and people. It’s allowed us to have a greater degree of control over the foam content within our furniture. A lot of what we do is bespoke, so the ability to convert our own foam in-house helps this aspect.”
Matt also revealed that the business has invested in its digital presence too, with the launch of a new website back in April as well as updated CGI’s and AI to improve the online customer experience. Alongside this, Saxon Furniture continues to invest in product development, skills, apprenticeships and manufacturing capability, while also exploring more sustainable and natural upholstery materials.
Moving into the main factory floor, which includes sub-divisions for sewing, fabric cutting, packaging and quality control, the area of focus was the workshop. And that is exactly how it felt. Again, there was no time pressure, just a calming workflow of products being made. With the frames already assembled at this point, it’s all about the attention to detail when the fabrics and other components are implemented. The constant sound of tapping – from either the staples connecting the fabric to frame or the stud work being hammered home, was actually therapeutic.
The whole production process was like clockwork. From watching how a chesterfield is covered in fabric, how the fiddly button process works, to overseeing each small stud installed (and there are hundreds), it’s all meticulous attention to detail, and by hand. Even the ‘rub off’ section was an interesting insight. It creates a balanced finish to leather, bringing out the antique look in certain areas of the product through a water-based solution.
Another enjoyable element to the tour was that every single member of staff I encountered was happy, engaging and keen to show off their skills. In fact, it takes around two years just to gain a basic understanding when training, with Saxon Furniture blessed to have many staff with double-figure experience. “The key for us is not to compromise the product,” Matt said. “We are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and adapt to changing market conditions, but not by cutting corners or reducing quality.
“Our strength is that we can offer craftsmanship, flexibility, bespoke options and UK manufacturing. That is not always the easiest route commercially, especially when competing against lower-cost alternatives, but it is central to who we are as a business.”
Listening and taking in the workshop surroundings, it provided an ideal place to catch up on how the business has been of late, with most recent filed accounts for the year ended 30 June 2025 showing a 3.1% uptick in sales to £6.5m and a return to profit. “So far, 2026 has been challenging, which I think reflects the wider picture across the furniture and manufacturing sectors,” Matt said.
“We’re responding to those challenges with a focus on what we can control through continued investment in product development, apprenticeships, manufacturing capability, operational efficiency and customer experience. This enables us to have a forward-thinking approach while positioning the business to react and adapt as market conditions change.”
As the tour came to a close, Matt was keen to reemphasise the manufacturing side of Saxon Furniture where the company is open to conversations and partnerships with retailers as well as reinforce its bespoke capabilities – so much so, the company once produced a 30ft chesterfield for a customer in the Netherlands where it managed to seat all staff in the car park!
“While many people know us for our direct-to-consumer brands, we also have experience working with partners in the UK and internationally, including white-label and bespoke manufacturing projects. That is an area we are keen to develop further where there is the right fit.”
Saxon Furniture has always been built around craftsmanship, skills, quality and flexibility. Two years on from its employee ownership restructure, it’s clear to see its vision and values remain unchanged.
While there was time for one last look through the viewing window, Matt echoed those sentiments: “We don’t believe Britain’s best days of furniture manufacturing are behind us. We believe they’re still ahead of us, provided businesses continue investing in people, skills and quality.”
