HIDDEN GEMS: DUALIT CLASSIC TOASTERS – Crawley, West Sussex

The Heritage: Established in 1945 by Max Gort-Barten, Dualit is one of the few remaining independent British manufacturers of kitchen appliances. While the brand has expanded into global sourcing for its entry-level products, our hidden gem is - the Classic Toaster - it’s still hand-built at its factory in West Sussex, where each unit bears the name of the individual assembler on its base plate.

The Verdict: The Dualit Classic Toaster is a benchmark for sustainable industrial design in a sector dominated by planned obsolescence. Unlike many modern throwaway appliances that are glued shut, the Classic is fully modular; every single component, from the mechanical timer to the patented ProHeat elements, can be repaired or replaced. This ‘repair-over-replace’ philosophy dramatically reduces its lifetime environmental impact compared to cheaper, imported alternatives. Furthermore, the elements are encased in a natural mineral layer (Mica), making them virtually unbreakable under normal use.

We can’t include their 'Lite' and 'Architect' ranges in this UK-made directory as they’re manufactured overseas and do not share this repairable architecture.

Core Products: Hand-built NewGen Classic toasters. URL: dualit.com