A Trip to the Jag Kitchens Factory

I’ve had new furniture before that I’ve tried to put together and not been successful. You know the story, it seems so easy and then, it’s not. And because so much of what we have in New Zealand is made overseas, it’s very hard to speak to the manufacturer about the plans and why the %#*@ you can’t work them out.

One of the great benefits of Jag Kitchens is it’s an NZ family-owned and made company. The kitchens are all made here in Auckland, by New Zealanders with local and some imported materials. Not that I have to assemble my kitchen myself (thank goodness), but it’s peace of mind knowing I’m investing in a local company that is here and if I wanted to I could pop in and see it.

And I did!

I took a trip to the factory to see where my new kitchen was born. I met Nick, the son of owners Lesley and Malcolm and then Jeff the factory manager showed me around. I found it really interesting to see it all being made and cut, to learn how many kitchens get made daily, and the streamlined process.

I also took the opportunity to whisper to my kitchen (when nobody was looking) that it was going to be coming to a house soon where it would be loved very much.

Alison from Jag gave me some advice that I hadn’t even considered;

1. Cover all the surfaces near the kitchen space with a drop sheet because things get dusty. I picked up some large ones from Bunnings for $7 so that was simple.

2. Put a plan into action for how I’ll survive without a kitchen when the old one has been ripped out and the new one is on its way. This process can vary in length depending on what kind of a kitchen you have coming in and how many changes there will be to your current layout.

Because we’ve opted to keep our stainless steel benchtop and not alter the layout, the time it’ll be out of action will be less. But still, I’ll need to think about the kids. Nowhere to make their dinner, breakfasts, snacks, no power or water in the kitchen for a few days. Argh!

Alison suggested moving the kettle and microwave to the hallway and packing their lunches in advance. But the biggest thing for me was to make it an adventure for them, rather than an inconvenience.

For instance, we had a picnic dinner on the floor surrounded by boxes with a blanket over the top as a roof to turn it into an adventure. Not hard, because despite the chaos it is a bit of an adventure. I’ve been hoping for a new kitchen for over ten years!

My sister-in-law was without a working kitchen for three months while hers was installed, which sent shivers down me, but when the day came for it all to happen I felt sure we’d not have to wait that long. Typically, Jag has kitchens up and running again within two weeks.

So many tradies are involved, plumber, electrician, builder, stainless steel cutter; at one point I looked into the kitchen and saw eight people working away. Like a party. A very dusty, busy, fast-moving, and focused party with no alcohol. So, not really a party. Just a kitchen renovation. Yeah, just like that.

Next time you hear from me, it’ll all be installed and my new life will begin. Stay tuned!