Christmas Greetings from DWS

The DWS team would like to wish all of our customers, past, present & future a very 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Early Bird Offfer

The January sales have come very early at DWS! We are now no longer installing worktops before Christmas but any orders placed now for installation in the new year is eligible for the January sale discount.  When ordering, please quote reference DWS10115 for huge winter savings on fabulous new worktops to ring in the new year.

Just a reminder that DWS will be closed over the festive period from Friday 19th to Monday 29th December so call 0845 600 5512 or email quote@dws-uk.com today for a quote.

Christmas Pinterest Boards

With only 17 days until Christmas, I've been busy updated the DWS Pinterest page with all things festive. Go to http://www.pinterest.com/discountw/ to check out what's been inspiring us this December on the Christmas Home Decor, Christmas Trees and Festive Food & Drink boards.

I've seen some recipes for yummy non-alcoholic drinks that I might try and have shared them with you below. It's amazing the ideas you can find on Pinterest, it definitely brings out the creativity in you! I like also how the posts are from around the world so there's an insight in to other countries' customs and traditions at this time of year.  I have to say I think the US posts for sweet Christmassy treats are definitely my favourites, lots of cinnamon involved!

Double Hot Chocolate

Cherry Bombs

Peppermint Egg Nog

Pumpkin Pie Steamer

All of these very tempting winter warmers can be found at the link below.

http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Festive-Non-Alcoholic-Drinks-27335249?crlt.pid=camp.hzMnERTTCCL2#photo-27335249

Advent

The upcoming period of Advent is fast approaching. The shops are awash with chocolate advent calendars from every confectionery brand imaginable. I have been interested to see however some advent calendars with a difference. For those of us wanting to avoid the sweet stuff before all we'll be eating at Christmas time there are some rather sophisticated, albeit much more expensive alternatives out there.  I have added images of some of these below, just in time for you to get yours for Monday 1st!

Selfridges

Tesco beauty

The Body Shop

Jo Malone

Lego

Liberty

No 7

Christmas Order Deadline

Please note that tomorrow, Wednesday 19th November, is the cut off date for all orders to be placed if you wish to have your kitchen worktops fitted in time for Christmas dinner!  All kitchen worktop orders placed after tomorrow will be installed in the New Year.

Discount Worktop Store will be closed for Christmas from 5pm on Friday 19th December until 9am on Monday 29th December.

BBC 2 - The Great Interior Design Challenge

I'm loving BBC 2's interior design competition programme at the moment, The Great Interior Design Challenge. Amateur designers are let loose on rooms to show their design ability and creative flair. Considering these contestants have had no formal training, I'd say the results are almost always fantastic! This is what the website has to say about the programme which is currently in it's second series...

"The search for Britain's best amateur interior designers. Working in a variety of architectural styles, the contestants have three days to impress both the judges and the homeowners". http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04nj4d5

It's a really creative programme and although I've not been inspired to make any major decor changes to my own home, I have added an Interior Design board to Discount worktop Store's Pinterest page. http://uk.pinterest.com/discountw/

Remember, remember...

...the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason, why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

I've always loved Bonfire Night, with the sparklers, fireworks, everyone out together at the bonfire on a chilly night and of course the food. It wasn't until a couple of years ago though that I actually looked into the full story behind the reason for Guy Fawkes/Firework/Bonfire Night and I found it fascinating. It certainly makes sense of all the trappings I associate with the date. You can read about it at the link below if like me you weren't sure of the history behind the festivities.

http://www.parliament.uk/education/about-your-parliament/history-of-parliament/guy-fawkes/

One of my fondest memories of Bonfire Night is my mum's Treacle Toffee, which was very difficult to eat but delicious and the night wasn't same without it. I looked up a recipe for this traditional treat that I've shared with you below and as soon as I get myself a sugar thermometer, I'm going to attempt to continue this family tradition for my own daughter...well, until she's old enough to eat it it'll just be for me!

Bonfire Toffee

Ingredients

• oil, for greasing
• 450g dark brown sugar
• 125ml hot water
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 115g black treacle
• 115g golden syrup

Method

1. Line the base and sides of an A4 sized tin with non-stick parchment and then grease it really well.
2. Put the sugar and hot water in a heavy bottomed pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, do not stir the mixture at any point instead tilt the pan if you need to move it around.
3. Weigh out your remaining ingredients, if you put them in a really well greased jug they will be much easier to pour out. Once the sugar has dissolved add all the ingredients and pop the sugar thermometer in, you can use the thermometer to give it a quick swirl but try not to mix it too much.
4. Bring to the boil and boil until you reach soft crack on your thermometer (270/140C) This may take up to 30 minutes, be patient and do not leave the pan unattended as it can change quickly. As soon as it reaches the temp, tip it into your tin and leave it to cool.
5. Once cool remove it from the tin a break up with a toffee hammer or rolling pin. Store in an airtight tin or wrap up in boxes or cellophane bags to give as gift.

Taken from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Festive Rush

Winter's here and so is one of DWS' busiest times of the year! With only eight and a half weeks until christmas, the festive rush is on! Our customers are keen to get their worktops ordered, templated and installed in time for Christmas. If you are thinking of freshening up your kitchen with new worktops this Winter, or installing a new kitchen, then don't delay in checking out our great discounts at www.kitchen-worktop-store.co.uk for Corian, Quartz, Hardwood, Solid Surfaces & Granite kitchen worktops. It will take approximately 5 weeks from order to installation, so get your (ice) skates on and choose a gorgeous new kitchen worktop today.

Why not also take a look at our newly formed Pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/discountw/ for worktop and Christmas Home Decor ideas.

Nature's Flu Remedy

It is coming to that time of year where there's an unfortunate increase in colds, coughs, the flu and the like. Why not give this 'nature's flu remedy' a try next time you're feeling under the weather.

Sounds pretty tasty if nothing else, although I am a firm believer in good nutrition being the best medicine!

DWS on Pinterest

Following the previous Blog about the wonders of Pinterest, DWS has finally got themselves an account. Please visit our page to see lovely pictures of all the kitchen worktop ranges we supply, from  Dupont Corian, Quartz and Solid Surfaces, to Hardwood & Granite.

See our worktop pinspiration here http://uk.pinterest.com/discountw/

Sneak Preview

We enjoyed taking part in the Scottish Home Show in Aberdeen so much that we've already booked a spot at the Ideal Home Show from 22^_nd - 25^_th May 2015!

This show takes place at the SECC, Glasgow and we're already so excited to do it all again. We get the feeling the Glasgow show will be even busier than the one in Aberdeen so that was a good warm up. We will be at the Glasgow show with even more ranges of luxury worktops to show potential customers so please drop by to see us if you're there. 

We also have an exciting giveaway nearer the time so watch this space!

Check out the Ideal Home Show website below and book your tickets soon to avoid disappointment.

http://www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.uk

Spring Forward, Fall Back

Don't forget to put your clocks back one hour on 26th October for the upcoming Daylight Saving Time clock changes. Unfortunately the dark evenings are here but at least we get an extra hour in bed that Sunday!

Sunday, October 26, 2014: 2:00 AM back to 1:00 AM

Baking Blog

The Birthday Girl

Like me, you may be thinking with the colder weather and dark nights coming in that you might take up a hobby to get you through the Winter. Lately, thanks to a persuasive friend, I've been inspired to get baking, which I may make my new hobby as I really enjoyed it! Don't get me wrong, I've been baking since my school days but always stuck with safe and not too fiddly bakes. For example, I think I can safely say I can whip up a pretty decent batch of scones or a Victoria sponge but something I have always avoided is cake decorating...a dusting of icing sugar was my limit!

My recent baking adventures all started when my daughter's first birthday was approaching and I was bemoaning the lack of exciting birthday cakes out there (within my budget) for a little girl's first party. My friend who could easily be crowned Bake Off's "Star Baker" suggested I make one! My instant reaction was 'no way'. I had flashbacks of some gingerbread bears and cupcakes I once made for a Children In Need Bake Sale. I got so fed up with the decorating part (lack of patience for anything that's not "convenience") that they looked a sight!

Cupcake decorating

Happy with the finished product...and tasted great too!

After much convincing I agreed to the said challenge. I was pretty nervous, yet excited about this venture and turned to Pinterest immediately. We narrowed down the cakes we liked the look of and somehow I picked what looked to be the most complicated, although I was assured it would be easy.

Nearly there!

...and we did it!!

Mallow pops

chequerboard vanilla & chocolate sponge

After two marathon baking sessions and more eggs and butter than I've seen before, we had created two vanilla and chocolate chequerboard cakes. These were layered with buttercream and smothered in Italian meringue. The hardest part was to come, after colouring it, the icing had to be rolled and put on the cakes then the fiddly, time consuming decoration would take place. Like I said this was the part I dreaded and have to confess I ended up avoiding that as my friend was left with said job (I think she was secretly relieved! haha) I was disappointed in a way that I hadn't conquered this part of my baking fears but the first part has motivated me to do it all again and tackle it all.

We also managed to produce 36 pink sparkly cupcakes.  This was down to a measurements mishap as it was supposed to be 12 cupcakes but obviously 36 was a much better outcome. These having been in my existing repertoire were fine, in fact very tasty. I did ice them with a piping bag which was a first though.  As if I hadn't had enough of all things sugary I made some mallow pops late the night before the party. These were nice and easy but effective. I melted some milk and white chocolate, dipped the marshmallows in the chocolate then into different sprinkles. Although a bit too sweet for me, I really like the look of these for a kids' parry so will make them again.

My auntie made this cake for her granddaughter
just days after my cake. It seems it wasn't
just me who was feeling adventurous!

So all in all a very worthwhile and successful feat. I probably won't be buying birthday cakes again in the future and I may even attempt some more complicated treats during these long dark nights.  The DWS team will be pleased I'm sure :-)

Scottish Home Show success

We are now all back from a very busy weekend at this year's Scottish Home Show in Aberdeen.  The show started at 10am on Friday morning and it was none stop until we packed up at 5pm on Sunday evening! We had planned to make the journey home on the Sunday evening but thought better of it when we remembered that the Ryder Cup spectators would have the same idea. We didn't want to be battling through traffic all the way to Glasgow airport!

DWS' stand

It was great to meet so many potential new customers at the show and there was a great atmosphere and camaraderie amongst the stall holders. We were able to show off our lovely new banners and people were delighted to hear that our premium brand worktops may be within their budget after all!

The weather was glorious in Aberdeen so we were able to enjoy the stunning views at Aberdeen beach after a hard day's work at the AECC.

Jordan & Laurence after the show

Now the work really starts however with all the follow ups, quotes and calls we're receiving from the people we met.  It was a great, successful and hopefully fruitful weekend and we're already planning on doing it again at the Ideal Home Show, Glasgow in May 2015...we enjoyed it that much!

The DWS team

1 Week To Go!

With only one week to go until the AECC begin building this year’s Scottish Home Show, we are down to the last few days until we hit the Granite city!

 

As of yesterday, all exhibition space has now gone, making this year’s show the biggest and most exciting yet. There are over 24% more exhibitors than last year, and 47% of these are brand new to the event, giving regular visitors and new potential visitors some very good reasons to attend.

Myself, Laurence & Jordan, who have been the lucky ones selected to go to the Home Show are really looking forward to being part of this event next week and meeting new and possibly existing customers. 

Scotland's Referendum

http://scotreferendum.com

I can't believe it is only two days until the referendum which could change our country forever! It seems like it has been spoken about in the media for ages but it is now upon us.

This Thursday the 18th September 2014 is the day we can make our vote count towards what we hope for Scotland's future.  There's been much said by both Yes & No camps on the subject but I suppose the overriding issue is that nobody can really know entirely what will happen for Scotland and the UK, whether the outcome is yes or no. Come Friday however we will know what the majority of Scottish residents voted for and we will hopefully be looking forward to a positive future.

For any of you looking for last minute inspiration or to find the answers to your questions, the website above may help. There's plenty more out there too!

New Blog Design

With having just realised that the DWS website and blog have now been on the go for over a year, I thought it was time for a fresh new look for Autumn.  Hopefully you've noticed our lighter, more contemporary feel to the Blog which I think is a nice change. I've stuck with the company's green theme but with a lighter background.

DWS' Story

With over 12 years experience dealing with online kitchen worktop sales, DWS has steadily built up a reputation for a being a leading provider of luxury worktops at affordable prices.

We work alongside the largest kitchen worktop manufacturers and suppliers in the UK who put the upmost importance on quality and their commitment to the environment and social accountability. We only use suppliers accredited to BS EN ISO 9000, BS EN14001 and holding FSC Chain-of-Custody status. This allows us to offer you the customer the highest quality worktops but at exceptionally low prices.

Discount Worktop Store operates throughout mainland UK, with satisfied customers from the major cities of London, Aberdeen and Glasgow to smaller towns and villages across Scotland, England and Wales. We work closely with the largest supplier of premium kitchen worktops in Europe, with the most comprehensive range of products manufactured under one roof.  With our extensive experience in the online retail and kitchen worktop industry , Discount Worktop Store is able to deliver quality customer service as well as excellent discount on first class kitchen worktops.

Product quality and customer satisfaction is very important to Discount Worktop Store. Through supplying DuPont TM and Apollo® worktops we are able to provide the 10 year Manufacturer’s Warranty for both Corian® kitchen worktops and Zodiaq® quartz kitchen worktops, plus our Apollo® Magna, Apollo Quartz, Apollo Slab Tech and Apollo Quicktops kitchen worktop ranges. These are backed by the DuPont TM and the Apollo® Quality Network. Our Silestone kitchen worktops also come with a 10 year warranty backed by Silestone Cosentino. We use only approved fabricators and installers giving you, our customer, peace of mind.

Our highly experienced team are available today to take your questions, provide a quote and talk you through the process of ordering your bespoke kitchen worktops online, taking you one step closer to your dream kitchen.

If you get a cheaper quote elsewhere, send the competing like-for-like quote to DWS and we promise to do our upmost to beat it!

At Discount Worktop Store our aim is to sell quality brands in solid surface, quartz, granite and hardwood kitchen worktops at heavily discounted prices. We supply bespoke and ready made kitchen worktops to home owners, kitchen designers, builders and carpenters, all at better than trade prices! Why not bypass the expensive High Street kitchen worktop showrooms and the busy retail parks and shop at Discount Worktop Store for the same kitchen worktops, at up to half the price?

Visit our website today and find out for yourself why we are one of the leading online kitchen worktop stores.

Official Exhibitor!

We have now been added The Scottish Home Show website as an official exhibitor at this year's event! See our listing here http://www.scottishhomeshow.com/for-visitors/self-build-and-outdoors/

We are currently under the 'Self-build & outdoors' section but have today been moved to the 'Interiors' zone right across from the mobile homes!

Tonight I've been busy copywriting our company brochure and since it has now been over a year since the website launched I thought I'd give you a sneak preview of the brochure with a reminder of what we are all about at DWS.

See the next post for details...

Scottish Home Show 2014

#ScotHomeShow2014

DWS are delighted to be taking part in the Scottish Home Show this year in Aberdeen. This exciting three day event takes place from 26th-28th September at the AECC.  Myself and my colleagues will be there all weekend to take your questions and showcase our luxury range of bespoke kitchen worktops. Although we supply and install worktops all over the UK we predominantly work in the London area and we are really keen to break into the buoyant market in the Granite City. What better market to sell our beautiful Granite worktops to...they'd be right at home!

Please stop by and say hello if you are passing, have a look at our brochure and samples and feel free to leave us your details so we can give you a competitive quote. There will also be an extra discount for customers of the Home Show.

See the link below for all the information you'll need to visit us there.

http://www.scottishhomeshow.com

The Home Show 2013 video below gives a taster as to what's to come in a fortnight's time...exciting!

Time Flies!

In meteorological terms, Autumn has already begun! It feels like only yesterday I was writing last year's Autumn blog entry! Where does the time go? We have enjoyed a busy Summer season at DWS with the sunny weather inspiring our customers to spruce up their kitchens. The good news is that the media are reporting that we are in for an Indian Summer so we can keep the winter woolies packed away for a bit longer yet. 


Saying that, at DWS we are now into the Autumn/Winter season for sales, in the rundown to that all important domestic preparation for Christmas (sorry!?). Keep your eye on the blog for Winter and Christmas sales at DWS.

Summer Sale

Due to Scotland's success in the current Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Discount Worktop Store is offering customers an extended period of discounts in our Summer Sale until the end of September! 

Call 0845 600 5512 or email quote@dws-uk.com to benefit from these fantastic savings on all of our luxury kitchen worktops.

Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014

The city of Glasgow is gearing up to host the Commonwealth Games in 13 venues across the city. There's a buzz of excitement as the athletes and spectators arrive, the volunteers get ready and there are various signs of the city being spruced up for it's big moment.  Arriving into Glasgow airport last weekend after a lovely break in Majorca I was pleased to see the international Arrivals area looking particularly smart. Nothing like the world's eyes being on a place to get it into shape! Not that there was anything wrong with Glasgow before now! :)

There are 71 nations taking part in events from athletics to wrestling, over the course of almost a fortnight. The Queen's Baton Relay has been travelling the length and breadth of Scotland since the 14th, bringing back memories of the Olympics hype. The baton is currently in Glasgow and unfortunately we were hard at work in the DWS office when it passed through Renfrewshire but we did hear the cheers so we felt part of it all as we were busy quoting and scheduling for your lovely new kitchen worktops!

There's also a festival which started on Saturday for the less sporty among us which features comedy, music, theatre & film. If you're planning on taking in an event, performance or just to have a wander around find all the information you will need on the comprehensive official website link below

http://www.glasgow2014.com