Aga-Rayburn recipe for London flagship store

Aga-Rayburn is opening its first London store, which will be its flagship outlet, next week in Knightsbridge. The store opening coincides with the launch of an Aga-branded lifestyle website, Agalinks, designed by Precedent. The site features 12 channels, including cookery, gardening, arts and culture.

Designed by Aga’s in-house team, led by exhibitions and retail design manager Stuart Bates, the Knightsbridge showroom will incorporate brushed aluminium, free-standing displays, and multi-coloured slate flooring.

It will feature three live cookery demonstration areas, including a session called A Day in the Life which showcases the culinary versatility of an Aga, and themed evenings such as Chinese and French cooking.

The store will feature a range of Aga-branded kitchen accessories, including stainless steel saucepans, kettles, kitchen knives and cast iron cookware.

According to Precedent head of design Beverley Sullivan, the look of the site, which features people photography and an earthly colourway, had to reflect Aga’s values of tradition and comfort. “The magazine-style format aims to mirror the sense of community and warmth associated with the brand,” she says.

The opening of the flagship store and website launch follows the proposed sale by Aga manufacturer Glynwed International of the bulk of its pipe business to concentrate on selling Aga and Rayburn cookers.

Glynwed is planning to change its name to Aga Foodservice Group subject to shareholder approval. A spokesman for the company says it aims to redesign the logo in-house based on the existing Aga lozenge.