OUR BUSINESS APPROACH

I was fortunate on four counts. I was born into a large South Wiltshire farming family. I met my wife Celia in my teens. I read Natural History at university. I undertook an apprenticeship in furniture making with Richard Fyson in Oxfordshire.

The first gave me chalk under my fingernails, a love of the natural world and an insight into the fleetness of foot required to cope with the changes happening in the rural/local economy. The second, a partner steeped in the logistical vagaries of a nomadic military life, with the resultant flexibilities, improvisations and the ability to guide our business. The third, an awareness and respect towards the workings of the natural world. The fourth, an exemplar of the tenacity and skills necessary to pursue excellence with and for all.

These lessons forged our attitudes toward life, culture and commerce. They resulted in a fierce commitment to deal with our clients directly and not through intermediaries. A default position that our business practices should aspire to be sustainable and have a light footprint on the planet but a loud footstep in contributing towards the culture and commerce of our times. We have endeavoured to remain true to these values since we founded our business in 1978.

We have chosen the complicated path of designing, making, administering, marketing, selling and after-selling our furniture directly to our clients. We have always been committed to this because we feel this makes it more fun and very much better value for you. The only place in the UK that you can purchase Matthew Burt Furniture is from Matthew Burt.

Matthew talks further about the business, the environment and more in this interview with design and architecture magazine, Enki, conducted in April 2022