Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson Visits Freedom Kitchens

Adam Thomas recently met paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson at the Freedom Kitchen Headquarters in Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Adam Thomas at the headquarters of Symphony Group PLC

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is something of a legend; an illustrious paralympian, a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, a motivational speaker, and a keen home cook, she was frankly doubtful whether she would be able to find a truly accessible kitchen for her own home.

Freedom Kitchens are designed with safety and accessibility in mind, and they don't compromise on good looks. So when Tanni came across the Freedom range of furniture, she realised there might be a solution for her kitchen project. Fast-forward, and Tanni is now the proud owner of her own Freedom kitchen by Symphony Group.

Baroness Grey-Thompson explores the Freedom Kitchens display kitchen

Tanni came into the Freedom Kitchens showroom in South Yorkshire to speak to Adam about her own kitchen and the difference Freedom furniture has made to her at home.

"I was a bit hesitant about accessible kitchens because a lot of the ones I'd seen just looked quite clinical. But the Freedom kitchen completely changed my perception."

Tanni worked with Adam to discuss her household's needs and explore all the design options, and was particularly happy to address the different heights needed by her and her husband to work in the kitchen.

"In the past, my husband and I had completely separate zones at different heights, which meant we were doubling up on storage and everything felt a bit disjointed," she explains. "Now we have a space that works for both of us."

Tanni operates a pulldown mechanism that brings stored items within reach

Tanni describes the resulting design as 'absolutely perfect' - a truly inclusive space that works for everyone.

"In my daily life the kitchen is the centre of the house, so it's not just where we cook and eat, it's where we spend time together as a family and it's where I work. It's the heart of our house, so it's important to get everything right and it's got to work in lots of different ways. I now just love being in my kitchen, because it works for me."

This pulldown mechanism brings even the tallest shelves down to a reasonable height

This kitchen uses Symphony's Langdale furniture range in a soft Fern Green colourway, paired with Corian Calacatta Griege work surfaces and brushed brass handles, tap and accessories. The result is a classic, modern aesthetic.

Tanni relaxes in a Freedom Kitchen

Beneath the beautiful surface of this kitchen a number of high-tech features make the kitchen adaptable and a dream to use. For example, the rise and fall worktop system means the worktop can be raised or lowered to suit the working height of everyone in the household. A simple idea that makes kitchen tasks safer and more comfortable. The ROPOX Connect app means that worktop heights can now be adjusted from a phone, with the option to save presets for different users.

"For years I've been used to worksurfaces and the cooker being up high, but now I've got a worksurface that moves down, the joke in our family is that I can now see what I'm burning!"

NEFF Slide & Hide ovens can now be operated as SMART appliances via bluetooth, which is ideal for users with a visual impairment, or impaired grip. The NEFF larder fridge opens with a gentle push, or by voice command, which removes the old challenge of breaking the magnetic seal on the door by hand.

A variety of detailed features that make a beautiful Freedom Kitchen fully accessible

The ZIP HydroTap Celsius Plus in brushed brass is controlled by touch, dispensing filtered hot, cold and sparkling water and including a pull-out hose. This is the first boiling water tap that can be safely mounted to a rise and fall worktop. For those with limited reach, a remote-control option allows water to be dispensed at the touch of a button.

Pullout heat-resistant shelf below NEFF oven

While Tanni was deeply involved in designing the kitchen to suit her needs, she's keen to stress that many of the design principles behind her kitchen work for everyone.

"This isn't just about accessibility in the traditional sense. It's about future-proofing a kitchen for all stages of life. For families of different heights, abilities and needs. Having a kitchen where the surfaces can move means it's not just one person's kitchen - it's for everyone. I don't feel like my kitchen was 'adapted'. It feels like it was designed for me - and that's a huge difference."

Adam Thomas and Baroness Grey-Thompson chatting at Freedom Kitchens HQ

Tanni's kitchen design experience has inspired her to spread the word about what's possible in accessible kitchen design! We wish her many happy years with her new Freedom kitchen.

For more information on Freedom Kitchens, visit the new web site.

To get in touch with Adam Thomas, send him an email using this link.