Kitchens, or Sink weaves memoir with business insight, telling us a great deal about the state of manufacturing in the UK, how Matthew learned to turn setbacks into opportunities and established the standards he set for himself and his workforce.  

Matthew Ingle left school in 1971 with four O levels. He went to work at a timber yard in Huddersfield. When he was made redundant in 1994, he had an idea for a business, but no products, premises or backers. Howdens was founded in 1995, and today is a FTSE 100 company with 10,000 staff. Matthew tells us the story of how he got there: the highs and lows, the disasters turned to triumphs, the unsung heroes and the grafters, and outlines the no-nonsense business principles that guided him along the way.