Kenwood Limited

Kenwood is a leading kitchen appliances manufacturer, operating in 44 countries. It has British roots, and is owned by the De’Longhi Group. Kenwood designs, produces and sells kitchen appliances including stand mixers, blenders, food processors, kettles and toasters.

The company was founded by Kenneth Maynard Wood in 1947 in the town of Woking, originally beginning manufacturing in his garage. His ethos was to help liberate women in the kitchen by designing labour saving devices. In 1962 the company outgrew its original factory space and moved to Havant where they still maintain operations.

History

1940s

The first Kenwood product was a pioneering toaster invented by Kenneth Wood, which was brought to market in 1947, known as the A100. It was the first of its kind in Europe to allow for bread to be toasted on both sides without being touched.

1950s-1960s

Three years later in 1950, the first version of the Kenwood Chef Kitchen machine was launched at the Ideal Home Exhibition. The machine was developed to deal with the most difficult kitchen tasks, and had 3 outlets with different power speeds to allow consumers to prepare numerous recipes. Within a week of release, department store Harrods had sold out. By the 1960s the Kenwood Chef saw success all over the world.