If you’ve just driven to Howdens on Coulton Close and been told you need a trade account to get a price, turn around. SJB Trade Kitchens is on the same road — Unit N, Coulton Close, OL1 4EB — and we’re open to homeowners and trade alike, with no gatekeeping, no account needed, and a specification that goes beyond what you’ll find elsewhere.
Park at Howdens. Walk to SJB. Get a real price today.
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Custom sizes available. Your kitchen, your dimensions — not a standard catalogue.
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Fully assembled, rigid construction cabinets. Built to last, not built to assemble on-site.
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Blum Antaro drawers and soft close hinges included as standard — not charged as an upgrade.
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Homeowners and trade welcome. No trade account required to get a transparent, honest price.
It’s a frustration we hear constantly. You’ve driven to Coulton Close, you’ve walked into Howdens, and you’ve been told — politely or otherwise — that without a trade account, they can’t help you. Here’s the thing: you don’t need to drive anywhere else. We’re right here, on the same road, and we’ll give you a price on the spot.
Howdens operates a trade-only model. That means if you’re a homeowner planning your dream kitchen, you cannot buy directly from them without going through a builder or contractor who holds a trade account. This isn’t just inconvenient — it means you never actually know what you’re paying for the cabinets themselves, because the pricing is handled between Howdens and your tradesperson.
At SJB Trade Kitchens, we’ve deliberately built our business to be different. We are open to homeowners and trade professionals alike. There’s no gatekeeping, no account application, and no middleman markup. You walk in, you tell us what you need, and we give you a transparent quote — usually within 24 hours. You don’t need a trade account to get trade prices at SJB.
Steve, our kitchen specialist with over 20 years of experience, will sit down with you, look at your space, and give you honest, straightforward advice — whether you’re a homeowner doing a single kitchen or a developer fitting out multiple properties.
Before you commit to any kitchen, we’d encourage you to ask one simple question: what are the back panels made of, and how thick are they? It’s a detail that’s easy to overlook when you’re focused on door styles and worktop colours, but it matters enormously for the long-term structural integrity of your cabinets.
At SJB Trade Kitchens, we use 18mm solid backs on all our carcasses. This is a significantly more robust specification than the trade standard thinner backs you’ll typically encounter elsewhere. Thicker backs mean the cabinet box is stronger, more resistant to racking, and better able to support the weight of your contents over time — particularly important for larder units, pan drawers, and corner solutions.
It’s a detail that separates a kitchen that looks good on day one from one that still looks and performs perfectly a decade later. Check the back panels, then come check ours. We think the difference speaks for itself.
Blum is the gold standard in kitchen drawer and hinge hardware. Their Antaro drawer system is renowned for its smooth, silent operation, its durability, and the quality feel it gives to every interaction with your kitchen. Blum soft close hinges eliminate the slam, the rattle, and the wear that comes with cheaper alternatives.
At SJB Trade Kitchens, Blum Antaro drawers and Blum soft close hinges are included as standard on every kitchen we supply. You don’t pay extra for them. They’re not a premium tier or an optional upgrade — they’re simply what we include because we believe it’s the right specification.
At Howdens, Blum hardware is offered as an upgrade, meaning you’ll pay more to achieve the same specification we include as a matter of course. When you factor this in alongside our already competitive pricing — typically 30–50% cheaper than Howdens — the value difference becomes even more pronounced.
A straightforward, honest comparison based on publicly available information.
| Feature | SJB Trade Kitchens | Howdens Oldham |
|---|---|---|
| Who can buy | ✓ Everyone — homeowners & trade | ✗ Trade only — account required |
| Construction | ✓ Rigid built | Rigid built |
| Drawer hardware | ✓ Blum Antaro — included as standard | Blum available as a paid upgrade |
| Back panels | ✓ 18mm solid backs | Trade standard |
| Soft close hinges | ✓ Blum soft close — standard | Available as upgrade |
| Pricing | ✓ Transparent, consistent — 30–50% cheaper | Variable by account & relationship |
| Customisation | ✓ 300+ MFC finishes, made to order, custom sizes | Standard range |
| Showroom access | ✓ Walk in — no appointment needed | Trade account required |
| Delivery | ✓ Nationwide, from 10 working days | Local delivery via trade account |
SJB Trade Kitchens is led by Steve, a kitchen specialist with over two decades of experience in the industry. That depth of knowledge means you’re not just buying cabinets — you’re getting genuine, informed advice about what will work in your space, what specification suits your lifestyle, and how to get the best value from your budget.
Steve has worked with homeowners undertaking their first kitchen renovation, interior designers specifying high-end projects, and developers fitting out multiple properties at once. Whatever your project, you’ll get the same honest, expert guidance.
We work directly with our manufacturer next door, which means we can offer consistent quality, competitive pricing, and reliable lead times. Our kitchens are supplied direct, giving us full visibility over the specification and allowing us to offer the kind of customisation — over 300 MFC carcass finishes, made-to-order sizing — that simply isn’t possible through a standard catalogue model.
Delivery is available nationwide, with lead times from as little as 10 working days. Whether you’re in Oldham, Manchester, or further afield, we can get your kitchen to you quickly and reliably.
One of the most common frustrations with trade kitchen suppliers is pricing opacity. Prices vary depending on your account status, your relationship with the branch, and what promotions happen to be running. You might get a quote today and find it’s different next week. You might never know if the price you’re paying is the same as the next person.
At SJB Trade Kitchens, our pricing is transparent and consistent. We don’t have a tiered account system that gives some customers better prices than others. What you see is what you pay — and what you pay is typically 30–50% less than you’d expect to pay elsewhere for a comparable specification.
We know that Coulton Close is already on your radar — that’s why you’re reading this. Whether you’ve just visited Howdens and been turned away, or you’re doing your research before you make the trip, we want you to know that you have a genuine alternative right here on the same road.
Park at Howdens if you like — there’s plenty of space. Then walk over to Unit N and see what we have to offer. No appointment needed. No account required. Just honest advice and a kitchen specification that we’re genuinely proud of.
Both SJB Trade Kitchens and Howdens Oldham are on Coulton Close, OL1 4EB — you can walk between them.
SJB Trade Kitchens: Unit N, Central Trading Estate, Coulton Close, Oldham, OL1 4EB — Tel: 0161 509 4221
Howdens Oldham: Unit J, Oldham Central Trading Park, Coulton Close, Oldham, OL1 4EB — Tel: 0161 620 9898
No. Howdens Joinery operates a strictly trade-only model. As a homeowner, you cannot walk into a Howdens branch and purchase cabinets directly — you need to go through a builder, kitchen fitter, or contractor who holds a Howdens trade account. This means you are reliant on a third party to access their products, and you may never see the actual trade price you’re being charged for the units themselves.
This is a deliberate business model on Howdens’ part, and it works well for the trade. But if you’re a homeowner who wants to manage your own kitchen project, buy directly, or simply understand what you’re paying for, it creates a significant barrier. SJB Trade Kitchens is open to everyone — no trade account, no contractor required, no gatekeeping.
We are literally on the same road. SJB Trade Kitchens is located at Unit N, Central Trading Estate, Coulton Close, Oldham, OL1 4EB. Howdens Oldham is at Unit J, Oldham Central Trading Park, Coulton Close, Oldham, OL1 4EB. Both businesses share the same postcode area and the same road name — Coulton Close.
You can park at Howdens and walk directly to us. There’s no need to drive, no need to navigate to a different part of town. If you’ve already made the trip to Coulton Close, you’re already here.
Yes, our kitchens are typically 30–50% cheaper than Howdens for a comparable or superior specification. This is made possible by working directly with our manufacturer next door and by maintaining a transparent, consistent pricing model that doesn’t vary by account status or relationship.
It’s worth noting that Howdens pricing is variable — different trade account holders may receive different prices based on their account history, volume, and relationship with the branch. This makes direct price comparisons difficult. At SJB, the price you’re quoted is the price you pay, and it’s the same price we’d quote anyone else in the same situation.
When you also factor in that Blum hardware and 18mm solid backs are included as standard at SJB — items that would cost extra elsewhere — the overall value difference is even more significant.
Both SJB Trade Kitchens and Howdens supply rigid-built carcasses, so the fundamental construction method is comparable. The differences lie in the details of the specification:
In summary, SJB offers a specification that is at least equal to — and in several important respects superior to — what you’d find at Howdens, at a significantly lower price point, and without the trade account barrier.
No appointment is needed. You are welcome to drop into our showroom on Coulton Close during our opening hours without any prior arrangement. We understand that kitchen planning doesn’t always happen on a schedule — sometimes you’re in the area, sometimes you’ve just been to Howdens and want to compare, sometimes you just want to see what’s available.
When you visit, Steve will be on hand to discuss your project, show you the range of finishes and specifications available, and give you honest, straightforward advice. There’s no sales pressure and no obligation — just a genuine conversation about what’s right for your kitchen.
We offer nationwide delivery with lead times from as little as 10 working days. Because we work directly with our manufacturer next door, we have good visibility over production schedules and can give you a reliable delivery estimate at the point of order.
For larger or more complex projects — particularly those involving a significant number of made-to-order sizes or unusual finishes — lead times may be slightly longer, but we’ll always be upfront about this at the quoting stage. We don’t believe in surprises when it comes to delivery timescales.
Whether you’re in Oldham, Greater Manchester, or anywhere else in the UK, we can get your kitchen to you. Call us on 0161 509 4221 to discuss your specific requirements.
Not sure where to start? Just drop your details below or upload a rough sketch or floor plan. Steve will get back to you with a no-obligation quote — usually within 24 hours. Call 0161 509 4221 or use the form.
✓ Made to Order
Custom sizes, heights and widths available
✓ Rigid Built
Not flat-pack — built to last
✓ Nationwide Delivery
From as little as 10 working days
SJB Trade Kitchens is an independent kitchen specialist. All competitor names are used for comparative purposes only based on publicly available information. SJB Trade Kitchens is not affiliated with Howdens Joinery.
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