Disclosure: FMB Home Picks is committed to delivering independent advice and reviews on home products and services. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Contact us.
In this Neptune kitchens review, we look at what makes this brand so special and unique. Find out how Neptune compares to other UK kitchen brands, and whether it’s worth the considerable price tag.
The Suffolk kitchen design with kitchen sink and worktop. (Image credit: Neptune)
Founded in the early 2000s, Neptune produces four solid timber fitted kitchen collections: Chichester, Suffolk, Henley and Limehouse. Neptune kitchens are produced in three workshops in the UK and China.
Neptune also manufactures its own kitchen accessories, such as bar stools, taps and sinks. The brand takes inspiration from iconic English designs, and all its ranges, with the exception of Limehouse, have a traditional aesthetic.
All Neptune cabinets are handmade at the production house or bespoke workshop before being custom-painted. Cabinets are manufactured using the natural hardwoods tulipwood and oak, known for their resilience and quality. Tulipwood is a versatile and reliable timber with a pale appearance and multi-grain finish that makes it easy to paint, whereas oak has warm tones and a highly durable core. The Chichester range uses tulipwood, while the more expensive Henley range features oak cabinet fronts.
Neptune’s bespoke design service lets you create a kitchen that’s completely unique. For example, you can combine cabinetry from different ranges and select interesting finishes. Neptune will repaint your cabinets according to your specific preferences.
Neptune kitchens are made using solid wood: tulipwood or oak. As these timbers tend to shift, hardwood ply sheets are added to the central panels to create a strong frame to which hinges and hardware can be affixed.
Each kitchen cabinet door is constructed with two stiles, two rails and one central panel. Work surfaces include granite, Carrara marble, quartz, ceramic and pure oak. Cabinetry is made in China, but Neptune’s design and manufacturing teams are located in the UK.
The Suffolk kitchen with contemporary subway tiles and oven. (Image credit: Neptune)
Highlights: Neptune’s beautiful timber cabinetry is created to exceptionally high standards and is backed by a lifetime guarantee.
Warranty: Neptune offers a lifetime guarantee for its kitchens, including the cabinet structure and hardware (hinges, handles, runners and catches). To benefit from this warranty, ensure your kitchen is installed by a recommended/accredited installer from Neptune. This warranty won’t cover the new owners if you move home and leave your Neptune kitchen behind.
Cost: From £8,000 for cabinets alone and up to £50,000 for a fully fitted kitchen.
Payment options: Credit card, debit card or bank transfer.
Key benefit: Neptune calls their kitchens “an investment in endurance”. The company produces high-quality oak and tulipwood cabinets with hardwood ply for greater durability and a beautiful, traditional aesthetic.
A Neptune kitchen is a considerable investment, so carefully consider whether this brand is a good fit for you, your home and your budget.
Buying a kitchen from Neptune has the following positives:
However, choosing Neptune as your kitchen supplier does have some drawbacks:
Design options: Neptune only offers four standard design options. While these can be customised, there isn’t as much variation as other brands offer.
Henley kitchen cupboard in white. (Image credit: Neptune kitchens)
To get started with Neptune, visit a local store or book an appointment online for a free 90-minute consultation. During this session, the designer will discuss your ideas and provide lots of inspiration. You’ll also be able to view the kitchen ranges up close in the showroom.
From there, you can follow up with Neptune’s full design service, which comes with a £350 fee. (This fee will be deducted from your final invoice should you go ahead with your purchase.) The designer will visit your home to take measurements and make recommendations. You’ll also be provided with 3D plans and elevations so you can visualise the space down to the last detail. The designer will also help you choose appliances, flooring, tiles and paint.
Once you are satisfied with everything, you’ll need to pay a 20% deposit and settle the full amount 21 days before your kitchen is fitted.
It takes between three to four weeks to complete your kitchen, including one week to fit the cabinetry, and 10 working days to template the worktops and tailor-make your cabinets and tops to your kitchen’s layout. It will take another week to fit and finish the kitchen, including hand-painting the cabinet doors and ends.
You can use your own fitters to complete the installation, but Nepute offers a lifetime guarantee if the kitchen is installed by one of their approved fitters. All Neptune fitters undergo weeks of training by installation experts and designers to achieve accreditation.
Use our free Find a Builder search to find a Master Builder company in your local area
British Standard (or its parent company, Plain English) is probably the closest comparable brand to Neptune.
Like with Neptune, you will start designing your kitchen with the help of an in-house designer. However, British Standard lets you order your items online. Unlike Neptune, British Standard cupboards arrive unpainted, so you’ll need to decide whether to paint them yourself or hire someone to do this for you.
There are no design options to choose from with British Standard; cupboards are produced in a single, Georgian-inspired design and are handmade from heritage timber. According to Plain English, the average cost of a British Standard kitchen is about £8,000, so very similar to Neptune.
If you want a luxurious, high-end kitchen, but you don’t want to be limited to the traditional aesthetic, Magnet is your best bet. Magnet offers 18 kitchen ranges in three styles with luxurious finishes, full design consultation and comprehensive aftercare support.
Magnet also offers a paint-to-order service. Like Neptune, this brand isn’t the cheapest option if you want a new kitchen. A Luna, J-pull style kitchen will cost just under £4,000 factory assembled, but you can expect to pay double that amount for the Integra range, excluding installation.
Suffolk kitchen pantry unit in light pink. (Image credit: Neptune)
Neptune kitchens are not cheap. According to their Kitchen Inspiration brochure, you can expect to pay at least £8,000 for your cabinetry, but this can vary depending on your chosen range, customisation, accessories and paintwork.
| Kitchen supplier | Cost (excluding installation) |
|---|---|
| Neptune | From £8,000 to £50,000 |
| Magnet | From £1,879 to £6,918 |
| British Standard | From £8,000 |
Neptune produces a range of aftercare products that customers can use to keep their timber kitchens in tip-top condition, including treatment oils and the IsoGuard Care Kit (for unpainted wood).
Painted Neptune kitchen units are made from tulipwood, which is relatively easy to repaint if needed. The company uses water-based eggshell paint, which can be cleaned by simply dusting or wiping the surface clean with a damp cloth. Scuffed or chipped paint can be sanded down with 320-grit sandpaper, wiped and then repainted. Deep chips will need to be filled with wood filler before sanding and repainting.
Limehouse kitchen with exposed brickwork. (Image credit: Neptune)
“Choosing a new kitchen can be daunting. But help is at hand. Neptune has just launched an exciting new kitchen range called Limehouse, which is inspired by industrial style – with emphasis on both function and design, we think it will work well in a modern or period house.”
“A classic shaker kitchen from Neptune is nothing short of absolutely dreamy and they’re up there with one of the best investments you can make in a home renovation. From the timeless colours to the beautiful craftsmanship and cabinet styles that will last for generations to come, you really can’t go wrong with choosing Neptune for your future kitchen. But, it can be a tough task trying to find a guide price to weigh up whether Neptune works with your budget. Unlike companies like IKEA, Neptune doesn’t compile the end cost by adding up the sum of each individual component like the doors, drawers and pulls. Instead, their kitchen designers will work with you to figure out the best design for your kitchen and give a price from that.”
Henley kitchen cupboard in white. (Image credit: Neptune kitchens)
“Delighted with our wonderful new Neptune kitchen. Chosen the ‘Chichester’ and it works so well in our new living space. Quality and design are excellent along with the workmanship and professionalism.”
“Initially met with Rachael at the Edgbaston store. Great design ideas for a relatively large kitchen. We took the plunge and from start to finish the service has been excellent. James Fagan’s fitting of the kitchen was the first rate and made our entire experience of Neptune exceptional. Highly recommended.”
“We have a Neptune kitchen which was installed two years ago, and now we have our utility room cabinets made and installed by Neptune as well. Very good quality furniture, reasonable price, excellent service from the beginning, design, making, delivery and installation. All dates accomplished as promised.”
Neptune kitchens are truly exceptional. They are handmade from high-quality timber and backed by a very rare lifetime guarantee when an approved-installer is used.
The company is very customer-orientated and will help you throughout the process. It also sells a range of complementary furnishings and accessories, including bar stools, sinks and appliances, so that you can complete your entire kitchen with just one supplier.
The brand doesn’t offer many design choices, but timber cabinets are highly customisable and you can use their bespoke design service to mix and match to your heart’s content.
If you are looking for a timber kitchen that will last a lifetime and you have a generous budget, Neptune is the way to go.
To compile this Neptune kitchens review, we read hundreds of customer reviews online and consulted professional forums and media opinion pieces. We then rated the company using a 100-point scoring system to evaluate product quality and range alongside customer experience.
We compiled Neptune’s score as follows: