Core Values and up to 40% off Dexams Supreme Pans

Firstly I’d like to thank all of you who wrote to me last week with some lovely messages. I hope I’ve replied to everyone, but if you’ve not had a reply then do please let me know. I felt very supported by your responses, so thank you.

Ok, now for something very different.

Some weeks ago, at a managers’ meeting the subject on the agenda was ‘Identifying our Core Values’…..

Is your reaction to turn off? Is it to leave this bit and go further down to see if I’ve actually got anything interesting to say?

Indeed, does this sound like corporate guff? Stuff that a few people at the top of the organisation probably quite believe in (and fool themselves that everyone else does as well), but that rarely gets very far down the company hierarchy.

Despite any reservations, I’d like to suggest that our core values are very relevant to you as a customer. It tells you the kind of company you are dealing with and maybe whether we, as a retailer, match your values, but also sets the standards in terms of your experience with us. You should be able to match your experience against our values.*  

If you’re still not convinced, I suggest you pop down a few paras to the interesting offers this week.

So, if you’re still with me, the reason we wanted to be able to articulate our values was originally because we felt it would help us in our recruitment and selection process. We are fussy, actually very fussy (and demanding) about who we ask to join our teams, as employing the wrong person is an expensive and emotionally exhausting exercise. So, we wanted to be able to voice precisely what we were looking for. And from the candidate’s perspective, we wanted it to be clear for them, what they could expect from us.

At this meeting we came up with six points that we felt described our core values pretty well. They are on the website now and you can read them here, but I I’d like to talk about one of them now, and maybe come back to the others in future newsletters.

*Whether we’ve lived up to our values or not, we’d love to hear how you’ve experienced us. 

Value No. 2 - Integrity
Now, one of the things that I’m very proud of, is our level of honesty and integrity, both within the company and with our customers and our suppliers.

The other day Sally, who is managing the Cobham shop in Jeanne’s absence (she’s been seconded to the warehouse), had a delivery from one of our electrical suppliers, and three items arrived without any paper work at all.

This meant these items were untraceable and wouldn’t be invoiced. Sally’s reaction was entirely the right one. She picked up the phone to the Beam sales office and reported the problem to them. They were apparently very grateful, and noted to her that she could have kept them, and they would have been none the wiser.

You might think that this is a little thing,…a few hundred pounds to a large company who really wouldn’t notice it, but for me, and for us, that level of integrity is key and an aspect of the Art of Living ethos that I’m extremely proud of.

So, I’ll openly admit to you that I’m thoroughly enjoying showing off what a lovely, honest bunch of people we are.

So that’s it, my proud and swollen head moment over, if I can still get through the doorway and into the shop, I’d better get to telling you what this week’s offer is.

Swift Supreme somewhat extraordinary offer.

We have been stocking the Swift Supreme range (these days called Dexam Supreme) for many years, since the days before Dexam (current owners) bought it 20 odd years ago.

For us, it’s our entry level cookware, (admittedly we do have pretty high standards) and in terms of ‘Good, Better, Best’, then I’d say it was ‘Good’, with Le Creuset’s ‘3Ply’ and Demeyere’s ‘Atlantis’ taking the other two spots.

So, what is so good about Supreme?

Well, it’s a stainless steel body, with an aluminium disc attached to the base to give good heat transfer (no hot spots) and then a disc of stainless steel covering that, to prevent warping. Borrowing the idea from Demeyere, they then put cast stainless steel handles on the range. These remain remarkably cool, partly because cast stainless steel is an even poorer transmitter of heat then sheet stainless steel and partly because they put a V shaped heat break in the handle, where it attaches to the pan. In short, its design is well thought through, and it’s been nicely executed.

The Dexam Supreme range comprises:

Non-stick Milk Pan (no lid) 14cm; 1.0L

Stainless Steel Saucepan 12cm; 0.9L

Stainless Steel Saucepan 14cm; 1.3L 

Stainless Steel Saucepan 16cm; 1.5L 

Stainless Steel Saucepan 18cm; 2.0L

Stainless Steel Saucepan 20cm; 3.5L

Stainless Steel Saucepan 22cm; 4.5L

Stainless Steel 3 piece Saucepan Set (16cm, 18cm & 20cm)

Non-stick Frying Pan 20cm

Non-stick Frying Pan 24cm 

Non-stick Frying Pan 26cm 

Non-stick Pizza / Pancake Flat Griddle Pan

Jam / Preserving Pan 30cm; 9.0L

Stainless Steel Chef's Pan 26cm; 3.75 L

A word about their Chefs Pan.
If, like me, you enjoy cooking in uncoated pans, then unfortunately they don’t do any uncoated frying pans, just three non-stick frying pans. This is sensible as non-stick has its place … I just wish they did those same pans in uncoated as well.

But importantly, the Chefs pan they’ve left as plain stainless steel, so there’s real fun to be had with this piece as, when frying you will always achieve more taste (caramelisation) with a plain, uncoated finish than in a coated pan. Coated pans won’t allow anything to stick, which is both their benefit and their downfall, as caramelisation only takes place when the meat or fish sticks hard to the pan for a few minutes.

So, the uncoated chefs pan is a lovely piece that I’d recommend, which you don’t necessarily find in all ranges of cookware.  

But anyway, why am I highlighting this range today?

Well Bryony Dyer, Dexam‘s MD, has negotiated a brilliant deal with the factory and for a short time we are able offer the following discount off the RRP.

20% off one piece

30% off two pieces

40% off three or more pieces
 

I’ll leave you with a quote from Simon Sinek,

“The joy of leadership comes from seeing others achieve more than they thought they were capable of.”

I hope you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend.

Kind regards

Andrew

Andrew Bluett-Duncan

Director