Cambridge Kitchens, Mill Road

The smart blue signage and large windows set the right tone before I had even entered Cambridge Kitchens. Established in 1978 this company has three outlets in Cambridge, Newmarket and Bishop's Stortford.
The contemporary and traditional displays are arranged through four rooms in what was previously two Victorian houses, giving each area a comfortable intimacy. I explained to Nick that I was looking for a modern kitchen and he took me to a display of door samples and explained how these could be mixed and matched.

Score: 7/10
Well presented shop with reassuringly confident service.

Cambridge Discount Heating & Plumbing

Across the road from Cambridge Kitchens, Cambridge Discount Heating & Plumbing does exactly what it says on the tin.
At the cluttered reception desk a salesman was offering advice to a customer. When he became free I asked about installation and was told that there is a separate company operating from the same premises, Cambridge Discount Installations, and I could make an appointment now for a free, no obligation site visit.
This was a busy shop offering experienced, personal advice not always available at larger outlets.

Score: 5/10
No pretensions here. Bargain bathrooms with plenty of expertise.

Moben, Burleigh Street

I was looking at a sample zebrano cabinet door when sales assistant Jared left his desk to join me.
When I explained that I liked the door but didn't know if it would be too dark he steered me towards a touch screen and conjured up images of a room set.
We moved on to bedrooms and he again pulled up images for me to see. "I can arrange for a designer to come and measure up if you like," Jared explained as he put together a pack of brochures in a bag. "That'll keep you busy for a while," he added cheerily.

Score: 6/10
Friendly service made this store memorable.

Pure Bathrooms, Cheddars Lane

A large sign on the ring road directed me to Pure Bathrooms, tucked away opposite a Tesco car park.
The piles of boxes and planks outside did not help the uninspiring entrance to this showroom. However, once inside, Pure Bathrooms is full of surprises. For a start the showroom is far bigger inside than it first appears allowing for big displays. As I walked in Farid said hello and I asked about installation. "We can break it down so that you can choose if you want us to do it all or if you just want to buy the bathroom from us," he said.

Score: 5/10
Surprisingly sophisticated bathrooms hidden behind a rough exterior.

By Design, Clifton Road

Situated in a purpose built unit on the Clifton Road trading estate, By Design was displaying contemporary kitchens from Pronorm along with a couple of striking Bontempi sets.
All was well lit and nicely propped. Claire gave me just the right amount of time to take a good look round the showroom before leaving her desk to ask if I needed help. I mentioned that I was considering coloured lacquer but thought black might be too cold. Claire enthused about a new brown lacquer finish she had seen recently at a trade show and showed me a selection of images she had taken on her phone. She asked how much work we were doing to our house and mentioned that By Design can also design and fit bathrooms and fitted bedroom furniture too. The company offers a free site visit but makes a charge for the design service. Claire said, "There is a lot of choice so it would be good if you could have a starting point. If you want to bring in a picture from a magazine of something you like we will do our best to create it for you."

Score: 6/10
A smart showroom with enthusiastic service.

Kitchen Consultants, East Road

Stepping into this showroom was like stepping into a glossy brochure. Soft background lighting allowed each display to be highlighted by its own cluster of spotlights, while quality flooring and a tidy reception area with comfortable leather sofas all added to the sophisticated image.
The displays of Linea Quattro and Schmidt kitchens were spotless and well propped. I was admiring a red lacquer kitchen when dapper Gordon Cumming approached me. "Would you like to browse or is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.
I explained that I was looking for a modern kitchen but was open to suggestions so Gordon walked me round the displays pointing out various worktop options, storage solutions and appliances as we went. We settled on a stunning dark wood kitchen with handleless drawers. Gordon said, "We used to have 14 little displays in here but we decided to open up the space and show customers how these kitchens can really look."

Score: 8/10
An aspirational showroom with polite, confident presentation.

Nimbus Interiors, Barnwell Road

Clearly visible from the busy Barnwell Road, The distinctive Nimbus sign promises kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. On entering the shop however I could only find kitchen displays.
These were brightly lit and spotless with a good mix of wood, laminate and gloss lacquer including an eye catching pea green display in the window. My only criticism would be that this large space is rather lacking in character and with few dividing walls it was difficult to differentiate between one kitchen and the next.
I cannot, however, fault design consultant Graham who greeted me and showed me round. He gave me a thorough insight into the merits of different worktop materials, appliances, even kitchen sinks.
"The next stage is for me to make a site visit to measure up and get to know you and what you want a bit better, then I can produce a CAD drawing." Graham explained. "At the end of the day" he joked, "you want the perfect kitchen and I want your business."

Score: 6/10
A commonplace showroom made special by friendly, thorough service.

Winner's profile

The Kitchen Consultants showroom has been in existence for 25 years and only underwent its dramatic facelift last year as design manager, Sue Humphries explains, "We used to have around 14 little room settings and we felt it was time to really shake the place up a bit. The kitchen industry is more sophisticated now, the name of the game is to find your niche and do it really well."
The niche Kitchen Consultants has decided on is contemporary, "Not scary contemporary, we're not London," says Sue. "But strong modern design throughout. Before we were just the same as everyone else with a couple of contemporary sets as well as a hand-painted range. It was all a bit tired."
After gutting the showroom a select few displays were installed including a dark wood handleless and a bright red lacquer. "There are people in Cambridge with quite a lot of money to spend but they can be tempted to spend it in London if we don't compete," says Sue. "Not everything we sell is expensive but we want the showroom to stand out. Not just because of the displays but because of the service too."