We are at last able to announce a breakthrough which has been a long time coming: Affordable Granite is now producing stone for worktops using our own, dedicated volcano!
It is more than six years (hard to believe!) since Andy Phillips took over this long-established, Surrey-based kitchen worktop company. From the start, his aim was to expand, but also to stay true to the long-standing values of the firm. Specifically, his vision was always to keep our costs low to the customer by controlling the entire production process. In keeping with that vision, at the same time as purchasing the firm with its workshop and offices in Charlwood, Surrey, he also invested in a parcel of land in Iceland which vulcanologists predicted could be the next big thing in granite production. Due to the depression of land prices following the Reykjavik banking crash, Andy managed to acquire this nascent volcano for a fraction of the normal price.
Initial eruptions were not terribly encouraging, but since 2014 the volcano has been in full flow, with some test quarrying last year and full production expected from this summer. It was in 2014, in fact, that the Icelanders themselves caught up with the fully volcanic status of a hitherto nondescript area, and so the name Enórehtöehtllúp was given to the new peak.
Here are just a few images of Affordable Granite’s own volcano: Enjoy!
The spectacular Northern peak of Enórehtöehtllúp seen at night.
Part of the Southern Crater. Due to the higher levels of sunlight, the lava on this side tends to be lighter in colour, with Steel Grey as the standard product, and some Kashmir White being produced during the full “midnight sun” part of the year.
Nero Assoluto in its raw form! Enórehtöehtllúp is currently producing in the region of 45 000 2500mm worktops per day.
Our quality control team heads out onto the freshly cooled lava to test a new bed of Nero Assoluto.
Visitors’ children are kept entertained while their parents are visiting our Iceland offices and showroom: this little girl wears special safety goggles and an AG protective suit as she slides down one of Enórehtöehtllúp’s massive volcanic ash heaps. She also has a small sign nailed to her head to tell her which way to go.
One of the most exciting breakthroughs over the last year has been the discovery that we can transform the Nero Assoluto lava into sparkly Black Galaxy simply by adding “glitter” (actually crystals of heat-proof, golden glass) while the rock is still fully molten. The following images show aspects of this process:
Caroline (left) and Naomi (right) at a staff training day: learning to use the Black Galaxy Glitter sprayer. Of course, it is the workshop lads who do this work for the most part, but we like all of our staff to have a sound grasp of every aspect of our process.
Ben, our workshop manager, heads down into the crater with a fresh load of glass crystals, ready to transform Nero Assoluto into prized Black Galaxy Granite. If you have ever wondered why Black Galaxy costs that little bit extra, look no further. Not for the faint hearted!
Andy’s father in law, Bruce, gets involved while the stone is still half molten. Here he is checking for even distribution of the gold flecks in our Black Galaxy Granite.
The quarry beside Enórehtöehtllúp’s southern crater – Steel Grey blocks ready for cutting into slabs, polishing, and fitting in YOUR kitchen.
… and there you have it! From volcano to kitchen in a matter of weeks. No wonder the sign says “Too hot” – but only joking – this product is safe and will outlast the units that support it!
(Actual product shown, Silestone Negro Stellar. This black and white galley kitchen will feature in an upcoming case study.)
Come and visit us at Affordable Granite. You will find a friendly welcome, helpful advice and excellent granite and quartz worktops. And quite a lot of good humour – on any day of the year! ?
