Meet Alex Gort-Barten, grandson of Dualit’s founder Max, and you get a taste of the enthusiasm and attention to detail that drives the company’s success.
He proudly shows off his grandfather’s early designs – the first Dualit toaster, and a cocktail shaker with an ‘S’ indentation in the lid that helped the ingredients to mix better.
He then explains how, with the help of a 3D printer, he and dad Leslie conjure up and perfect their new products, Blue Peter style. Oh, and they’ve even incorporated that ‘S’ into the design of their new hand blender.
Many of the company’s products are made in China these days, but its ‘Classic’ toasters are still built and tested by hand at its Crawley HQ, where there’s also a dedicated repair shop. Incidentally, the toasters are painted by a chap called Brian – you’ll find his fingerprints behind the casing of each one.
The history of Dualit
1945
Max Gort-Barten buys a factory in Camberwell, southeast London to manufacture his inventions. He names the company after his Dual-Light electric fire
1946
Max patents his first successful product, a flip-sided toaster.
1952
Max invents the first commercial-use toaster with a built-in timer.
1954
Max moves to larger premises on London's Old Kent Road.
1960s
As the range of toasters grows, Max adds other products, such as a waffle iron. in 1968, Dualit toasters are introduced to the galley of the QE2.
Early 1970s
Dualit toasters go on sale at John Lewis, Fortnum & Mason and Harrods
1974
Max steps down as managing director and his son Leslie joins the business
1989
Max is awarded a CBE for services to British manufacturing
1999
Max and Leslie use space shuttle technology to develop the ProHeat replaceable toaster element
2003
Max Gort-Barten dies. Dualit launches a more affordable range of Lite toasters, followed by other food-prep appliances
2008
The Espressivo bar-pump coffee machine joins the range. Coffee machines have been a mainstay of the Dualit collection ever since, and the company now manufactures its own compostable coffee pods for convenience.
2014
Dualit collaborates with The Little Greene Paint Company to launch a Heritage range of toasters. The iconic classic toasters now come in eight historic, yet on-trend, paint colours.
Handmade from more than 140 replaceable parts, NewGen toasters are fully repairable and the optional sandwich cage delivers the tastiest toasties ever.
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