Topstak

Topstak, Monmouth is certainly red up after a major expansion and refurbishment plan. We chat with Matthew Young, Showroom Manager to find out more.

You must be excited by the expansion. Can you describe your role at Topstak?
As the branch manager I am really pleased to see this which means we can display a far wider selection of products. In addition to managing the branch, my main role is making sure customers are given the best possible service and advice. I also carry out site visits to homes to ensure they will be purchasing the best products to suit their situation.

How long have you worked for Topstak?
After leaving university I joined Topstak as part of the busy sales and technical team at the main Cowbridge showroom. During this time, I gained considerable hands on experience of the solid fuel and wood burning stove industry picking up various industry related quali cations along the way. I was then promoted to become the branch manager.

How long has Topstak been established in the town?
Topstak first came to Monmouth when they opened a shop in Monnow Street in 2011. Since then, interest in the company’s products has grown considerably and a larger showroom was required to meet demand and showcase the full range of products that we supply.

A property at the entrance to Mayhill Industrial Estate became available and after major improvements the new Topstak Monmouth showroom was unveiled in July 2014. This increased demand for all our products so we extended the showroom in the summer of 2016 to incorporate new product lines including range cookers, outdoor hot tubs and barbeques.

Where do your customers come from geographically?
Our customers come from all over the country as we offer such a wide choice of stoves and leading brands such as Clearview. However, most of our regular customers come from the Monmouthshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire areas. We can provide an installation service for our wonderful stoves to the following areas: Monmouth, Chepstow, Calidcot, Newport, Pontypool, Cwmbran, Usk, Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Ross-on- Wye, Forest of Dean, Cheltenham and Gloucester.

What services and products does Topstak offer?
We offer a supply and installation service for all of our wood and solid fuel burning stoves, chimneys and replaces.

We also include a site survey to the customer’s property to ensure all of their needs are met and to assess the suitability for a particular installation.

We supply a wide range of stove and chimney products to suit all installation options and pride ourselves on being able to provide the latest information and advice to assist our customers in making informed decisions. To meet our customers’ needs we can also provide a design service for stove and chimney installations. We supply the very best market leading stove brands such as Clearview, Chesney’s, Contura and Stuv as well as Arctic Spa hot tubs and Big Green Egg ceramic outdoor ovens and barbeques.

The showroom has recently undergone a sizeable refurbishment, please tell us more about this… We are continuously adapting to meet the demands of our customers and felt the need to show a greater range of products including those focused on outdoor living. The growing demand for wood red oven BBQs and hot tubs, led us to expand our range by including the Canadian Arctic Spas.

The extension has also allowed us to create an entire outdoor cooking section as well as increase the amount of wood burning stoves we can display. We also increased storage space for our busy trade counter selling chimney products and accessories.

Over the next twelve to eighteen months we intend to further expand our range to include a designated inset stove area as well as a section devoted to displaying gas and electric stoves.

Tell us about the new products that you can now offer as a result of the refurbishment.
Last year, Topstak became the South Wales distributors for Arctic Spa hot tubs and Swim Spas. Thanks to the refurbishment we now have a dedicated display where we can demonstrate these high quality and easy to use spas.

These Spas are engineered for the harsh Canadian temperatures from where they originate, enabling them to work really ef ciently during typical British winters. Finished with Red Cedar cabinets they are an eye catching addition to any garden or home.

The clever Spa Boy technology allows for automatic chemical control through a salt water sanitary system, enabling the customer to maintain the correct water levels from the ease of a smartphone. The innovative FreeHeat insulation system allows for lower running costs and far simpler access to the many moving components inside the shell.

We have also been able to expand our contemporary wood burning stoves display to include market leading brands such as Contura, Scan, Jotul and Stuv. In particular, Stuv offer a wide range of contemporary free- standing and inset res to suit many settings and environments. Personalized cladding options are available to give Topstak customers unrivalled choice in customised replace design.

The Stuv Micro Mega, which can be operated as either a sealed inset stove or in open re mode, is a personal favorite and is on full working display at the Monmouth showroom.

What do you think makesvTopstak special?
Our high standard of personal customer service and the wide choice of quality products we offer at competitive prices.

We’re definitely design led and carefully select products before deciding to become stockists ensuring that the best quality products giving good value for money are available to customers. We’re constantly looking to provide the latest products, and will continue to offer an unrivalled choice of high quality products for our customers to choose from. Most of our products can be viewed at our Monmouth showroom where we also have many stoves on working display. We offer a range of products to suit most styles or budget and will continue to extend our customers the warmest of welcomes.