About

See the production process in Kaymet’s Peckham factory, where their range of classic anodised aluminium serving trays and trolleys are produced. Tours are led by the proprietor in small groups during working hours, with an opportunity to buy products at bargain prices from a table in the factory porch.

At the Ossory Road works (a hidden 1950s building with small yard), the nine-person team cut on a chop saw, wall saw and guillotine; crop with a big Bentley power press and with fly presses; notch with a smaller power press and fly press; press-form trays on the Bentley; grain on a graining machine, do some lathe work, bend tubes and extrusions, drill and counter-bore, punch holes and logos, and some forming. In the polishing shop they linish, polish and shine, then pieces are degreased. Anodising and powder-coating are done elsewhere (in Erith, Slade Green and Crawley). The team assemble with some adhesives and lots of rivets, rivnuts, screws, nuts and bolts, and some crimping, then they clean, label, pack and despatch.

Kaymet produce around 40,000 trays per year, a smaller number of trolleys (and some electric table hotplates). The products sell in more than 200 shops, in about 40 countries, and are supplied to plenty of hotels, restaurants and cafes, plus a few yachts and aircraft.

The business started in the basement of a family-run radio shop at Elephant & Castle, evolving into Kaymet in 1947, by which time a move to Kennington Lane had been made. At the end of the 1950s the company built its own factory near the Old Kent Road, where it stayed until the 1990s. Four moves after losing that one, Kaymet arrived at their current fine spot behind Asda, the sixth Kaymet Works.

The enterprise is proud to have been continuously producing in its part of SE London, and is pleased to welcome interested visitors on these tours.