Page 33 - CFJ_Dec25

CONTRACTOR PROFILE

FROM SMALL ACORNS…

PART ONE | Cromer Carpets founder Graham Burdett has been in flooring since his teens and still works full-time at 68.

Some people just don’t stop rolling.

RAHAM Burdett is the founder and company he called Buy at Home. And now
Gowner of Cromer Carpets in Norfolk. ‘I began with a man in a van and did A second shop followed 20 years or so ago,
A man aged 68, he may well officially be that for that five years before eventually and he now has 11 staff plus 15 fitters – all
a pensioner, but he works four days a renting various warehouses. I had a of which are self-employed.
week estimating and shows no signs of slogan, ‘use that phone to carpet your Now he’s out measuring four days a week,
retirement - after more than 50 years in home’. It had a picture of a phone that ‘which I really enjoy.’ He adds that ‘now I’ve
flooring. looked a bit like a house, just a little got to 68, I have every Friday off, so I do four-
Small acorns cartoon character.’ day weeks and the mixture of the three-day
weekend and the four-day week works very
The warehouse business was called
He started in the trade by working for ‘Cash and Carry Carpets’ to distinguish it well for the family, for me, for my wife’.
Queensway in Norwich, taking on an from three rivals in the area. He says that he’s not ready to retire yet
apprenticeship few years later. The As he describes it, it was a warehouse as he enjoys meeting people just to be
problem was that, as he tells, ‘once I ‘full of stock carpets, no pattern books, all sociable. ‘Most of them I’ve seen before
became qualified to lay carpets, I was stock carpets… from 99p a square yard up and sometimes I’m seeing their children
19 and couldn’t get a job as I looked too to £12.99 a square yard. Walk in, buy it, or grandchildren on a recommendation.’
young – they wanted somebody who take it away. But within a short while, my Interestingly, Burdett doesn’t see the
looked a bit older’. customers from Buy at Home wanted to visits as selling… ‘they’ve already made
This knotty problem led him to a job come in and see pattern books; the idea their mind up when I’ve turned up because
with SGP Carpets in London’s Fulham of running two separate businesses just they’ve used us before’.
where he worked on ‘pubs, clubs, hotels, didn’t work.’ Geographical reach
and London Airport’. He stayed there until Consequently, he gave up the separate Given that Norfolk is not densely
his mid-20s, before returning to domestic warehouse, which was used for Buy at populated, it’s fair to ask Burdett how
work for Harris Carpets at its Staines, Home and moved everything into one wide Cromer Carpet’s reach is.
Slough, Windsor, and Queensway, and shop and called it Cromer Carpets. And In response he comments his firm tends
New Walden branches. that’s where he’s been ever since - in a to serve an area 15 miles in radius. He
There he remained until 1988, and 4,000 square foot site in the town centre adds that ‘Norwich is the big city - 20
he was 30, when he decided to return near the main car park. He’s been there for miles away and we’re there all the time…
home to Cromer to start his own carpet nearly 32 years. but we’ve had jobs in Yarmouth and on the
edge of Kings Lynn and even further way’.
Cromer Pier and Seafront
He’s also served a customer in London
– ‘I went to measure, and the boys went
to fit and we were still cheaper’, and that’s
Wikimedia / Raymond E Hawkins the fitters – some of whom live that way –
even with travelling costs included.
But where jobs are in Norwich or beyond,

take carpet home with them in their vans
before going to the job the next day. 
www.cromercarpets.com

www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk 33
@CFJMagazine CFJ December 2025