A stunning project undertaken at a French villa has seen the team at York’s Natural Stone Studio
beat the economic recession. beyond reports.

Quality and good service will always shine through even in the face of a recession, and Derek Burt’s specialist marble and granite company are living proof of that. The credit crunch had hit their line of work hard: clients were having to shelve
jobs they’d requested due to lack of funds, hotels had seen their occupancy levels drop dramatically – and a big contract had been cancelled. But now a £300,000 contract to design, supply and install marble at a luxury villa in the South of France has been secured, ensuring work for the company’s local workforce until at least August.

“The fact that this contract has come now is a lifesaver for us,” said Derek, 44. “We’d had a good year but things were
starting to look difficult and it was perfect timing.” Derek is managing director of IDEAL Marble & Granite, the company he started in 2002 and who showcase their top quality wares at the Natural Stone Studio in Pocklington near York. They have carried out prestigious fitting work for a variety of clients including Chelsea and Arsenal football clubs and Lord Kirkham the DFS chairman. In addition they have recently completed work on 24 bathrooms at the Devonshire Arms Hotel in Bolton Abbey, and have secured a project at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool following their work to the main entrance of Hilton Manchester 2 years ago.

Derek said: “We do quality project work for clients. We did the granite cladding for the bus terminal at Leeds Train Station
and main entrance and steps at the Hotel Metropole in Leeds. We’re also working on another project at the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews in Scotland to help the venue prepare for the Open next year. Through recommendation, we’re refurbishing the marble in all the suites and supplying bar tops.”

Talking about the French job, he said: “The villa project is in Cap d’Antibes in the South of France and came through a designer we’ve worked with for many years, who wanted a quality job guaranteed.” The project will take until August to
complete and Derek says it’s the most prestigious job they have ever done overseas. The work involved is certainly
extensive. Slab marble will be provided for five bathrooms – the most expensive at a cost of £25,000 – the entrance hall will feature 60 square metres of pure white marble and 160 square metres of marble floor will be laid in the upstairs living area. In addition, granite kitchen tops, a limestone balcony, paving around the swimming pool and a 600 square metre
terrace will all be taken care of by Derek and his team. Anyone interested in purchasing or installing quality marble, limestone -