Dean Forge was established by my grandfather, Michael Chew, in 1969 in the hamlet of Dean Prior, nestled on the edge of Dartmoor. In 1978, he designed and manufactured the first Dean Forge wood-burning stove. The local nature of the business was reflected in the name of the first range—Herrick Stoves—named after the poet Robert Herrick, who lived in Dean Prior.

In 1994, my father, Simon Chew, and my grandfather combined their businesses and continued to develop and expand our range of wood and multi-fuel stoves. Now, as we enter the third generation of the family business, I’m excited to carry forward their legacy, full of fresh ideas and innovations. With guidance from my father, my grandfather, and Pat, our long-standing friend and manager of Dean Forge, we are prepared to take the business to new heights. This will also allow my father to step back and focus more on stove development and the manufacturing process.

We are also fortunate to have a dedicated and experienced workforce with deep expertise in manufacturing and installing stoves. All of our stoves continue to be manufactured at our Forge in Dean Prior, Devon, with the doors cast in a British foundry.