Hospitality Awards 2026 | 25 Best Bespoke Luxury Hospitality Serviceware Brand 2026 – UK Today’s guests have come to expect the delectable dishes and superior service that defines luxury hospitality. To stand out from the crowd, venues must now add an entirely new dimension that engages the mind, captivates the senses, and leaves guests eager to return for more. For over ten years, sOak London has stood as a trusted partner to exclusive restaurants and bars around the world, delivering custom-made furniture and bespoke woodwork designs that redefine hospitality spaces. We heard more from Founder Rob Sumner below. “Whether our pieces are intended to serve, to store, or just to raise a smile, they are sought after across the world for their ability to generate spectacularly memorable occasions.” sOak London first began as My Hartwood in 2015, created as a way for Founder Rob Sumner to follow his lifelong ambition to work with wood, celebrate nature, and channel his ideas and creativity into something uniquely beautiful and genuinely practical. He steadily built the company from the ground up, channelling a passion for rare and exquisite woods to earn commission after commission. Within just one year, My Hartwood’s creations were in incredibly high demand. Building onto that momentum, Rob rebranded My Hartwood to sOak London in 2020. He began building a team of talented, likeminded individuals and entered the global market with an interactive version of his bar-top Solera System for other Zuma Restaurants. Soon enough, the team saw an outpouring of commissions for Black Rock Whisky, the Langham Hotel, and the prestigious Jacques of Knowle restaurant, as sOak London became an established name in the world of high-end hospitality. Today, sOak London exists to create the theatre that enhances some of life’s most enjoyable moments, whether catering to the hospitality industry or to private individuals. Its team works with the earth’s natural materials – sustainable woods and carefully aged, storm-felled timbers, magnificent metals and minerals, and the finest manmade materials – to design and create bespoke furniture and experiential service solutions that help venues stand out and generate memorable moments for their guests. At sOak London, no two projects are ever the same. Its expert team designs and manufactures a wide range of custom-made furniture and bespoke woodwork solutions, from cocktail cabinets and service trolleys to drinks presentation systems and brand activations for luxury hotels, restaurants, private members’ clubs, and premium drinks brands. With each new project, its team sees a new opportunity to reimagine hospitality and create the totally unique, the unusual, and the unexpected. Each new project begins with clear communication and transparency. The sOak London team recognises that understanding what the client wishes to achieve is the most important part of any project. This belief drives it to listen, working in close collaboration with clients throughout the process and paying close attention to the small details that can make a significant difference to the final result. With this approach, sOak London aims to create pieces that reflect each client’s unique vision and captivates guests from the moment they walk through the door. “First impressions are crucial in hospitality,” Rob explained. “Every product we create is designed to reflect quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. We want guests to instantly recognise that they are experiencing something special.” This approach was demonstrated when sOak London was commissioned to produce the renowned Embrace Change service trolley for Buffalo Trace at the JW Steakhouse in London. The custom-built Old Fashioned Trolley was designed to pay homage to the iconic cocktail and the bond between the famous bourbon and the London landmark bar, with guests able to choose a bespoke Old Fashioned cocktail from the trolley and its featured portfolio of brands from Buffalo Trace’s distillery. As guest expectations evolve, sOak London aims to adapt in tandem through products that bring theatre, interaction, and storytelling to hospitality. Looking ahead, the team will focus on growing partnerships with global brands and luxury venues around the world, while developing new solutions to reflect the market’s evolving needs. Ultimately, sOak London seeks to continue helping clients stand out whilst delivering meaningful experiences to their guests. This year marks sOak London’s fourth consecutive year of success in the Hospitality Awards. Its team was recognised as the UK’s Best Artisan Hospitality Décor Manufacturer in 2023; was announced the UK’s Best Culinary Woodwork Design Company and the UK’s Most Innovative Culinary Experience Designers in 2024; and maintained its position as the UK’s Culinary Woodwork Design Company of the Year in 2025. Now, we at LUXlife Magazine are delighted to recognise sOak London as the UK’s Best Bespoke Luxury Hospitality Serviceware Brand 2026. Contact: Rob Sumner Company: sOak London Web Address: www.soaklondon.com
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