The natural mineties
Backboned
The EuroStyle chair, from Style Seating, has been designed with a long, extra-lean back and a deep-padded seat for added support and comfort.
This, plus competitive pricing and a stylish range of fabric finishes, makes the round-backed banqueting chair a strong contender at the lower end of the market. Metal- or aluminium-framed, it comes in a variety of finishes from epoxy powder to polished brass, and can be stored in stacks of up to 10. Cost is from £26.
Style Seating, Commercial Road, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 8PQ. Tel: 01354 50471
Blinking beech
Banqueting chairs must store economically, be comfortable and durable, says Country Seat - the Shropshire-based manufacturer of wooden contract furniture. Accordingly, in 1994, it launched its Blink design, which, it claims, meets all these criteria.
The beech-framed design comes either with an upholstered or slatted back, with or without arms and, says the company, will last up to 10 years, doubling up as a conference chair. The frame comes in natural finish or can be stained. The chair is stackable and costs between £79 and £110, depending on back design (based on fabric priced at £10 a metre).
Country Seat, Highgate Centre, Liverpool Road, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 1SW. Tel: 01948 665363
Norwegian wood
The Scandinavian influence is apparent in new entrant to the UK, Helland, whose Breeze design is made from a combination of beechwood and chrome.
Front legs, armrests and back are formed from a single piece of carved, laminated beech - shaped by steam-bending - while the rear legs are made from chromium-plated steel.
The curved back and upholstered seat provide comfort and support without sacrificing modern continental style; the chair is stackable and the frame can be stained if required. Prices for the range, which is available in the UK through Newstyle Furniture, start at about £125 a chair.
Newstyle Furniture, Crossways Business Centre, Alconbury Hill, Alconbury Weston, Cambridgshire PE17 5JH. Tel: 01480 457373
Selective salon
Furniture giant Burgess has updated its Salon range of banqueting and conference chairs, which it first launched more than 20 years ago.
The seven-model Salon '95 Collection includes a shield-backed chair, available with or without arms, as are all the models. The chairs are priced from £90. Constructed from aluminium, the chair has a reeded profile, and can be sprayed with the appropriate finish to produce an illusion of wood without the weight. This can be done in any colour.
The conservatively designed chair stores in stacks of six and, says Burgess, will last for between 10 and 15 years before needing to be re-upholstered.
GN Burgess, Hanworth Trading Estate, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 6EH. Tel: 0181-894 9231
Coming of age
Series 21, the timber-framed chair line from Englender Furniture, includes model number 1017, an armed and upholstered, stackable banqueting chair.
Made of beech, stainable as required, Englender says the design reflects the 1990s' demand for warmer, unobtrusive, natural materials. Already installed at the Notts County Football Club, the chair is priced at about £100.
Englender Furniture, High View Road, South Normanton, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2DS. Tel: 01773 811508
Somerset spoon
Model 218 is a metal-framed, spoon-backed banqueting chair from King Cole, launched in January this year. Available with either an aluminium or steel frame in a variety of powder-coated colour finishes (including silver and gold), the chair can be upholstered in a variety of Dralon finishes.
Supplied with moving trolleys, free of charge, the functional chair (available with or without arms) makes a strong bid for the economical end of the market. The cost, depending on finish and upholstery, starts at about £35 for aluminium-framed models and £20 for steel frames.
King Cole, 40 Buckland Road, Pen Mill Trading Estate, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 5EJ. Tel: 01935 26141
Prime suspect
Primo Furniture's in-house design team has come up with a contemporary, multi-purpose chair, finished in chrome or coloured epoxy coating, and available with fully/partially upholstered or polished wood seat and back.
The stackable, scallop-backed chair P647 has arms and can be supplied with stacking trolleys. Price starts at about £90 per chair.
Primo Furniture, Baird Road, Enfield EN1 1SJ. Tel: 0181-804 3434
Hands down
Aimed at the top end of the banqueting market, the Lynx chair from Hands of Wycombe, launched in January, has a padded seat and partially upholstered back.
Made of ash, the wooden frame comes either in its natural state or stained. The Lynx design can best be described as clean and modern - unobtrusive and versatile. Stackable in threes or fours, it costs about £180.
Hands of Wycombe, 36 Dashwood Avenue, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP12 3DU. Tel: 01494 524222
