Belfast and Butler Sinks.

Many of the kitchens we supply include either a Belfast or a butler sink.

To most of us mere mortals they are the same, but there is a subtle difference between the two.

Belfast sinks originated in Belfast (Of all places!) where there was a ready supply of fresh water, because of this they incorporated a built in Overflow to stop the sink from filling too high as people would often just leave the tap on and let it fill whilst they were doing something else.

However in London where the Butler sink originated Fresh water was in short supply, so to discourage people from leaving a tap running the overflow was omitted!

Yes we know, not very exciting or dramatic, but interesting anyway.

So why have a Belfast or Butler….

The main reasons we hear for having a butler or Belfast sink is the size of them, they are usually quite a lot larger in depth and volume than a standard stainless steel sink or alike.

For places like utility rooms, or boot rooms this can be especially useful, or if you do a lot of handwashing and need to be able to have large quantities of items in the sink at the same time they can be really practical.

They also look great and create a real feature of the sink, which sadly the standard stainless steel sink just can’t compete with.

So are there any disadvantages?

The main disadvantage is its solid nature! That doesn’t sound like much of a disadvantage, but if you drop a cup or plate in a Butler or Belfast sink, there is a good possibility that the cup or plate will break as the sink is solid and doesn’t give any “bounce” whereas if you did the same in a stainless steel sink it might stand a chance as it does have some “Flex”

How much do they cost?

Like everything there are brand names – Villeroy and Boch being one of the leading, but many many more available, and prices will range immensely.

But a decent single Butler can be found for around £180 and a Double can be from around £265

In our opinion they look great, give great volume for washing up in, easily cleaned and hard wearing.

Why would you not want one………