The timeless appeal of a cast-iron fireplace is hard to beat and AGA fireplaces are among the best money can buy.

The AGA Wenlock is no exception. With its traditional moulded detail, arched side panels and striking wired handle, it would make a stunning centrepiece in any home. The compact design means it can fit seamlessly into almost any setting, and makes it particularly suitable for small rooms and apartment living.Don't be fooled by its size as the AGA Wenlock fireplace has an output to rival much larger fireplaces. And in terms of convenience, it has a controllable heat output, making finding and maintaining the ideal temperature quick and easy. The AGA Wenlock fireplace, available in matt black, also has a durable high chrome grate and the option of either a top or rear flue output. The handle and spin wheel come in black as standard but are available in chrome as an optional extra. The coil handle stays at room temperature, which means you can easily touch it, as it doesn't get hot.

Recognised as the world's best cooking appliance, the AGA commands a level of adulation more often associated with the glitz of Hollywood fame -- and generates similar devotion. It's deemed the number one luxury appliance brand and revered as one of the top three design icons of the century. It's the kitchen centrepiece of Celebrities, Professional Chefs and Homeowners across the globe. AGA represents a lifestyle, one that owners embrace and share fervently with others.For more information visit www.agaliving.co.za. The full range is available directly from AGA South Africa and a selection from Bergzicht Furnishers, Gas & Equipment, Kloppers, Melvill and Moon, Metelerkamps and cookware range online from takealot.com.

With winter firmly here and Wimbledon around the corner, it’s the perfect time to enjoy an AGA oven or fireplace to its full potential. The AGA is known for its longevity, with many still operating after more than 50 years.

Originally heated by slow-burning coal, the Aga cooker was invented in 1922 by the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish physicist Gustaf Dalén (1869–1937), who was employed as the chief engineer. The cookers were imported to Britain in 1929, and were first manufactured there under license in the early 1930s. The cast iron components were cast at the Coalbrookdale foundry in the 1940s, a foundry with a 300 year history, where they are still made today.

The AGA is famous for its ovens and fireplaces, which works on the principle that a heavy frame made from cast iron can absorb heat from a relatively low-intensity but continuously-burning source, and the accumulated heat can then be used when needed for cooking.

Interestingly, ‘The Championships, Wimbledon’, commonly known simply as ‘Wimbledon’ has been held in London since 1877 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, and widely considered the most prestigious.

Today's AGA, similar to Wimbledon, remains unchanged through time and is made in exactly the same way as it always has been. Quite simply, molten iron is poured into moulds. It's this technique that gives the castings their characteristic surface – each one is unique – and sets the AGA apart from the ubiquitous mass-produced uniformity. There is no spray painting, but rather the AGA cooker's multiple protective coats of gleaming vitreous enamel take three days to apply. It's this enamelling that helps ensure the working life of an AGA cooker is measured not in years, but in decades. Of course, the modern AGA also contains state-of-the-art technology and is subject to rigorous quality controls and adherence to the latest environmental standards. Each part of an AGA cooker – and there are many – is meticulously inspected and colour checked before engineers carry out the final build in the new owner's home. It is not unusual for three generations of a family to work side-by-side at the AGA foundry, and the passion staff feel for the cooker,  is second to none.

AGA represents a lifestyle, one that owners embrace and share fervently with others.

For more information or your local stockist visit www.agaliving.co.za.