KITCHENS, the beating heart of any home, are especially so at this time of year when family and friends are welcomed in to be entertained and to help celebrate the festive season.

We’ve selected some real kitchen crackers on the market in the area at the moment where we’d be more than happy to try out some of Heston Blumenthal or Jamie Olivers’ latest recipes before serving them up to our seasonal guests.

A magnificent four bedroom detached house at Barbadoes Hill, Tintern, offers a quite stupendous character kitchen (16ft by 12ft) with two large double glazed windows giving wonderful Wye Valley views. There is an exposed stone wall including a chimney breast with raised hearth and open grate in this sumptuous room.

£810,000

Fine & Country, Chepstow

01291 629799

The wonderful kitchen at this four bedroom detached house at Penperlleni, near Goytre, receives the full benefit from Monmouthshire’s glorious morning sun. The distinctive ‘L’ shaped kitchen come family room ( 26ft by 23ft) has oodles of storage units, a range cooker, space for kitchen table and access out to the utility room.

£685,000

Pinkmove, Newport

01633 966018

The Court Barn, Manor Farm, Crick, is a four-bedroom barn conversion with a quite superb kitchen (16ft by 11ft) beautifully arranged with base and wall storage units with soft close doors and carousel unit. It has solid oak work surfaces and a central island fitted with a range of matching base storage units and breakfast bar. A beamed ceiling, part tiling to walls with mosaic border and slate tiled floor and integrated appliances adds to the marvellous mix.

£650,000

Crown Estate & Letting Agents, Chepstow

01291 798021

The kitchen, along with the rest of the interior of Victorian era house, Laurels, High Street, Blackwood, is a complete revelation. The remarkable space was created after two side extensions were added to the property. The work has opened up some ground floor area and has benefited the entire home by allowing for the creation of a truly awesome kitchen/dining room which is central for both family living and entertaining.

£525,000

Chewton Rose, South Wales

029 2243 0205

A gorgeous farmhouse style kitchen breakfast room (20ft by 14ft and narrowing to 9ft) is the outstanding centre piece on offer at this three bedroom detached house at Mitchel Troy, Monmouth. The kitchen, with ceramic tiled flooring, radiator, range of oak wall and base units, roll edge work surfaces, has a feature brick recess and built in wine display cabinet.

£465,000

haart, Monmouth

01600 522020

A four bedroom detached house in a cul de sac at Vale View, in the sought after Beechwood area of Newport offers a truly stylish, contemporary, bespoke fitted kitchen matched with a good sized conservatory.

£290,000

haart, Newport

01633 966025

The three bedroom terraced house for sale at Goldcroft Common, Caerleon, is a wonderful property which has been magnificently enhanced due to an extension and renovation completed to a superb standard. A glittering piece de resistance of the restoration is most surely the generous, modern, open-plan kitchen/dining room with central island (26ft by 16ft) at the heart of this home.

£375,000

haart, Newport

01633 966025

A three bedroom detached house on Hereford Road, Monmouth, has at its centre a most attractive bright and spacious dining kitchen (20ft by 11ft) area with marble flooring throughout. There is an excellent range of light coloured units with contrasting hardwood worktops and a superb array of floor cupboards and drawers including wine racks and a large island unit with further cupboards.

Offers in excess of £369,950

Parrys, Monmouth

01600 522022

Dewberry Grove, Rogerstone, Newport is a four-bedroom detached house which is blessed with a terrific refitted luxury kitchen (14ft by 18ft) which has a good range of units with Sile stone surfaces and Neff appliances. The kitchen opens to the dining room which has Upvc double glazed French doors to the rear.

£299,950

Peter Alan, Newport

01633 966038

The impressive refitted kitchen (23ft max into bay by 10ft) is an outstanding feature of a three-bedroom detached house in Beechdale Road, Newport. The kitchen has an extensive range of base units with oak worktops, integrated dishwasher, washer/dryer and microwave. A Rangemaster American style fridge freezer and Smeg range style five ring gas oven with extractor hood over and oak block flooring add to the exhilarating package.

£260,000

Peter Alan, Newport

01633 966038