Salvage Hunter, antique dealer and the man with an eye for the extraordinary

If you’ve ever watched Salvage Hunters, you’ll know that Drew Pritchard can spot potential where most of us see little more than old timber, rusting iron or a dusty pile of forgotten furniture.

For Drew, every piece has a story.

Whether he’s rummaging through a neglected barn, wandering around a country estate or squeezing through a cluttered salvage yard, he’s always searching for that one item everyone else has overlooked.

Over the years, his remarkable eye for design has earned him clients including Jim Carrey, Marco Pierre White and Jamie Oliver. His work has also taken him across the world, fitting stores for Ralph Lauren in America and Monaco and Rive Gauche in Paris.

When I caught up with Drew, I wanted to find out where that extraordinary eye for detail came from.

Have you always had an eye for design? It’s not really something that can be taught, is it?

“Actually, I think mine was taught.”

Drew doesn’t hesitate.

“My dad was a signwriter and an artist, and he had an exceptional eye for detail. From as early as I can remember he was teaching me how to look at things.”

Not simply to look…

To really see.

“He’d point at a building and ask, ‘What’s right with it? What’s wrong with it?’ That’s how I learned.”

You originally trained in stained glass. How did that happen? Did you ever consider becoming an interior designer instead?

“Stained glass was my way into the architectural salvage world.”

At the time, he explains, the trade was booming but difficult to break into.

Then came a moment he’ll never forget.

“On my very first day, an architectural salvage dealer pulled up in a van and shouted me over.”

Inside was an enormous stained-glass door decorated with butterflies and foliage.

“It was absolutely beautiful.”

He smiles at the memory.

“The moment I saw it, I knew I’d found my industry.”

Interior design has always appealed too.

“I’ve been asked to take on projects over the years, but I’ve always concentrated on architectural antiques.”

He pauses.

“Never say never though.”

Where did your fascination with antiques begin? Was your family involved in the trade?

“No, not at all.”

His obsession started much earlier.

“I loved old things.”

Not just antiques.

“Junk. Rust. Scrap yards. Flea markets. Old cars.”

Anything with history.

“If there was somewhere selling old stuff, I’d be there.”

By the age of eleven he’d already decided what he wanted to do with his life.

“I knew I was going to become an antique dealer.”

Not many eleven-year-olds can say they’ve achieved exactly what they set out to do.

Away from work, what are you passionate about?

His answer comes instantly.

“Classic cars.”

Particularly vintage Volkswagens and Porsches.

What started as a hobby eventually became another successful business, DP Classics.

“We specialise in sourcing rare, low-mileage, high-specification cars from across Europe.”

He’s also no stranger to the race track.

Holding an International Grade A Racing Driver’s Licence, Drew races what is believed to be the only historic Volkswagen Beetle competing in Europe.

Venues such as Goodwood and Silverstone are all part of his racing calendar.

It’s difficult to tell whether he talks more enthusiastically about antiques or engines.

When you do get a day off, how do you spend it?

He laughs.

“Usually catching up with friends…”

A brief pause.

“Normally in a pub.”

A refreshingly honest answer.

Do you have a favourite artist?

Surprisingly…

No.

“I don’t really have a favourite.”

“I appreciate all forms of art.”

Given the variety of objects that pass through his hands every year, perhaps that’s not such a surprise after all.

How did Salvage Hunters come about?

Like so many good stories…

Almost by accident.

“I spotted an advert in the Antiques Trade Gazette asking if there were any ‘men in vans’ travelling around antique fairs and salvage yards.”

It sounded suspiciously familiar.

“I ignored it.”

Then a friend spotted the same advert.

“He brought it to me and said, ‘This is you. Ring them.'”

Even then, Drew wasn’t convinced.

“I waited another six or eight weeks before I actually called.”

Eventually, the production company travelled up from London to film a short piece to camera.

Then…

Nothing.

Until almost a year later.

“They offered me a ten-part series.”

He laughs.

“We never took it seriously. We just thought it would be a bit of fun.”

More than a decade later, millions of viewers around the world would probably disagree.

Is there one piece you’ve never found but would absolutely love to own?

This turns out to be Drew’s easiest question of the day.

The list is impressive.

A Robert Adam chimneypiece.

A Charles Rennie Mackintosh chair.

Stained glass by Burne-Jones or Henry Holiday.

A Carlo Bugatti chair.

But there is one object above all others.

“A Bugatti Type 35B racing car.”

His eyes light up.

“To me, it’s the ultimate piece of art.”

He smiles.

“Engineering… craftsmanship… design… it has everything.”

Spending time with Drew, it quickly becomes obvious that Salvage Hunters isn’t really about antiques.

It’s about curiosity.

About seeing beauty where others see clutter.

About understanding that every object has a past and, given the right pair of hands, perhaps a future too.

Not everyone can walk into a dusty barn and spot a hidden treasure.

Drew Pritchard can.

And after talking to him…

I suspect he always could.

 

 

Photography by Eleri Griffiths