Many people tend to ask the question ‘What is a Belfast sink?’ and it’s one of those questions that you can hazard a guess at. Belfast is a city, so either the sink was built there or it’s the size of the place!
To start off with, the Belfast sink is derived from a Butler sink and is also known as a Butler Belfast sink. As you may have guessed by the term “Butler” these sinks got their name as they were used by Butlers in their pantries for preparing food and washing up after the nobles had finished.
Belfast sinks today
Cast your mind back a while and you may remember that you had one of these types of sinks a long time ago as a child growing up in the family home. Depending on your age, you may not remember this:-) Some people could not wait to get rid of these sinks as the early ones were a bit of an eye sore and often were just attached to pipes next to a wall, but they looks so much more appealing now!
Key features of a Belfast sink include:
- Deep & spacious design – It allows for washing large items like pots, pans and even clothes in some cases
- Ceramic or fireclay construction – The material is highly durable, non-porous and resistant to stains and high temperatures
- Overflow feature – One distinctive feature of Belfast sinks is the built-in overflow, which prevents water from spilling over
With today’s modern fitted kitchens and granite worktops & quartz worktops, they now fit in beautifully with any classic kitchen design that you choose. The beauty of a Belfast sink is that they are easy to clean, accommodate big bowls as well as all the Sunday lunch pots and pans that you can chuck at it!
You can read about the units that are required to house a Belfast sink here.
Take a look at the pictures below which show Belfast sinks being used in some of our real customer kitchens. These sinks are not suitable to be used with laminate worktops, Only granite, quartz, Dekton or solid wood.
Belfast sink FAQs
Frequently asked questions about Belfast sinks.
Are Belfast sinks ceramic?
Most traditional Belfast sinks are made from ceramic fireclay, which is durable, non-porous and resistant to heat and staining.
Do Belfast sinks have an overflow?
Yes. A traditional Belfast sink has an integrated overflow, which is one of its defining characteristics.
Are Belfast sinks deep?
Yes. Belfast sinks have a deep, spacious bowl designed to accommodate large pots, pans and other kitchen items.
What worktops can be used with a Belfast sink?
Belfast sinks are generally suitable for solid worktops such as granite, quartz, Dekton and solid wood. They aren’t normally suitable for laminate worktops because of the way the sink is installed.
What unit do I need for a Belfast sink?
A Belfast sink requires a suitable Belfast sink base unit designed to accommodate its depth and exposed front.
If you are looking to buy a sink then there is a good selection of Belfast sinks here. All our kitchen units are here.
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Real customer kitchens
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Related articles
Is your Innova range fireclay?
July 31, 2026 at 9:33 amHi Sean, our Innova Belfast sink is made from a cast ceramic construction.
July 31, 2026 at 1:53 pmHow much weight (of the sink )can the belfast units support?
January 8, 2026 at 6:57 pmHi Musarat, we do not have an exact figure but our Belfast sink units are solidly constructed, have very large legs and leg bosses and can support all the Belfast ceramic sinks that are available.
January 12, 2026 at 9:08 amIf we were to get a solid wood worktop. How would you request that the draining grooves be added? Is there an option on the kitchen planner or is this something you would need to ask the team prior to the installation?
July 3, 2025 at 8:42 pmHi Ben, only our solid surface worktops like granite, quartz & ceramics are laser templated and cut prior to the worktop being delivered and fitted (due to the weight of them and complexity of cutting a solid stone material). Laminate & solid wood worktops are cut & fitted on site by your kitchen fitter.
July 4, 2025 at 7:24 amHi,
November 17, 2018 at 5:31 pmSome of your Belfast sinks say “no drainer” or “drainerless” but I cannot find out anywhere what this means? Could you please explain the difference, as in the photos they all look the same. Sorry if this is a very silly question! Thank you.
Hi Jo, Our Belfast sinks are purely a sink only and have no draining board to put your pots on. With a solid wood or granite worktop, you can have the drainer grooves cut into the worktop to facilitate draining.
November 19, 2018 at 7:54 amI am interested in Belfast sink 1 bowl and 2 bowl for Kitchens.
October 12, 2015 at 8:02 amI would appreciate if you could send me some photos and prices
regards,
Arun
Hi, all our belfast sinks with pictures and prices are located below.
https://www.diy-kitchens.com/sinks-and-taps/sinks/belfast/all-sink-brands/all-sink-materials/all-bowl-configurations/
October 12, 2015 at 8:55 am