KEF is a British-based loudspeaker manufacturer with international distribution. It was founded in Tovil, Maidstone, Kent in 1961 by electrical engineer Raymond Cooke and named after Kent Engineering & Foundry which previously occupied the site. Its founder, Raymond Cooke, was created OBE by Elizabeth II in 1979.KEF is now owned by GP Acoustics, which is itself a member of the Hong Kong-based Gold Peak Group.