Ultegra kit

I don't think it's a good strategy to upgrade components - costs a lot of money with very little benefit.

When you say "clunky" what does that mean? What components do you currently have? Maybe they just need a little tuning to work better.

an Ultegra Kit will triple the cost you paid for your bike,
i would buy a new bike say with Shimano 105, or Ultegra eventually,
maybe you can trade in the Saracen as a down payment for example, or sell it otherwise

I have Shimani 2200 which I understand is the most basic set available - by clunky i mean it isn't as smooth by a long way as some other bikes I have riden - particularly front shifting

FWIW. As a sweeping generalization, let me note that my observation is that the difference between the best Shimano front derailleur and the least expensive is mostly cosmetic ... and, while the more expensive Shimano front derailleurs may have the most up-to-date design, there is a lot of trickle-down in contemporary components so that a 105 front derailleur is as good as a Dura Ace front derailleur ... basically, the quality of the seat tube clamp may be the only significant difference ...

And, your 2200 front derailleur's CAGE is probably no worse than a 9-speed (?) 105 (for example) front derailleur's cage.

Shimano REAR derailleurs vary mostly in weight & cosmetics ...

There is a real difference in the quality of the chainringrings on various Shimano cranksets ...

There is a modest difference in the quality of the hubs despite the wide range in cost ...

The shifters DO vary ...

But, IMO< better use of your money than buying a better grade of Shimano shifters would be if you were to buy a pair of 10-speed Campagnolo shifters ...

• The great thing about 10-speed Campagnolo shifters is that the non-QS (non-Xenon-based) shifters are almost universal -- the traditional, LEFT hand Campagnolo Ergo shifter can be used with any front derailleur + any chain + any double-or-triple crankset.
  

• The 10-speed RIGHT hand Campagnolo shifter will readily index to either an 8-or-9-speed Shimano rear derailleur & cassette with zero or minimal effort to achieve 8-or-9-speed Shimano indexing..
  

On the other hand, with Shimano shifters, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you match the front derailleur with the shifters AND the chain to the front derailleur; particularly, with a Triple crankset.

A pair of pre-2007 (non-QS) Veloce shifters, for example, will probably cost less than $130 on eBay. Add $10-to-$15 for new handlebar tape ... more if you need new cables/housing. Resell you current shifters after you install the Campagnolo shifters, and your net cost will probably be reduced significantly.

BTW. If the ends of your current cables aren't frayed, then you can probably use them with the Campagnolo shifters ... I recommend replacing the derailleur cable housing with larger inner diameter housing (I prefer to use brake cable housing for my derailleur cables).

BUT, before you buy new shifters, try lubing the cables with some light grease (e.g., white lithium) and ensure that the stops are correct and the tension on the cable is correct.

If you are happy with your bike have it tuned up. No matter what level of components you have on your bike they all eventually need to be adjusted. Proper lubrication will increase the life span and performance of your components.