VIP guests join the opening of the world’s first certified carbon neutral ceramics studio, in rural England

FOUND welcomed more than 50 guests, including His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, and Mayor of Corby, to celebrate the opening of its new studio and preview its debut collection, Candlelight. Credit: Rose Bainbridge

A new independent British luxury ceramics studio on the Rutland and Northamptonshire border has officially opened its doors, welcoming more than 50 invited guests, local residents and distinguished VIPs to celebrate a milestone in responsible craftsmanship.

FOUND, founded by Jez Rose and Todd Gilbey, welcomed HM Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, Dr Sarah Furness; HM Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Mandy Young MBE; and the Mayor of Corby, Councillor Dr Steve O’Brien, to its official studio opening on 23 September.

The event marked the opening of what is recognised as the world’s first certified carbon neutral ceramics studio, and a celebration of FOUND’s achievement as a Certified B Corporation. Guests were invited to explore the rural studio, meet its founders and enjoy a private preview of Candlelight, the brand’s debut collection of porcelain and stoneware objects.

Based in Harringworth in the English countryside, FOUND brings together contemporary design, traditional craftsmanship and an experimental approach to materials. Working primarily in porcelain and stoneware, the studio explores the possibilities of natural and reclaimed materials, including ash, minerals, and industrial by-products, to create distinctive surfaces and individual pieces designed to be used, collected and kept.

For founders Jez Rose and Todd Gilbey, the studio represents a belief that luxury and responsibility should not be separate considerations, but integral parts of the same creative process.

“FOUND was born from a shared belief that the objects we choose to live with should be beautiful, meaningful and made with care,” said Jez Rose, co-founder of FOUND. “We wanted to create a studio that could explore the possibilities of exceptional craftsmanship while taking responsibility for the impact of how we work. Becoming the world’s first certified carbon neutral ceramics studio is an important milestone, but it is part of a much bigger ambition: to build a business that gives back more than it takes.”

FOUND’s approach to responsible making extends beyond its carbon neutral certification. The studio is committed to exploring reclaimed and overlooked materials, reducing waste and developing more considered ways of making. Its B Corp certification provides a framework for accountability across its impact on people, communities and the environment.

The opening also marked the beginning of FOUND’s wider ambition to use ceramics as a means of creating positive social change. The founders are developing a community programme that will explore the benefits of working with clay for people and groups who may benefit from creative activity, including those experiencing mental health challenges, social isolation or barriers to opportunity, as well as people rebuilding their lives after involvement with the criminal justice system.

The planned programme will be developed in collaboration with relevant community organisations and specialist partners, with the aim of providing meaningful opportunities for connection, creative expression, confidence-building and practical skills.

“Clay offers a very immediate way to engage with creativity,” said Todd Gilbey, co-founder of FOUND. “There is something quite remarkable about taking a material in your hands, working with it and gradually turning it into something of your own. We want to explore how that experience can be made accessible to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity, and how the studio can become a place that brings people together.”

Alongside its own collections, FOUND has developed a programme of private ceramics experiences and creative collaborations with luxury brands, hospitality businesses, designers and private client organisations. These activities will extend the studio’s reach while creating opportunities to support its long-term environmental and community ambitions.

The debut collection, Candlelight, takes inspiration from the quiet rituals and atmosphere of candlelight, exploring the relationship between light, shadow, texture and imperfection through a series of porcelain and stoneware objects. The collection establishes FOUND’s distinctive creative direction: considered forms, tactile surfaces and a celebration of the subtle variations that make each handmade piece individual.

The opening brought together guests from across the local community, business, culture and public life, reflecting FOUND’s ambition to establish itself not only as a centre for contemporary British craft, but as a welcoming and connected part of the region.

For FOUND, the event was both a celebration of what has already been achieved and the beginning of a longer journey: to build a distinctive British luxury brand in which commercial success can help create lasting value for people and the natural world.

Photo credit: Rose Bainbridge