What Reiko Kaneko does

Reiko Kaneko Ltd is a London-based ceramic design studio, founded in 2007 by Reiko Kaneko after graduating from Central Saint Martins, operating production from Stoke-on-Trent (Unit 8 Marie Works, Ayshford Street, Longton) and a London garden studio. The studio designs and produces bespoke ceramic tableware, jewellery, tile murals, furniture, and lighting, working across fine bone china, terracotta, stoneware, and porcelain, with proprietary techniques including reactive studio glazes (pieces fired up to five times), kintsugi mending with lacquer and gold, and pâte-sur-pâte. A signature line applies gastrophysics research from Prof. Charles Spence to flavour-enhancing tableware developed with NEFF.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model: bespoke, quote-based commissions for prestige hospitality clients (The Fat Duck since 2009, Anne Sophie Pic, Dinner by Heston, Ennismore venues); Design for Manufacture licensing through SCP (terracotta, Orlando furniture, Nami lighting since 2013) and Vista Alegre (porcelain bowls); limited-batch direct-to-consumer sales via a Squarespace e-commerce shop that opens 2-3 times per year; and gallery/exhibition sales at London Design Festival, Ceramic Art London, British Ceramics Biennial, and partner galleries. The studio is registered as a private limited company in England, is founder-owned and bootstrapped with no disclosed external investment, and maintains a part-time MA Ceramics tutoring role at Staffordshire University to support the craft pipeline.

Customer concentration is anchored by a small set of high-profile restaurant and brand partners across fine dining, premium spirits (Rémy Martin, Audemus, House of Suntory), and design retail (SCP). Headcount sits at 1-10 with Reiko Kaneko as primary designer and operator. Distribution is multi-channel: own website, SCP and Vista Alegre wholesale, plus UK and international exhibition and gallery presence spanning the UK, Europe, the US, Japan, and Hong Kong. The studio employs sustainable production methods including solar panels and battery-stored electricity for kiln firing.

Name

Reiko Kaneko

Legal name

Reiko Kaneko Ltd

Website

https://reikokaneko.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reiko Kaneko is a London- and Stoke-on-Trent-based ceramic design studio producing bespoke tableware, lighting, and furniture for fine-dining restaurants, premium spirits brands, and design retailers, with licensing via SCP and Vista Alegre and limited-batch direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stoke-on-trent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bespoke Restaurant Commissions: Custom tableware and ceramic pieces created for prestigious restaurants including The Fat Duck, Anne Sophie Pic, Dinner by Heston, and others. Long-term relationships with recurring commissions.
2. Design for Manufacture: Licensed designs produced through manufacturing partners including SCP (terracotta, Orlando furniture, lighting since 2013) and Vista Alegre (collection of bowls). Royalties or licensing fees from mass-produced designs.
3. Limited Batch Production Sales: Small batch ceramic tableware, jewellery, and decorative pieces sold through the online shop which opens 2-3 times per year. Direct e-commerce to consumers.
4. Exhibition and Art Sales: Artistic pieces sold at galleries including Bluecoat Display Centre, Sway Gallery, and at design festivals such as London Design Festival and Ceramic Art London.
5. Collaborative Projects: Special projects with brands such as NEFF, Rémy Martin, Audemus Spirits, and The House of Suntory creating bespoke vessels and limited edition items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Reiko Kaneko Ltd is a ceramic design studio that designs and produces bespoke handcrafted ceramic tableware, jewellery, lighting, furniture and decorative objects in fine bone china, terracotta, stoneware and porcelain. Core activities are custom commissions for fine-dining restaurants and hospitality brands, named designer collections sold direct through a periodic online shop and trade partners, and licensed design-for-manufacture collaborations with SCP and Vista Alegre.

Product overview

Reiko Kaneko is a ceramic designer offering bespoke tableware for restaurants and commissioned works alongside retail products. The product portfolio includes multiple distinct lines: Bone China collections (Botanical with gold-stippled rims, Dahlia with black slip decoration, Studio Glaze reactive vessels, Bamboo sake sets); Terracotta pieces (vessels, jugs, bulb vases); Furniture (Orlando lounge chair and two-seater for SCP); Lighting (Nami pendant lights); Tableware (Wave Plates, Kintsugi-repaired pieces); and custom Tile Murals. Two to three times yearly, the online shop opens to offer tableware and jewellery directly to consumers. Bespoke commissions for restaurants and hospitality represent a core part of the business, with work featured at establishments including The Fat Duck, Dinner by Heston, and Anne-Sophie Pic venues. The studio also licenses designs to manufacturers like Vista Alegre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Botanical Collection White fine bone china plates and bowls cast in Stoke-on-Trent with brush- or leaf-applied glaze decoration and gold-stippled rims; a designer tableware collection for retail and hospitality use.
• Dahlia Collection Black fine bone china plates and bowls with brushed white slip decoration and glazed finish, designed for painting wildflowers with a layered, textured finish.
• Orlando Furniture Lounge chair and two-seater sofa designed for SCP, featuring a lightweight frame available in various Kvadrat and Maharam fabrics; a designer furniture range produced under design-for-manufacture partnership.
• Nami Pendant Lights Fine bone china pendant lights designed for SCP that exploit the translucency of thinly cast bone china.
• Terracotta Collection Terracotta vessels, jugs, pitchers, tumblers and bulb vases thrown by Steve Harold in Suffolk, featuring honey brown, white, and unglazed finishes.
• Wave Plates Heavily Japanese-inspired tableware featuring wave patterns, paired with tile murals.
• Kintsugi Pieces Ceramics repaired using traditional Japanese Kintsugi technique with lacquer and gold to highlight cracks and flaws, embracing the wabi-sabi philosophy of beauty in imperfection.
• Bamboo Collection Bone china sake sets, tumblers, tall vases and sake decanter with cups featuring bamboo-inspired forms and brushwork decoration.
• Studio Glaze Vessels Reactive-glaze vessels on fine bone china, fired up to five times to create deep hues and unique patterns where elements combine in the kiln heat.
• Tile Murals Custom tile murals using reactive glazes where elements combine in the kiln to create nature-inspired colours and patterns with bubbling surfaces.
• Illusion of Shape Mobiles Handmade hanging mobiles crafted in the London studio, exploring form, fragility and balance; available at SCP.
• NEFF Flavour Boosting Plates Three-piece plate collection (starter plate, main dish bowl, dessert bowl) developed with NEFF based on Prof. Charles Spence's gastrophysics research, designed with specific colours, shapes, textures and weights to intensify flavour perception.
• Bespoke Tableware Commissions Custom ceramic tableware commissioned for restaurants and hospitality venues, with named past clients including The Fat Duck, Dinner by Heston, Anne-Sophie Pic, Brasserie Constance and The Connaught Bar.
• Vista Alegre Bowl Collection Collection of bowls designed by Reiko Kaneko and produced under licence by Portuguese porcelain manufacturer Vista Alegre.
• Ceramic Jewellery Handcrafted ceramic jewellery pieces sold direct to consumers through the online shop (which opens 2-3 times per year) and at events and pop-ups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term relationships with prestigious clients including The Fat Duck since 2009 (15+ years)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SCP (Sanctuary Consulting Ltd)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Long-term design partnership since 2013 producing terracotta homeware, Orlando furniture collection, and lighting designs. SCP also distributes Reiko's sculptural ceramic works. Ongoing collaboration including new collections annually.
• Vista AlegrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed collection of bowls produced by Portuguese porcelain manufacturer Vista Alegre, expanding reach into broader tableware market.
• NEFFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create flavour-enhancing tableware based on Prof. Charles Spence's gastrophysics research. Collection includes starter plate, main dish bowl, and dessert bowl designed to intensify flavour perception.
• Rémy Martin / The Connaught BarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCocktail vessel collaboration celebrating savoir-faire. Specially-created vessel for Flint cocktail using Rémy Martin XO, developed with Connaught's Director of Mixology.
• The Fat DuckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing tableware commission relationship since 2009 (first commission in 2007). Ongoing bespoke tableware creations for Heston Blumenthal's Michelin-starred restaurant.
• The House of SuntorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKyusu teapot design for cocktails collaboration with The Connaught Bar, featuring theatrical pouring functionality inspired by Japanese tea ceremony and Italian milk frothers.
• Audemus SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimited edition ceramic bottles for premium gin since 2016. Fine bone china bottles with botanical brushwork glaze decoration.
• Ishinomaki LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCP collaboration to mark 10 years since Great Eastern Japan earthquake. Reiko created hand-thrown terracotta bird bath on cedar base following Ishinomaki Laboratory DIY ethos.
• Anne Sophie PiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBespoke commissions including botanical presentation plate for Le Dame de Pic at Four Seasons London and pieces for Cristal Room Hong Kong.
• Staffordshire UniversityminorOthersPart-time visiting MA Ceramics Tutor position. Contributes to education and develops next generation of ceramicists.
• Crafts CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFostered collaboration for Brasserie Constance project, supporting craftspeople and designers.
• A Rum FellowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFabric partnership for Orlando Two Seater upholstery. Ispa fabric in Duck Egg ethically handwoven in Guatemala.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Meissen: German luxury porcelain manufacturer with heritage craft positioning. Comparable in high-end ceramic tableware for premium hospitality and collectors, though at much larger industrial scale and broader product portfolio.
• Bernardaud: French luxury porcelain manufacturer producing high-end tableware with artist collaborations. Comparable in fine bone china tableware category and in collaborating with designers on limited-edition collections for premium hospitality and retail.
• Wedgwood: Iconic British luxury tableware and ceramics brand, also rooted in Stoke-on-Trent. Comparable category (fine bone china tableware) and geographic heritage, but operates at vastly larger industrial scale with mass-market and hospitality programmes.

Emerging players

• Mud Australia: Australian handmade porcelain tableware brand producing minimalist, design-led porcelain ranges for hospitality and retail. Comparable in porcelain tableware category, design-forward identity, and restaurant/hospitality supply.
• 1882 Ltd: British ceramics company working with leading designers to produce limited-edition tableware and homeware in Stoke-on-Trent factories. Comparable in design-led ceramics production, use of UK manufacturing heritage, and collaboration with independent designers for premium collections.

Direct peers

• Emma Bridgewater: UK-based handmade pottery brand founded in Stoke-on-Trent producing hand-decorated ceramics. Comparable in geography (Stoke-on-Trent heritage), craft-led approach, and British pottery market positioning, though operating at significantly larger consumer retail scale.
• Astier de Villatte: Paris-based ceramics house producing handmade tableware and home objects with a strong aesthetic signature and celebrity chef/restaurant collaborations. Most directly comparable to Reiko Kaneko in terms of bespoke tableware positioning, artist-led production, and Michelin-tier hospitality clients.
• Manufacture de Digoin: French ceramic atelier revived in a historic porcelain manufacturing region, producing handmade tableware with artisanal techniques. Comparable to Reiko Kaneko in studio-scale ceramic production, heritage-driven craft identity, and chef/restaurant supply focus.

Others

• SCP (Sanctuary Consulting Ltd): UK design retailer and manufacturer that is both a partner and distribution channel for Reiko Kaneko. Comparable as a curated design retailer carrying premium ceramics, lighting, and furniture, and relevant as the studio's primary trade distribution partner.
• Vista Alegre: Portuguese porcelain manufacturer and Reiko Kaneko licensing partner producing her bowl collections. Comparable as a heritage porcelain manufacturer that licenses designer collections, and relevant as the studio's mass-production route to market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/reikokanekoceramics
• Xx.com/reikokaneko
• Facebookfacebook.com/reikokanekodesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reiko-kaneko-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reiko Kaneko