Fodder - "Hampstead's Homeware Treasure Trove."
Fodder champions UK based makers working in ceramics, wood, leather, and small-batch fragrance. Traditional craftsmanship shaped into contemporary design - formed for everyday use, built to last, bought directly from studios across the UK.
Meet our Founder | Luci Noel
Fodder was founded in 2019 by Luci Noel as Kentish Town Stores - an independent retail store in North London stocking handmade ceramics by local makers.
Before opening the shop, Luci spent a decade in the art world. She studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins and worked across non-profit arts organisations before becoming Fair Director at Affordable Art Fair, where she connected artists and galleries with new audiences in the UK and internationally.
Over the years, her focus shifted from fine art to craft and design - an interest that was, at the time, somewhat at odds with the fine art world. She became drawn to the quiet power of handmade objects: the way the right cup or plate can shift an everyday moment into something more intentional, more considered. The warmth of a hand-thrown mug, the weight of a perfectly balanced bowl - small interactions that ground you in the present and connect you to the maker's skill and creativity.
In 2019, Luci left the art fair world to create a modern general store that championed independent makers and fostered a sense of community.
For five years, Kentish Town Stores was a home for coffee, conversation and craft. In 2024, the shop moved to Hampstead and rebranded as Fodder, dropping the cafe to focus entirely on handmade work - ceramics, textiles, woodwork, glass, fine art prints, and small-batch home fragrance.
Every piece is bought directly from the maker, ensuring they can continue their practice sustainably.
What You'll Find
The focus is handmade ceramics - about 70% of what the shop carries. Wheel-thrown mugs, hand-built vases, slip-cast bowls, one-off sculptural pieces. Made by anywhere between 30-40 UK makers working in studios from Cornwall to Scotland.
The rest: hand-turned wood from sustainably sourced timber, leather goods using traditionally tanned leather, hand-poured candles, handmade soap, textiles, glassware, original fine art by British artists, and greeting cards - an exceptional collection from four of the UK's best illustrators and printmakers.
Every piece is bought directly from the maker. No wholesalers, no agents. This means knowing exactly where each piece comes from, how long it took to make, and ensuring makers are paid fairly and on time.
Handmade Takes Time, But It's Worth It
A single wheel-thrown mug might take two to three weeks from start to finish - thrown, trimmed, dried, bisque fired, glazed, glaze fired, cooled and finished. In reality, the process is much longer, with the rest of studio life happening simultaneously: making other pieces, kiln maintenance, cleaning, testing glazes.
Every maker Fodder works with - whether ceramics, wood, leather or fragrance - is an expert in their field who has spent years perfecting their craft. They're also product designers, refining each piece over time to ensure it works for the user and fits within their practice.
This is why handmade costs what it does: time, skill, materials, studio rent, kiln running costs. But these are the pieces you will reach for time and time again over decades to come. So when you consider cost per use, it's nothing really, especially with the impact handmade wares have on the small moments in our lives.
Handmade also means variation. Glaze pools differently on each piece, clay shrinks in the kiln, no two handles are identical. This isn't defect - it's evidence that a specific person made this specific object on a particular day.
Fodder's Commitment To UK Based Makers
The UK has exceptional studio ceramicists and craftspeople - technically skilled, design-forward, and trained at world-renowned institutions.
Working with UK-based makers also means shorter supply chains, lower carbon footprint from transport, and the ability to visit studios, meet makers, and understand their processes firsthand. It's about supporting local craft ecosystems and keeping making sustainable - both environmentally and economically.
Fodder's makers are based throughout the UK and include some internationally renowned names including Cara Guthrie, Lily Pearmain, Mae Ceramics, Sophie Alda, Hoodmor Studio, and Fern Taylor to name just a few. Some have been with the shop since 2019. Others have been added more recently because their work is exceptional.
The Hampstead Shop
The shop itself is small - about 25 sqm - but manages to stock hundreds of different pieces at any time. New work arrives weekly. One-offs sell quickly, sometimes before they've even been photographed properly.
The shop is open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday in Hampstead village. For those outside London, Fodder ships across the UK, to the US, and to Canada.
Fodder began life as Kentish Town Stores, a community-led space—a gathering place for coffee, conversation and craft. Today, in its new home in Hampstead, the store continues that mission with a refined focus: bringing together the best of UK & international makers, celebrating the value of handmade objects in daily life.
Fodder is the trading name of Kentish Town Stores Limited
