Bringing Colour to the Table with Club Matters
At Truffles & Ruffles, we’re always drawn to brands that celebrate colour, craftsmanship and storytelling and Club Matters is one of those special names that does all three.
Founded by the wonderfully creative Mary, Club Matters has become synonymous with beautifully designed placemats, coasters and trays that bring personality and joy to every table.
We recently had the pleasure of styling a table with Mary’s pieces, and it felt like a natural collaboration - both of us united by a love of artful entertaining, layered textures, and those unexpected details that make people smile.
A Story Born in the Most Unexpected Place
“My inspiration to start the business came from a very unlikely source! I was actually a director of Southampton Football Club and, on visiting other clubs on match days, I noticed we were eating off some real excuses for table mats - battered, chipped, peeling ones that were an offence to the eyes! It rather let down the whole experience of lunching in beautiful boardrooms.
This led to the idea of creating branded table mats for football clubs - and the name Club Matters was born.”
From there, the leap into retail came naturally. Mary realised that most shops offered table mats that were, in her words, “drab and lacking in colour.”
Club Matters set out to change that, proudly “Bringing Colour to Your Table.”
Designs Full of Life and Story
Every Club Matters collection is filled with charm, wit and warmth - a reflection of Mary’s love of nature and travel.
“Whenever I can escape the office, I head for the Isle of Mull where my family are based - eight miles down a dead-end road!
Animals, flowers, seashells (I’m an avid cowrie shell collector) and African wildlife have always played a huge part in my life.We’ve enjoyed many fabulous safaris with relatives across Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Kenya.
We now supply the iconic Giraffe Manor in Kenya and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - which operates the world’s most successful orphan elephant rescue programme. It’s a real honour.”
That sense of place and purpose shines through in every piece - designs that make your table feel alive with colour and story.
A Collaboration to Remember
When we created our recent tablescape with Club Matters, we couldn’t have imagined how beautifully everything would come together.
“You created such a beautiful and exceptionally stylish table setting last month that it’s hard to single out a favourite,” Mary said,
“but if pushed, I’d have to say the Out of Africa collection - particularly the Elephant design, hand-sketched by my friend Coral Carroll.”
It’s one of those designs that instantly draws you in - delicate, detailed and full of quiet strength.
From the Cotswolds to the South Seas
One of Mary’s greatest joys is seeing her creations styled in homes and hotels around the world.
“I love when customers send photos of their beautifully laid tables and tell us how much our mats have lifted their settings and spirits!
It’s wonderful to see them in places from Africa to the Bahamas, Australia to the South Seas.Seeing our work styled in Fortnum & Mason and The Royal Collection Trust’s shop is also such a huge honour.”
What’s Next for Club Matters
As we move into the festive season, Mary and her team are busy preparing something new:
“We’ve never launched a specific Christmas design before - and this month at the Christmas Fair in the Cotswolds we’re planning to launch two! Let’s hope everyone likes them as much as we do!”
We can’t wait to see them - and, of course, to style them in true Truffles & Ruffles fashion.
Explore the Look
We’ll be adding Mary’s beautiful pieces to our website soon under Shop the Look,
so you can bring a touch of Club Matters charm to your own tables.
Keep an eye out for the photographs from @lsouza_photography, who captured the collaboration so beautifully.
With Thanks
A huge thank you to Mary for sharing her story - and for creating such timeless, joyful designs.
Collaborations like this remind us why we love what we do:
celebrating creativity, connection, and the art of the table.
With much love Anna xxx
