Dutchdeluxes, leather and wood kitchenware from the Netherlands
Dutchdeluxes is a Dutch brand for kitchen and tableware made from four natural materials: leather, wood, cotton, and ceramic. They gained fame for their hand-stitched leather aprons and solid oak and walnut serving boards, which they call Bread Boards.
Dutchdeluxes is the brand that thinks of kitchenware like a fashion house: aprons with cut and color, boards with ergonomic handles, and oven mitts made from full-grain leather. It was founded in 2013 in Eindhoven by a couple who had previously run an interior design office for twenty years and dared to pursue their second dream in the midst of the financial crisis. Their ambition is captured in the brand's motto, which guides everything they do: extraordinary Dutch products.
An interior design office discovers the kitchen
In the beginning, there was no workshop, but an interior design office. For twenty years, the founding couple had designed spaces for other people before launching their own brand in Eindhoven in 2013. Their passion for good food and their passion for design could no longer be separated.
The timing was far from ideal, as the financial crisis was weighing on Europe and no one was waiting for expensive kitchenware. Precisely for this reason, the brand decided from the start what it did not want to be: just another range of plates, no ordinary merchandise. Whatever was added to the collection had to be functional at the stove and look good on the table.
In 2017, the Dutch housewares manufacturer Brabantia discovered the brand at the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt and joined in. In mid-2023, Kees van Elderen took over Dutchdeluxes from Brabantia and has been running it alone since. The brand is now in its third set of hands and continues to carry its name through more than forty countries.
What has not changed over the years is the order of the questions. First, it is tested whether an object does its job; only then is it considered how it looks while doing so. This order is unusual for a house that comes from a design background, and it explains why the boards are thick and the apron straps are wide.
Four materials and no fifth
Dutchdeluxes has committed itself to four natural materials and does not deviate from them: leather, wood, cotton, and ceramic. Since 2025, glass has been added for the bar; otherwise, the list has not changed in over a decade.
The leather comes from Italy and is full-grain leather, i.e., the top layer of the cowhide with its natural grain. This layer is the densest and the only one that develops a genuine patina. It is tested according to REACH, the European regulation on chemicals in products.
For the wood, the company works with solid oak, walnut, and acacia, treating every board at the factory with grapeseed oil and beeswax. Both are food-safe and impart neither odor nor taste, which is why a new board can be used immediately. The cotton for the aprons is blended with a small amount of elastane so that the fabric moves with the wearer when they lean over a pot.
Ceramic is the fourth material and is used for plates, bowls, and casserole dishes. It follows the same philosophy as the leather: muted colors, calm shapes, nothing that steals the show from a dish. Since 2025, the range has also included carafes and glasses, with which the brand outfits the table down to the drinks.
Aprons, boards, and everything in between
The best-known product group is the aprons, which are available in several lines. The Zipper Style features a chest pocket with a zipper, the BBQ line has two carabiners and a loop for a towel, and the Suspender Style has adjustable suspenders that cross in the back. The leather apron in black and the canvas apron with suspenders represent the two ends of this family.
The Bread Boards are the second pillar and are manufactured in the Netherlands. They are available as a small rectangle for one person, as a large square platter, and as a long, narrow path of seventy centimeters that can accommodate a whole spread. The long oak board and the small walnut one show how differently two types of wood can appear.
In addition, there are oven mitts and pot holders made of leather, acacia wood kitchen utensils from turners to tongs, coasters, bread baskets, and trays, ceramic tableware, wine coolers, carafes, and, recently, glasses. Care products for leather and wood are also part of their own program. You can see which of these we currently have in stock in the product grid below.
The acacia kitchen utensils are an assortment of their own and are also available as an eight-piece set. Turners, skimmers, spatulas, and tongs all follow the same form, with round handles and soft, tapered edges. Acacia is a comparatively soft wood and therefore the right choice for use with coated pans, where a metal turner has no place.
Why a board has two sides
The Bread Boards are explicitly made for both sides: one is for cutting, while the other remains free for presentation. This sounds like a minor detail, yet it determines whether a board is still fit for the table after two years.
Almost every board has a handle, plus a leather strap for hanging. This allows it to go straight from the hook to the table without needing an extra platter. Anyone who has ever slid a selection of cheeses across a long table knows the difference between a board with a handle and one without.
For the leather goods, a dirt-repellent coating performs the same task. Oil and marinade stay on the surface; a damp cloth removes them, and the same leather emerges underneath. That is precisely why a leather apron becomes more beautiful over the years, while a cotton apron is marked after the third barbecue.
None of these items should go in the dishwasher. Wood warps, leather dries out, and both will be damaged before the first winter is over. A damp cloth, occasional oil for the wood, and leather conditioner for the apron keep the pieces in shape for years, and the manufacturer asks for nothing more.
Kitchen and table, home and gastronomy
The collection is designed from the start for both worlds: for one's own kitchen as well as for restaurants and bars. This is why the dimensions are generous, the straps are adjustable, and the materials are chosen to withstand daily use.
The range has also earned its place as a gift because many items are delivered in a box, and no one has to guess the size. An apron fits everyone, a board fits in every kitchen, and a pair of leather oven mitts is found under Christmas trees far less often than the twentieth cotton pot holder.
In the shop, you will find the brand in several sections: under aprons and gloves, under cutting boards, and in grill accessories. Once you've become attached to one of these aprons, you'll come back for the matching board anyway.
