Cornish Beach 01
5mm Portuguese cork
Cork coasters · 5mm Portuguese cork · Made in Cornwall
Cork coasters created by designers and made in Cornwall
Premium 5mm Portuguese cork, UV-printed in Cornwall with our own hand-drawn designs. Heat-resistant, surface-friendly, sustainably sourced — the cork coaster that doesn't look like a generic cork coaster.
5mm Portuguese cork95 × 95 mmHeat-resistantUV-cured print501 designs£5 each · 4 for £15Wholesale from £1.25
Why cork makes the best coaster
Slate scratches hardwood. Ceramic transmits heat and sweats when a cold drink condenses. Wood absorbs and warps. Cork does none of those things — that's why it's been the default beneath a mug for over a century.
We use 5mm Portuguese cork specifically. Thinner cork (the 3mm stuff in cheap packs) curls within months. Thicker cork looks bulky on a coffee table. 5mm is the sweet spot — it sits flat, feels substantial, and lasts.
Portugal supplies about half the world's cork, harvested from cork-oak forests that absorb CO₂ for 200+ years without being felled. The bark regenerates on a nine-year cycle. It's one of the few coaster materials that's genuinely renewable rather than just recycled.
How our cork coasters are printed
Every cork coaster runs through a SwissQprint Nyala flatbed press — UV-cured ink bonds directly to the cork surface in one pass. No transfer film, no laminate, no peeling edges. The print sits in the cork rather than on top of it.
From there, a Zünd cutter trims to a precise 95 × 95 mm square with the same tolerance you'd expect from premium stationery. Designed, illustrated, printed and packed within Cornwall.
The result: a cork coaster created by designers that wipes clean, handles a fresh cafetière, and still looks like the day it shipped after a year on a kitchen table.
Cork coaster designs
A taste of the 501 designs printed on our 5mm cork — from Cornish themed to fine-art inspired and hand-painted breeds.
Cornish Beach 02
5mm Portuguese cork
Cornish Beach 03
5mm Portuguese cork
Cornish Beach 04
5mm Portuguese cork
Picasso Cat 01
5mm Portuguese cork
Picasso Cat 02
5mm Portuguese cork
Picasso Cat 03
5mm Portuguese cork
Picasso Cat 04
5mm Portuguese cork
Tabby Kitten (Moggy)
5mm Portuguese cork
Ragdoll Kitten (Moggy)
5mm Portuguese cork
Bengal Kitten (Moggy)
5mm Portuguese cork
Persian Kitten (Moggy)
5mm Portuguese cork
Cork coasters FAQ
- Why cork coasters instead of slate, ceramic or wood?
- Cork is naturally heat-resistant up to ~200°C, doesn't sweat or scratch hardwood, and absorbs the small thumps and slides ceramic or slate transmit. It's also the only common coaster material that's both biodegradable and harvested without felling the tree — the bark regrows on a 9-year cycle.
- Are these cork coasters heat-resistant?
- Yes. The 5mm Portuguese cork base is rated well above the temperature of a hot mug, fresh teapot or cafetière. Safe for boiling drinks and won't warp, melt or transmit heat to the surface below.
- Will the print wear off the cork?
- No. The design is UV-cured directly onto the cork surface using a SwissQprint flatbed press — the same machine commercial print houses use for premium signage. It won't lift, peel or wash off with normal use; a damp cloth is all that's needed.
- What size are your cork coasters?
- 95 × 95 mm square, 5 mm thick — sized to fit a mug, glass or tumbler with a small margin. The 5mm thickness is deliberate: thinner cork curls, thicker cork looks bulky on a table.
- Are cork coasters eco-friendly?
- Yes — Portuguese cork is one of the most sustainable raw materials in commercial use. The bark is stripped from living trees on a rotating cycle and the trees themselves continue absorbing CO₂ for over 200 years. Our coasters are printed and packed in Cornwall to keep the supply chain short.
- Can I order cork coasters wholesale?
- Yes — minimum 150 coasters mix-and-match across any of our 501 designs. £1.50 per coaster for 150–999, £1.25 per coaster for 1,000+. Brown-card sleeves available for resale packaging.