About us

About Ceramique Internationale

Back to where we began…Ibmatile Ltd was founded in May 1974, originally as a tile fixing firm. The founder, Robert Ibbitson, quickly decided supplying the tiles and mosaics would be a better direction to follow and the name was changed to Ceramique Internationale Ltd as the first two major factories we imported from were both based in France. In fact, the original logo was designed and produced, in ceramic, by a student of the French artist Henri Matisse – impressive credentials!

Cameron Fraser joined the company in May 1982, working across the company from warehouse to managerial roles and gaining an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of importing, retailing & distribution.

A management buyout was agreed in 1992.

Cameron’s long-term school friend, Peter Vann, joined him in 1994, having worked at Spring Ram Group since leaving school, and they have run the company as equal partners ever since.

The core principles of the business are reliability, knowledge, and value. All tiles are sourced from Europe’s best manufacturers, ensuring quality products with short lead times.

The knowledge gained from years of trading in the specification, distribution, and retail sectors of the industry, results in a fully trained team of specialists who look after clients in all those sectors.

Leeds Tile Showroom

The showroom in Leeds offers dozens of fully fixed and grouted displays and has been supplying clients from all over the UK since it opened at this location in 1980. Our recently rebranded and relaunched online website www.tilesandmosaics.co.uk caters to the increasing number of retail clients and consumers who want to buy online. Special offers are also available via eBay. If you are an architect, designer, house builder, developer, retailer, builders merchant, bathroom or kitchen showroom, private client, or online buyer, Ceramique Internationale Ltd has access to a wide array of ranges and all the knowledge to advise on selection for any type of project be it commercial or private. We look forward to looking after you.

Tile Importers

To ensure that you get the very best quality our experts search the globe for the very best tiles. And we deal directly with the most prestigious factories that make the tiles, not a middle-man, so you get the best price.

Long-standing relationships with industry-leading European factories means you can be certain of seeing the latest fashion trends in tiles first.

Here are the markets we operate in…

Specifications

This department is ready to help if you are an Architect, Designer House Builder or Property Developer… Tell Us What You Want and our experienced team will assist you, from initial product selection all the way through to the completion of your project.

Distribution

If you are a Tile Retailer, Bathroom or Kitchen Showroom, Conservatory supplier or even a smaller independent retailer our fully trained sales team will help you with samples, display boards and room sets. All your orders are expedited by our in-house sales team, whose job it is to look after you and your orders.

Showroom

Tiles and Mosaics is a 4500 square foot showroom in Leeds that has recently been refurbished and is brimming with tile displays designed to inspire you. Whether you buy in-store or online, we offer an extensive range of quality tiles at competitive rates.

Warehouse

More than 100,000 square metres of tiles in stock at any time, backed by weekly collections from Europe’s best factories, gives you the benefit of immediate collection/delivery, and guarantees you continuity of supply – so just in case you need that one extra box, it’s never a problem!