Stoke-on-Trent was once renowned for its pottery industry. Now the landscape is dominated by the ghosts of pottery factories, uninhibited and only contributing to the image of deprivation in the area. Amongst these ruins, however, is Duchess China and Heraldic Pottery, which seem to be bucking the trend. They are a breath of fresh air in the industry. With an emphasis on British handcrafted skill, they set themselves out as one of the few ethical companies in this arena. I was invited for a tour around their factories, and was instantly confronted with a hopeful image of what Stoke-on-Trent could become.
Founded in 1888, Duchess China is a historic brand that specialises in fine bone china products. In 2019, Heraldic Pottery owners Jason Simms and Andrew Tooth, former workers in the pottery industry themselves, expanded their business and took over Duchess. Heraldic sells a range of products, from mugs to dining ware, all crafted by the individuals who work there. Their customers range from Harrods to the House of Commons, but they also supply small independent shops locally.
Whether it is the designs, printing or shaping they are all produced by people in the factory, with materials sourced in the UK. Any spoiled or excess product is recycled immediately, whether that goes back into their products or into another company’s production, such as tiles.
Darren Washinton
Community feels crucial to this business, despite their high-end clientele. They donate their wares to local charities and engage with the local community. Events include a collaborative tile project that anyone can contribute to and The Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer-Jones’ book signing at the factory. Not only do they organise events, but they also have factory tours and visits from schools, which they believe is crucial to educating the younger generation about the heritage of their area.
There is also a desire to bring in the next generation of potters. Young people today do not follow their parents into the pottery industry as it has been brought to its knees. Instead, big corporations buy up cheap land in Stoke-on-Trent and exploit cheap labour, meaning a lot of jobs are in retail. The government Kickstart scheme has opened up opportunities within the pottery industry again, and enabled the business to begin training up a new generation.
However, this business does not only produce items for brands, they are also making their mark on prestige pottery. Prestige used to be a strong element of pottery production in Stoke-on-Trent, yet there are few now producing these items. Duchess China is hoping to bring this back.
Prestige items are beautiful intricate designs that can include any form of pottery, and are collector items rather than mass-produced for day-to-day use. The way they are crafted has remained unchanged over the years, and Duchess are bringing this style back. This includes handcrafted items by Gordon Brookes, who has forty years of modelling experience, using his hands to create the artistic shape you eventually see a prestige item become. Hand painting was also a common aspect of prestige pottery, however, only a handful of prestige ceramic artists remain.
Darren Washington
Duchess, however, have managed to acquire one of these few artists – Lee Price. With over thirty years of experience, he has worked on all manner of projects. From his beginnings at Royal Dalton, to having his work available to purchase at Buckingham Palace, and building up a customer base in the Gulf. His miniature paintings of minuscule items show an immense skill and attention to detail.
Next to him in his studio sits a Duchess pattern book dating from the 1920s, containing a vast array of elaborate designs and inspiration for new prestige items. They are using the backdrop of the company’s history, bringing this and the skills of everyone that works there to establish their brand. It is great to see the pride in their history reflected in the work that they are doing today.
Darren Washinton
It has been a difficult time, however, for the prestige business, as the pandemic has removed a lot of clientele who would usually buy these collector items. For example, prestige plates such as Lee’s in Buckingham Palace, benefit from international tourists visiting and wanting a slice of British heritage. Due to a halt in tourism, brought about by the pandemic, these collectors have been unable to come to the UK and buy these items. Now as travel is becoming easier again, Duchess have resumed working on their prestige items, to once again provide international tourists with the chance to invest in these pieces of art.
From what I could gather from my visit to both the Heraldic Pottery factory and Duchess China, is that this is a company that cares a lot about the people who work for them. There’s a sense that they are a family all working in unison, that produce hand crafted products with skill at every stage of the process. Their prestige product is exciting and hopefully allows this business to continue growing, and bring interest and engagement back into Stoke-on-Trent – an area that needs it.
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