News & Events

New pictures of the garden

2nd September 2010

Here are two pictures of Matthew and Dave in the Stoke beautiful garden. Dave tends to the garden and chickens all week and keeps it looking nice!

Spot the difference

19th August 2010

The young & talented Clare Hawkins is in today's Mirror talking about how she came to work at Emma Bridgewater as part of our apprentice scheme.

The Great British Bake Off

18th August

Well done to the fans on our Facebook page who managed to spot one of our Polka Dot Comports and a Teapot on "The Great British Bake Off", shown last night on BBC2.

Visiting Edinburgh?

16th August 2010

If you’re going to the Edinburgh Festival this month why not visit us in our Edinburgh shop, situated on Dundas Street in the heart of the city. You could get one of these special ½ Pint Mugs whilst you’re there, if you cant make it, you could always buy it online.

Final Clearance Weekend in Shops

30th July to 1st August 2010

Have you visited us lately? We’d love to see you. This weekend we’re running a final clearance in our Marvellous Summer Sale at our London and Edinburgh shops.

Hurry! It starts Friday 30th July at 10am and finishes Sunday 1st August.

Click here for shop details

Tea Towel printing

3rd to 5th August 2010

The Factory is the place to go this summer, with a different art activity each week to keep the children happy. From Tuesday 3rd until Thursday 5th August children (and adults!) will have the opportunity to show off their printing skills by decorating a tea towel in an Emma Bridgewater style. A fun and functional addition to your kitchen which you can take home to use the same day.

Click here to view photos of the day Click here Click here Click here Click here Click here

Tot’s Tuesday

3rd August 2010

Come along to our factory with your little tot every Tuesday where mums (and dads!) can catch up over a mug of tea or coffee - that’ll help with those sleepless nights! You can enjoy some hand made treats fresh off our spotty Aga and if you want to get creative, why not have a go at printing their feet or hands onto one of our plates... a great gift for grandparents. Then to finish the day off, let us whisk you off around our lovely Victorian factory for a guided tour showing you how we make our pottery.

Look out for our other activities such as biscuit decorating and tea towel printing over the summer holidays.

See you there!

Click here to view photos from last week Click here Click here Click here Click here Click here

Emma's Honorary Doctorate

29th July 2010

Emma was really honoured to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Staffordshire earlier in the month. Since opening her first factory in 1985 in Stoke on Trent, Emma has been a huge supporter of the town. “There is so much talent here and Stoke on Trent has so much to offer and so much potential,” she said when receiving her Honorary Doctorate. I would ask the graduating students to think about staying here and being part of it.” Emma and Matthew are especially proud of the factory on the banks of the Caldon Canal in Stoke on Trent, where they now employ over 100 people. The factory tours that are held there regularly are becoming increasingly popular with fans of Emma Bridgewater and people interested in seeing the design and manufacturing process of mugs, tea pots and plates from page to table. “This is a city full of opportunity,” said Emma as she received her degree.

Giffords Circus Competition

29th July 2010

Giffords Circus has now left Little Barrington and the distinctive burgundy showman’s wagons are going to be trundling on through the Cotswolds to Frampton upon Severn. This is a pretty spot between Stroud, which has a great farmers market, and the city of Gloucester. We love visiting Giffords Circus, but you could make a whole day of it with a trip to the wonderful and majestic cathedral in Gloucester, as well as the docks. If you’re lucky you might even see a tall ship. The circus season is going really well. Lots of the shows have been sell out tours, and artists and audiences have all been enjoying the fabulous summer weather. If you have not seen the show yet, this is your chance, but make sure you call 0845 459 7469 and book your tickets in advance. This 90 minute show involving live music, dance, fabulous costumes, jaw dropping acrobatics and some beautiful horses has to be seen to be believed. Book into Circus Sauce for a meal after the show by calling 0845 459 7469.
You can also win a FAMILY TICKET to Giffords Circus this summer by answering the following question:
Who is this year’s show named after?
Replies to:
comp25@emmabridgewater.co.uk

Great Tea Debate

27th July 2010

We have launched our Great Tea Debate. There are four Emma Bridgewater mugs to be won for those of you who take part. Join in the debate by clicking here and keeping an eye on our Twitter feed.

Collectors Club Open Days

22 July 2010

We were really delighted to welcome so many Members of the Emma Bridgewater Collector’s Club to the factory. We had two fantastic days, and were pleased to see so many familiar faces, as well as a few new Members. Collectors enjoyed a factory tour, and were some of the first to see our magnificent new kitchen, complete with Emma Bridgewater Polka Dot Aga. We had a delicious hog roast, and people also took advantage of the wonderful shop in the factory, stocking up on old favourite designs, and a few extra special pieces, too. Our Polka Dot Double Decker bus was on hand to ferry people to and from the wonderful retrospective exhibition of Emma Bridgewater at the Potteries Museum. The exhibition runs until the 26th September, so if you haven’t already been along, don’t miss out. It’s a fascinating record of the history of the company. Click here to see all the pictures.

£500 raised for the Donna Louise Trust

28th July 2010

We raised over £500 for the Donna Louise Trust during the Collectors Club Open Days. Thank you to our Collectors Club Members who bought raffle tickets to win one of our very special silver baby mugs.

Giffords Circus

22 July 2010

This week and next weekend Giffords Circus is in the picture pretty village of Little Barrington in the Cotswolds. There was much excitement on the circus site on Sunday when a heavy security presence heralded the arrival of David Cameron to see the show. Little Barrington is a favourite ground for Nell and Toti, Emma’s sister and brother in law who own and run the circus. The cafe has been pretty much booked out most evenings, but luckily Paul Porter, the landlord at the charming Fox Inn just opposite the ground, has been putting on special after show meals for anyone who couldn’t get into the cafe. The river Windrush runs just below the pub, and there’s a pretty garden and excellent bbq area, so it’s a lovely place to spend an afternoon in the sun before seeing the show. The garden at The Fox was even landscaped by Toti! From Thursday 29th July the circus will leave Little Barrington and move to Frampton upon Severn, near Stroud.

Retrospective exhibition for Horrockses fashions, featuring Pat Albeck

07th July 2010

Matthew Rice’s mother is the Textiles designer Pat Albeck, and she has created some beautiful, colourful designs for us over the years. Her most recent designs were a collection of six tea towels decorated with cheerful paper cut outs of animals, birds and fish. They’ve been selling like hot cakes. This week sees the opening of a retrospective exhibition for Horrockses fashions, a label that Pat first designed for when she was a student at the Royal College.

It was as a student that Pat caught the eye of esteemed fashion designers, Horrockses. During the 40s, 50s and 60s, Horrockses were a highly influential design company, and it was said that you could always spot an English woman abroad as she would be wearing a Horrocks dress. Their dresses cost six guineas, and were revolutionary, as they made fashion something that was open to all women. Their designs were day wear and holiday wear, house coats and beach wear. Their style was characterised by a nipped in waist flaring out to a full skirt, and was worn by the Queen. Pat remembers the Duchess of Kent coming to a fashion show they put on in the 50s to choose a design.

She started working for them in 1953, and continued to design for them until 1958. “I worked from home in South Ken and had to be available at the drop of a hat to go to a dress making meeting,” remembers Pat. “I learnt a huge amount from them about fabric printing as their director gave me total freedom, and I often went to Manchester and their factories to study printing techniques.”

Pat worked with three designers at Horrockses, all of whom had completely different styles. “One of them was very flamboyant and this translated into my designs. This was an exciting time and very experimental; for example, turquoise blue did not actually exist as a dye colour until the 50s,” she says. “I incorporated a lobster into a design for a beach dress, and often the designs were covered in huge bows. I remember another dress I designed had ivy coming off the waist and creeping all over the skirt.” Their signature look was a horizontal stripe with flowers running between them, and all their dresses were made of cotton. This was unusual at the time, when most dresses were made from either silk or artificial silk such as rayon. The company started out making bed sheets, and the clothing line was actually set up to use up the high quality left over fabric, as until then cotton had never been used as a fashion fabric.

This Thursday sees the opening of an exhibition of original Horrockses dresses, including some of Pat’s, at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London. It is curated by design historian Dr Christine Boydell who has also written a book to accompany the exhibition, published by V&A Publishing. The exhibition runs from 9 July until 24 October, Fashion and Textiles Museum, 83 Bermondsley Street, SE13XF 0207 407 8664 www.ftmlondon.org

Hanley Regatta has raised over £5,000

8th July 2010

The Hanley Regatta was a huge success, with a raft of boats taking to the Caldon Canal to raise money for the Donna Louise Children’s Hospice Trust. We’re really delighted to have raised over £5,000 for the Hospice. The event was organised by our managing director Stephen Hyde, who came up with the idea when he heard about someone mentioning the Henley Regatta, and thought that by transporting it to Hanley, he could help raise funds for a great course, and have a bit of fun at the factory too. “We have the Caldon Canal right next to us, so it just seemed ideal,” says Stephen. “Donna Louise is our charity this year and it is somewhere that has touched the lives of so many people. “We’ll certainly do this again next year.” Different teams competed for the Caldon Challenge Trophy, and the winning team, the CIF or Ceramic Industry Federation all came dressed as pirates, much to the delight of Emma’s ten year old son Michael, who was at the event with Emma and his older sister Margaret. As well as duck races, there was a delicious hog roast and some excellent stalls, including a much frequented cake stall. This was a great day out, and we’d like to thank Stephen and everyone at the factory involved with this event for making it such a success...we’re already looking forward to next year!

Cooking Demo in Stoke-on-Trent

On the 7th July 2010

Join us for a cooking experience with a difference…

If you are looking for some great picnic recipes and ideas to enjoy the best of the British summer, prepared by a world class chef, then the AGA culinary luncheon is an ideal place to start.

Emma Bridgewater will be hosting the world’s biggest spotted AGA culinary experience in their stylish new ‘Kitchen’ café on Wednesday 7th July 2010. Join in the cooking extravaganza and see World award winning cookery writer, energetic home economist and AGA brand ambassador, James McIntosh prepare an AGA summer feast.

Enjoy the following at the Emma Bridgewater picnic themed luncheon: Coffee & Tea on arrival.

First bunch from the Stoke garden

24th June 2010

Here is the first bunch from the Stoke garden picked by Matthew Rice this morning. He was working in there with Mark’s daughter Poppy who was helping to take the side shoots out of tomatoes. It’s the first of many. Hooray!

Marvellous Sale

1st July 2010 Starts

Details of our Marvellous summer sale have now been announced. Click here for more information including locations and a small selection of the pieces on offer.

Giffords Circus

15th June 2010

Creativity runs through Emma’s family, so we’re proud and rather excited about our association with another great British brand, Gifford’s Circus. Gifford’s was started by Emma’s sister, Nell, and her husband Toti ten years ago, and throughout the summer their distinct and highly decorative showman’s wagons are now a feature of the English countryside in the south west of the country. Their natural home is a village green, and the 90 minute show is a fantastic, glamorous mixture of dance, theatre, live music and some jaw-dropping circus acts. Unlike anything you have ever seen before, the show embodies the dreamy fantasy of what circus might once have been like: it’s always exciting and moving, and its appeal is absolutely universal. We challenge you to take your most recalcitrant guest to the show, and they will emerge from the small canvas tent raving about the gorgeous costumes, the beautiful girls, the death- defying acts, the stunning performing ponies, the wild live music.....Quite simply, it has to be seen to be believed.

We’re really proud of our association with the circus. We supply all the pottery that is used in the travelling restaurant, Circus Sauce that moves with the circus each week. Diners eat at long wooden tables strung with fairy lights, enjoying a nightly changing menu of locally sourced produce. All the pork and lamb in the cafe is farmed by Toti, Nell’s husband, on his heritage farm in the Cotswolds; most of the vegetables come from his garden on the farm, too. To book a table at Circus Sauce call Dan on 07891059646, and the chances are you might be seated next to an Ethiopian juggler, or a spangled dancing girl.

Throughout the summer we will be supplying weekly updates of backstage news from the circus, as well as information about where they will be moving to the next week. We’ll also be running regular competitions to WIN family tickets to the show. We urge you to book your tickets soon: this is a show that sells out, FAST! For tickets, call the Everyman Theatre Box office ticket line in Cheltenham on 0845 459 7469.

Click here for more details.

To view some great photos of this remarkable circus Click here

Wimbledon Tea Ladies

22nd June 2010

It’s the summer season, which wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Wimbledon. We know that tickets are in short supply for this quintessentially English event, and that people had been queueing overnight to secure their place at a match. Some big- hearted women from Fulham WI lent their services yesterday by going down to Wimbledon and serving tea to people who had been up all night, waiting for a ticket. It was a very jolly event, and our lovely tea ladies wore Polka Dot aprons, serving tea from our famous One Gallon pot - that’s an awful lot of cups of tea! 50 lucky people were given Polka Dot Baby Mugs, and we also handed out pretty 25th Birthday Celebration Rosettes. It was a great success - love love, we think.

Hanley Regatta

22nd June 2010

The inaugural Hanley Regatta was a huge success. The sun shone and a high time was had by all at an event that we hope will become a regular fixture in the English season. The event was opened by Emma, accompanied by her two younger children Margaret and Michael. There were some fantastic rafts on display, manned by suitably piratical crew. There were some fantastic stalls, including a brilliant Mug Shy in place of the traditional coconut shy and an excellent cake stall displaying a very high quality local baking. Everyone was fed with a delicious hog roast, and there was a penalty football shoot-out which Michael enjoyed a lot. This was a great day out, and money was raised for £2,000. You can still buy one of Matthew’s lovely mugs decorated to celebrate the Regatta, which we’re already looking forward to next year.

Click here

London Bikeathon

22nd June 2010

The Emma Bridgewater cycling team are cycling to raise at least £3000 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Research on Sunday 27th June in the London Bikeathon. The 26 mile long circular route will take them along the Thames and past some of London’s most famous landmarks. Please sponsor them and help them reach their target. Click here to make a donation through Justgiving; a quick, easy and totally secure way of making sure your money reaches the charity fast. Thank you, thank you.

Exhibition

15th June 2010

The wonderful Emma Bridgewater retrospective exhibition opened last week at the Potteries Museum in Stoke on Trent. It marks 25 years of the company’s presence in Stoke on Trent, where we’re very proud of the fact that we’ve been producing very high quality hand made pottery for a quarter of a century. The exhibition features lots of Emma’s earliest designs, and as well as a tribute to her and the wonderful craftsmen in the factory who have all contributed to turning us into a Great British Brand, it is a fascinating picture of the way her designs have developed as the company has grown. The exhibition runs throughout the summer until September, so don’t miss out. Why not combine a trip to our factory, to see how each piece of pottery is made, with a look round the exhibition?

Click here for more details.

Devonshire Road, Chiswick, London – Summer Festival

15th June 2010

Come and join in the fun at Devonshire Road’s annual Summer Festival this Saturday. The road will be closed to traffic from 10.30am when the Festival opens. Enjoy the summer sound of the Steel Band and catch a performance of the Wizard of Oz from MOD Productions. Children will be able to have their faces painted, take a ride on a pony and meet Dorothy, The Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man from Oz. There will be lots of delicious food and drink available including a spectacular Hog Roast. All of the shops, cafes and restaurants along Devonshire Road will be participating in the Festival and there will be lots of opportunities to enter competitions to win great prizes and enjoy festival offers.

Devonshire Road is really easy to get to and only a short walk from Turnham Green tube station. Turn left out of the station and follow Turnham Green Terrace to Chiswick High Road. Cross the High Road and turn right. Devonshire Road will be on your left shortly. Although our shop is number 1, it's just a few shops up the road, but you will enjoy the window shopping along the way.

Looking forward to welcoming you all to the festival this Saturday.

Click here for more details.

Spot it now... our Polka Dot Double Decker

15th June 2010

Throughout the summer our delightful Polka Dot Double Decker can be spotted in Stoke on Trent. You might even be able to jump on it at the factory, to take a lift from there to the Potteries Museum, for the Emma Bridgewater Retrospective. If you are a fan of our trademark pattern, then it’s sure to make you smile.

Click here for more details.

Emma Bridgewater Collector’s Club Members Open Day

15th June 2010

If you are a member of the Emma Bridgewater Collector’s Club we’d love to invite you to our very special Open Days. As well as a factory tour, where you can learn exactly how master craftsmen actually do create each and every lovely piece of china that makes its way to your kitchen, we’ll also be running a bumper warehouse sale. This is a fabulous opportunity to pick up a totally unique piece of Emma Bridgewater, or perhaps an old favourite from a discontinued line. As part of the fun we’ll have a delicious hog roast, and the chance to have a cup of tea and slice of cake in our fabulous new kitchen. We’ll even lay on our famous Polka Dot Double Decker Bus, to shuttle you from the factory to the Emma Bridgewater retrospective exhibition at the Potteries Museum.

Click here for more details.

New Kitchen

11th June 2010

Unable to resist a nice bird, Matthew recently brought six hens which are part of the rapidly expanding small holding he is developing at the factory. Pay them a visit if you come on a factory tour, and while you are there visit our gorgeous new kitchen, with its Polka Dot Aga. Flop into a big squashy sofa, or make use of the free wifi at one of the big kitchen tables. If you are lucky you might be able to have a slice of home-made cake, hot from the Aga, and cooked using eggs from Matthew’s chickens. It’s a great place to relax after a trip to Stoke on Trent, and you could combine a trip to the factory, where you can watch the entire process by which an Emma Bridgewater Mug is made, from mould to final product, with a visit to another local attraction like Alton Towers or the lovely Chatsworth House. We love Stoke, and we hope that you will too.

Marylebone Summer Fayre

08th June 2010

We’re excited about the prospect of being part of the Marylebone Summer Fayre on Sunday 13th June. Now celebrating its 7th year, the Fayre has grown into a whole festival, and is organised by the Howard de Walden estate to support the Teenage Cancer Trust. There will be non-stop live entertainment, including the Bedford Bandstands live show, an acoustic stage and dance displays showing everything from salsa to swing. Tempting refreshments will be available all day, and we’re particularly looking forward to the brilliant Farmer’s Market. It promises to be a fantastic day out for everyone, and there will certainly be plenty to keep children entertained. Check out more details here

Hanley Regatta - 19th June 2010

13th May 2010

So you’ve got your Wimbledon tickets, you’ve organised your day at the Chelsea Flower Show and you’re already planning your picnic for Glyndebourne. All you need now to enjoy a perfect Season is to join us at the Hanley Regatta.
Our first ever, the Hanley Regatta is being held on and along the banks of the Caldon Canal at our factory in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. The regatta takes place on Saturday 19th June and will feature Up ‘anley Duck Races, a Staffordshire v’s Keele University Boat Race and the Caldon Challenge Trophy.
This event is being held to raise funds for The Donna Louise Trust; our factory’s chosen charity for 2010. The Donna Louise Trust provides respite and end of life care for children with life threatening conditions within Staffordshire and South Cheshire.
Event organiser Stephen Hyde, Managing Director of Emma Bridgewater Limited said: “In this our 25th birthday year we want to give something back to the community which has helped us to become so successful. We’ve set ourselves the target of raising £10,000 for The Donna Louise Trust. This will be a real community fun day, and wanted a real showpiece event that the whole community could quite literally get on board with”.
There will be dozens of stalls and activities – from hook-a- duck and face painting stands to a delightful Pimm’s bar, hog roasts and stalls selling Hanley Regatta mugs designed by Matthew Rice. For more details visit the Hanley Regatta website at www.hanleyregatta.co.uk. If you can’t make the regatta why not support this amazing organization and buy a Hanley Regatta 1/2 Pint Mug available now from our factory shop, and online.

Potteries Exhibition Pictures

28th May 2010

Exclusive! See the pictures from our birthday celebrations in Stoke. Click here

Emma on Sky News

27th May 2010

Emma appeared on Sky News this morning. Click here

BBC Radio Stoke

27th May 2010

Emma appeared on BBC Radio Stoke this morning where she outlined her plans to grow her business in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Listeners heard her talk about how proud she was to have a busy factory with 150 skilled workers making her pottery. Emma plans to double sales over the next three years, employ 20% more staff to service the demand and expand the visitors centre on the factory site doubling the number of visitors to 50,000 people per year.

BBC Radio 4 Women’s Hour

26th May 2010

Emma was recently interviewed on BBC 4’s Women’s Hour. Click here to hear a snippet of the interview. If you have trouble listening, right click the link and save to your computer before playing.

New Kitchen

14th May 2010

The gorgeous new kitchen at the factory is shaping up in ship shape fashion. We’ve recently installed a Polka Dot Aga, and are decorating the walls with our newest product, the pretty Polka Dot tiles, produced in collaboration with Fired Earth. We’ve got big squashy sofas to relax into, and kitchen tables where you can work, thanks to the free on-site wireless, there’s much to enjoy here. We’ll be serving lunches and teas, with some of the produce coming straight from the greenhouse and raised beds that Matthew has been busy digging. If you’re lucky you’ll arrive just as a tray of home-made flapjacks is emerging from the Aga. Think of it as your second home in Stoke on Trent. After all, everyone knows that the home is really the heart of the house.

Our Birthday Present to you...don’t miss your chance to win a Solid Silver baby Mug

13th May 2010

As part of our Twenty Fifth Birthday Celebrations, we’re offering you the chance to win one of our highly desirable Solid Silver Baby Mugs, worth £350. Spend over £50 in one of our stores and you will be entered into our prize draw, to be held in each of our shops on 27th May at 4pm. Come along and join in the festivities: there will be tea and cake for everyone, and a party feeling all round! Happy Birthday Bridgewater!

Wallpaper downloads

6th May 2010

Our TWENTY FIFTH birthday celebrations are really starting to hot up. Have a look at our website for some gloriously glamorous special anniversary mugs and jugs, including the deeply desirable solid silver Baby Mug. We’ve even got a gift for you too - check out our birthday page where you will find some wallpaper, including Pink Hearts, Polka Dot and Union Jack to download for FREE, to brighten up your desktop. We want you to be in the party mood, too. Click here

Win a Solid Silver Baby Mug worth £350

6th May 2010

As part of our birthday celebrations, we’re also giving you the chance to win a highly covetable Solid Silver Baby Mug worth £350. All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning this gorgeous piece is to send us a photo of yourself with your favourite Bridgewater piece, and explain in 25 words or less why you are the biggest, most passionate, or most quirky fan in the world. The photo could be you at home with your favourite plate or on top of Mount Everest with your prized mug. It doesn’t matter what the piece is, or where you are: just explain why you’re Emma Bridgewater’s biggest fan, and send your photo complete with a 25 word or less explanation to comp25@emmabridgewater.co.uk together with your full name, address and phone number.

Emma Bridgewater Retrospective Exhibition at the Potteries Museum opening 29th May

6th May 2010

Visit our factory and you can make a day of it in Stoke on Trent. The Potteries Museum is just a fifteen minute walk from the factory, and from 29th May to September will be putting on a special retrospective exhibition to mark 25 years of Emma Bridgewater. As well as the best ceramics collection in the country, the museum will also include special pieces of our pottery, reflecting our pride in having been linked to the industry of this great city for the past two and a half decades. Click here

New Faces New Places

6th May 2010

Meet Ali and her new team… Vicky, Becky, Hayley, Kelly and Wendy will be joining us from Tuesday, 4th May.
Our new phone number for the UK is 0844 243 9266.
From overseas call us on+44 207 371 5489.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Come and see Matthew at work in the garden!

6th May 2010

Have a look at Matthew planting our new raised beds at the factory in Stoke on Trent. He’s got ambitious plans for his planting this summer; visit our new kitchen for a delicious lunch and you might well luck in with something grown by Matthew in the garden, including tomatoes, salads and herbs.

Over 1100 fans on Facebook

23rd April 2010

We now have over 1100 fans on Facebook and we love each and every one of you. Click here

Greenhouse at the factory

23rd April 2010

The greenhouse laid out flat on our factory roof is now upright. Situated above our kilns, the greenhouse will absorb all the residual heat and keep our plants beautifully warm. No glass yet but no matter as the plants are still sitting snugly in Emma and Matthew’s Oxfordshire greenhouse.

Our very own Aga

23rd April 2010

Our very own 4 door oven plus module is having its Polka Dots applied this week at the Aga factory at Coalbrookdale.

New customer service team

23rd April 2010

Our new customer service team have been in the Fulham Road office this week, meeting us all, learning the ropes and getting out and about seeing lots of our stockists. You’ll be able to speak to them yourselves soon when our new telephone numbers go live at the end of this month.

Monday View for the Daily Mail

23rd April 2010

Emma wrote the Monday View for the Daily Mail this week. She took this opportunity to champion British manufacturing and to talk about her commitment to investing in craftsmanship and skills. Click here to read it.

Matthew Rice will speak to the Holt Society

23rd April 2010

Hurrah, they’re back. After being stranded in Southern California for an extra week’s Easter holiday with his family Matthew Rice has emerged through a cloud of volcanic ash and is back with us here in the Fulham Road office. He’s heading straight off to Holt in North Norfolk where tomorrow he will speak to the Holt Society, an organisation dedicated to preserving the Georgian character of this small, elegant town.

10% off all replacements of chipped & damaged Emma Bridgewater Pottery!

12th April 2010

We are offering customers a novel way of celebrating our 25th Birthday if they bring back any chipped or damaged Emma Bridgewater pottery. Instead of throwing away cherished pottery during your annual spring clean, we are encouraging customers to bring it into one of our London and Edinburgh shops* or the factory shop in Stoke- on- Trent and receive 10% off all ‘like-for- like’ purchases.

The offer – which begins on April 12th – encourages fans and customers to replace much-loved mugs, jugs or plates in their favourite patterns or extend their collections to include some of the new sought-after designs including the flowers range or 25th Birthday products.

The 10% discount can be redeemed at Emma Bridgewater stores in Chiswick, Edinburgh, Fulham, Marylebone and Stoke-on-Trent. For location details visit http://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/page/storelocator

*Offer is only available in Emma Bridgewater shops. It is not applicable in our stockists shops or online.

Our 25th Birthday and 2010 Year Jug

19th April 2010

Celebrate our 25th Birthday and add the 2010 Year Jug to your collection. We’ve added bright platinum enamel detailing to favourite spongeware pattern Union Jack for a glittering commemorative piece (available to Emma Bridgewater Collectors Club members only). Visit our birthday page and see what else we have up our sleeves. Make sure you bookmark the page as more updates are on their way.

Emma Bridgewater has designed a French Bowl exclusively for Rachel’s.

31st March 2010

Emma Bridgewater has designed a French Bowl exclusively for Rachel’s, perfect for enjoying your delicious Rachel’s yogurt in. This classic piece of Emma Bridgewater pottery has been made and decorated by hand in Emma’s factory in Staffordshire. Collect yours and mix together with Bridgewater favourites. You can collect the spongeware French Bowl by sending three on-pack tokens and £5 to Rachel’s. Full details of the promotion can be found on the product packaging and on www.rachelsorganic.co.uk. For further details regarding this bowl, follow this link.

Emma Bridgewater on BBC Newsnight

30th March 2010

Emma has recently featured on BBC Newsnight, talking about her commitment to British design, and how dedicated she is to manufacturing in the UK. If you missed this in iPlayer, but don't want to miss the opportunity to see Emma speaking, click on this link.

We’re now on both Facebook and Twitter!

20th March 2010

Join us on Facebook (Yes it’s taken us a while but we finally got it together and now we’re having such fun meeting all of our fans) and post photos on our fan page. You can even join into the discussions on which patterns you’d like back, or sharing your love for a particular Emma Bridgewater piece. We’d love to see how Emma Bridgewater brightens your day. If Facebook is not your cup of tea (excuse the pun) you can just follow us on Twitter. We recommend joining us on both. There are some treats and rewards for fans and followers alike.

PayPal now accepted on Emma Bridgewater

Friday 12th March

You can now pay for all your online shopping at Emma Bridgewater with PayPal. PayPal is a safer, simpler way to send and receive money online. You can now pay for your Emma Bridgewater with money held in your PayPal account balance or use another payment method such as a credit card, debit card or your bank account. Once you sign up for a PayPal account, you just need to select PayPal as your payment method when you shop online.

Supporting Stoke City in the FA Cup Quarter Final

Sunday 7th March

Our factory staff in Stoke-on-Trent are supporting Stoke City in the FA Cup Quarter Final on Sunday and have produced special-edition mugs for the team to mark the special occasion. The “FA Cuppas” in the club’s red-and-white colours bear one of our trademark star designs and have been painted with the name and number of each player. Emma said: “The players are all stars as far as we are concerned and are really putting the Potteries back on the map with their achievements this season. “We wish Tony Pulis and his team all the very best for the game at Chelsea and we are planning to put the FA Cuppas into full production if they make it to the final.”

Decorating Event

Friday 5th March

Rossiters of Bath are holding an Emma Bridgewater decorating event on Friday March 5th from 10am to 4pm. Paul from our Stoke on Trent decorating studio will be on hand to demonstrate decorating techniques and help you with your designs. Decorate your own mug, or get the children to decorate their own Mothers’ Day presents. To book your place contact the store direct on 01225 462227. Rossiters have sold our pottery for many years and carry the full range so if when you’ve finished your decorating take a look at our new designs for spring.

Royal Visit

Friday 19th February

Emma Bridgewater is excited to announce the visit of HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to her factory in Stoke on Trent this week. Her family and staff will welcome their Royal Highnesses with a specially commissioned wooden trellis archway designed by Matthew Rice and depicting the Prince of Wales feathers and Royal crests. The Royal party will walk under the archway to embark on a tour of the Lichfield Street factory where Matthew and Emma will introduce them to many long serving members of staff who will demonstrate their skills – from creating the distinctive earthenware pottery to skilfully decorating them by hand. Following the tour, Emma and Matthew will show the Royal party a selection of their designs before inviting them to join four youngsters and try their hand at decorating their own ware. Matthew Rice said: “We are truly honoured to have been chosen to be part of this very special day for Stoke- on-Trent”. View the photos.

February Half Term

Saturday 13th - Sunday 21st February

Shake off the winter blues and join us for our Dressing Up week. Every child visiting in fancy dress will receive free decorating studio time (normally £2.95) and a small gift to take home; and from Monday to Thursday we are holding free factory tours. Come and join us for a week of colour and character fun from Saturday 13th to Sunday 21st February (sorry, closed for one day on Friday 19th). Call now to book your decorating table and factory tours on 01782 201328.

£30,000 raised for charity

We’re thrilled to be able to report that due to the fantastic sales of our Flowers pottery we’ve been able to give a cheque for £30,000 to the National Gardens Scheme.
The NGS raises huge sums of money each year for a number of incredibly worthwhile charities including Marie Curie and Macmillan Cancer Care by opening private gardens to the public. If you’d like to find out more about the organisation visit their website at www.ngs.org.uk and if you’d like to help us raise even more next year keep buying the Flowers. Have you seen our new Flowers mug designs for 2010?

Marmalade Festival

Sunday 14th February

We have produced a special limited edition mug to celebrate the World’s Original Marmalade Festival which is being held at Dalmain Mansion in Cumbria on the 14th February. The ½ Pint Mug features illustrations by artist Mungo McCosh and we’ve produced 250 mugs. 200 will be sold at the Marmalade Festival and the remaining 50 will be available through our website. Keen collectors will need to keep their eyes peeled (see, there’s a marmalade joke there) for news of when the mugs become available. For further information on the festival visit www.marmaladefestival.com

NGS Yellow Book – 2010 edition

The 2010 edition of the NGS Yellow Book is out now, priced £8.99. The National Gardens Scheme organises garden openings for charity throughout the UK. Buy a copy this year and plan some visits. The openings vary from tiny London gardens to grand country houses. You’ll certainly find something of interest to visit near you, wherever you live, and there’s a pretty good chance that some very good tea and cake will be on offer too. A lovely way to while away a Sunday afternoon and help raise money for charity. Buy a copy now and you might still have time to catch an early opening to see snowdrops and crocuses.

EDP and Jarrold Book awarded to Matthew Rice's “Building Norfolk”

Matthew Rice was delighted to win the EDP and Jarrold Book award for his book “Building Norfolk”. The judges had this to say about his book “An impressive achievement – a wonderfully illustrated book that makes you look again at Norfolk and see its glorious array of architecture with fresh eyes.”

Spring 2010 catalogue

Our Spring 2010 catalogue is out now and is full of great new shapes, patterns and products. If you haven’t received your copy yet and would like one please request your copy here:
www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/page/cataloguerequest

2010 Year Jug

Collectors do not need to worry; there is a 2010 Year Jug. The piece will be made available to members very soon and will celebrate 25 years of Emma Bridgewater.

Finding Santa Competition Winner

Many congratulations to Emma Findlay who won our Finding Santa competition. Her Emma Bridgewater account has been credited with a January-blues busting £1000 and we hope she has a truly wonderful time spending it.

New Ceramics Galleries at the V & A Museum

The first phase of the new Ceramics Galleries has opened at the V&A Museum in London. The galleries, designed by Stanton Williams, are located on the top floor of the museum. The new design has revealed a beautiful domed ceiling around which artist Edmund de Waal has created a site- specific installation entitled 'Signs and Wonders'. The five- year project has been a huge undertaking with some 30,000 objects and hundreds of cases having to be moved out of eleven of the fourteen old galleries before the builders could move in and start renovating the empty space.

Some examples of Emma’s work are on display at the V&A in Room 140, Factory Ceramics after 1900. This gallery contains factory-made ceramics by the leading designers and manufacturers of the 20th century. Chronological displays of Scandinavian and British ceramics by influential companies such as Wedgwood, Poole and Royal Copenhagen will examine the impact of mass produced ceramics on modern dining habits and lifestyle, such as the development of ‘oven- to-table’ ware.

The project will complete this year.

Ebay

Our pottery has been achieving some incredible prices on ebay. Collectors of the Birds mugs are paying high prices to fill any gaps they have in their collections. A ½ Pint Mallard Mug recently sold for £830, an Oystercatcher for £250 and a Pintail for £206. Collectors of the Year Jugs have also made a sound investment. A 2006 Owl Year Jug sold for over £500 in November.

Collectors are showing a great deal of interest in vintage/discontinued spongeware patterns and shapes, special designs and collectible series such as Birds, Flowers and EB Club pieces. It is unusual these days for anything bought not to instantly be worth dramatically less than was paid for it but it is reassuring and satisfying to see how well Emma Bridgewater pottery holds it’s value and in many cases, makes a healthy profit for it’s owner.

Tor Falcon

Tor Falcon is a friend of Emma and Matthew’s who paints beautiful, atmospheric landscapes. Visit her website to see a selection of her work and read her online diary to see family meals served on her favourite Emma Bridgewater pottery.
www.torfalcon.co.uk

Great Bustards

Matthew Rice has designed a Great Bustard mug to commemorate the first successful breeding of Great Bustards in the UK for nearly 200 years.
Great Bustards were formerly very much part of British wildlife before they were finally hunted out of existence in Britain by the 1840s. They have suffered similar dramatic declines in numbers across their range in the last 200 years and their global population is now estimated to be just 35,000 individuals. They are currently listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Globally Threatened Species.
The Great Bustard Group is a charity that aims to establish a self- sustaining population of Great Bustards in the UK and create practical conservation measures for Great Bustards in Saratov, Russia. If you’d like to find out more or support the cause visit
http://www.greatbustard.com

Spotting Emma Bridgewater

Our customers are so eagle-eyed, thanks for all the brilliant spots you’ve been sending in. Our pottery has been seen this winter in Nintendo DS adverts, vintage Ab Fab, Christmas Outnumbered, Emmerdale, Autumnwatch and the Restaurant with Raymond Blanc. Lots of you saw it recently on the Hairy Bikers Show “Mum Knows Best” and since she’s snowed in, the prize of a mug goes to Sue Spencer.

Matthew Rice will be painting and signing next Tuesday evening in our Fulham store

Tuesday 15th December 5.30pm - 7pm

Our stores are bursting at the seams this Christmas with tons of gorgeous gifts. If you are near any of our shops do come and see what we have to offer, we always have a few surprises up our sleeves. You can buy Gift Tokens, have all your shopping gift wrapped, you can even have calendars and books signed by Matthew Rice next Tuesday evening in our Fulham store between 5.30pm and 7pm. We look forward to seeing you.

Marylebone Christmas Lights

Wednesday 18th November 2009

Marylebone High Street turns on its Christmas lights on the 18th November. Join in the celebrations and visit the Emma Bridgewater shop between 4pm and 6.30pm (with the switch on at 6pm). There will be live music, Christmas carols, a Father Christmas grotto and lots, lots more.

Love Yorkshire

You will find this special edition “Love Yorkshire” Polka Dot ½ Pint Mug in The Olive Branch in the villages of Addingham and Easingwold and at The Mulberry Bush in Hawes. To order yours visit their websites at www.the- mulberrybush.co.uk or at www.the-olive- branch.co.uk or call either of the shops on 01943 830123 (Addingham) or 01347 823402 (Easingwold).

A note to collectors, do you already have “I Love the Lakes”? And look out for “I Love the Dales” coming soon.

Decorate your very own Emma Bridgewater mug at Jarrold Department Store in Norwich and buy a limited Jarrold Mug

Tuesday 17th November 12 noon - 9pm

Paul, one of our decorators, will help you design and decorate your very own 1/2 pint mug at Jarrold Department Store on Tuesday 17th November - or if you prefer, he can decorate it for you - before taking it away to be glazed and fired. Your finished mug will be delivered back to the store for you to collect at a later date. Contact the store for more details on 01603 660661. To coincide with the decorating event we have designed a limited edition Jarrold Mug and the 400 mugs will go on sale on the 17th November.

“Building Norfolk” and “Rice’s Architectural Primer”

6th-8th November / 12th-16th November / Monday 16th November

Matthew Rice is keeping very busy this autumn.
He has been invited to speak at a number of literary festivals about his best selling new books “Building Norfolk” and “Rice’s Architectural Primer”.
Matthew’s message to his readers is “If you want to understand a building, sit in front of it and draw it. Architecture is the backdrop to our lives. With this book you can name the parts, work out when a building was built and understand what the building is trying to convey”.
In his book “Building Norfolk” Matthew Rice describes a county that has the best preserved built environment in England. He looks at Norfolk’s village houses, farms, country houses, estate buildings, almshouses, inns, parsonages, churches, as well as the towns of Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn and the seaside resort of Cromer. He explains how the particular features of the county – geological, environmental and economic – have molded their appearances.
If you live in East Anglia or plan to visit the area during November do come and see Matthew at one of the following this month:

Burnham Market Book Festival, North Norfolk 6th-8th November
Saturday 7th November Event 2: 10:30am – 11: 30am
The Moroccan Room, The Hoste Arms, Burnham Market
The Architects’ Tales: William Bertram and Matthew Rice
Tickets available from: Whitehouse Books, Burnham Market
www.whitehousebooks.co.uk 01328 730270


Southwold Literature Festival, Suffolk 12th -16th November
Monday 16th November 10.30am St Edmund’s Hall, £9
Tickets available from: www.waywithwords.co.uk 01803 867373


Snape Maltings, Nr Aldeburgh, Suffolk Monday 16th November 1.30pm Matthew Rice architecture talk and book signing
Tickets available from: www.snapemaltings.co.uk

Mulberry Hall

Mulberry Hall is a flagship store for fine china, crystal, cutlery and cookware situated in the historic city of York. The business has been in the Sinclair family for over fifty years and stocks almost the entire range of Emma Bridgewater in their beautiful medieval building on Stonegate in the centre of the city. Matthew Rice has designed a special, limited edition ½ Pint Mug for Mulberry Hall. The design features some of York’s loveliest buildings together with Matthew’s distinctive wording. The mugs go on sale at the end of November and will be available from the store and online through the Mulberry Hall website at www.mulberryhall.co.uk If you need any further information on this special piece please contact Mulberry Hall on 01904 620736.

Halloween Factory Fundraiser

Halloween 2009

Well done to Emma Bridgewater factory staff and their children who raised the fantastic amount of £273.95 by wearing “Something Spooky for Halloween”. We’d never seen such a good looking coven of witches! The money raised will go to The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice Trust. Emma Bridgewater has matched the amount so in total the local charity will receive a cheque for £547.90. Not scary at all.

Polka Pumpkin 1/2 Pint Mug

Halloween

New for Halloween is our delicious Polka Pumpkin 1/2 Pint Mug. Great for Halloween parties. Serve warm spiced apple juice, home made pumpkin soup or hot chocolate. Mix with your Polka Dot for a seasonal twist.

Spirit of Christmas Fair, Olympia London

4th-8th November 2009

Get all of your Christmas shopping done nice and early this year at House & Garden’s Spirit of Christmas Fair at Olympia. It’s a great way to get in the festive spirit. We can be found on stand D6, right by the main entrance. We look forward to seeing you there. Book your tickets at www.spiritofchristmasfair.co.uk

British Ceramics Biennial Stoke-on-Trent

Autumn / Winter 2009

From now to the 13th December, Stoke-on-Trent will host its first British Ceramics Biennial. The festival is city wide and there will be five terrific exhibitions presented in extraordinary buildings. Hayon Ceramics and Fresh will be held at Emma Bridgewater in our Lichfield Street space. In addition each weekend of the ten-week festival there will be something happening – guided tours, activities with clay, masterclasses, open studios, demonstrations – and some great retail sales. For more information about the festival visit www.stokeceramicsfestival.co.uk

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Friday 25th September 2009

Thank you to everyone who came and supported our coffee mornings. We are thrilled to be able to report that we raised £1800 for Macmillan Cancer Care. You are all wonderful and generous, and a big thank you to all of our staff who brought in home made cakes. Your contributions made the morning very special.

I Love the Lakes

We’ve designed a special 1/2 Pint Mug for Armstrong Ward in Kendal. The Polka Hearts mug is sponged with the words “I Love the Lakes” and is available from www.armstrongward.co.uk. For each mug sold Armstrong Ward will donate £1 to local Mountain Rescue.

Sarah Raven Special

Emma has designed a beautiful new spongeware pattern for BBC Gardeners World presenter Sarah Raven. Inspired by things that Sarah grows in her garden at Perch Hill - crimson black dahlias, pods of peas, globe artichokes, cress and mizuna, the pattern is available on a Four Cup Teapot, a Half Pint Jug, 1 1/2 Pint Jug, Salad Bowl, One Pint Mug, Pasta Bowl, Baby Mug and Serving Bowl. Visit www.sarahraven.com for more information and to order.

Marylebone Refurbishment

We have recently completed a spanking new refurbishment on our shop in Marylebone. The whole store has had a complete face lift, with new paintwork and new lighting which really brightens up the store. We’ve re-arranged the displays, too, so that it’s an even easier and nicer place to shop, as it feels a lot more spacious. Come and see us and let us know what you think of it.