News & Events

Help For Heroes Colossal Cake Sale! 26th March - 7th April.

6th February 2012

The Colossal Cake Sale is Back and sees many of us come together to bake, cook, eat and buy, to raise money in support of Help for Heroes. We will be holding bake sales in our shops within the fortnight of the 26th March - 7th April and you can join us by organising your own Colossal Cake Sale during this two week event. You'd better start thinking on which cake you're going to make; date, chocolate or even rocky road! Just make sure you put it in your diary.

Kenwood Literary Season with Emma and Matthew.

Join English Heritage for the Kenwood Literary Season with Emma and Matthew this Sunday 5th February, as they discuss the Lost City of Stoke. The event is due to take place in the Orangery at Kenwood House at 12pm and Emma and Matthew would love if you would join them there. Tickets are free for English Heritage Members, click here for further details and to book your tickets.

Alice's New Mug

26th January 2012

Last year we were really pleased to work with 15 year old Alice Pyne, who contacted us about designing a mug as part of the “bucket list” of wishes she’d drawn up following her diagnosis of terminal cancer. The lovely mug she created featured a beach hut in Torquay where Alice had spent some happy holidays thanks to the help of the charity Torbay Holiday Helpers Network (THHN), along with her Labrador Mabel.

£10 from the price of each mug was donated to this charity, and Alice has now set up a charity of her own, Alice’s Escapes, which will do work similar to THHN, providing free, relaxing holidays for seriously ill children.

To celebrate this new charity, Alice has designed a sweet new mug, which has the same summery theme to her last mug, and features lots of sunshine and a sailing boat in the Cumbrian Lakes and the mountains. We will continue to donate £10 from the sale of each mug to Alice’s Escapes.

To get your Alice's Escapes 1/2 Pint Mug click here

Spring Launch Baker Competition

20th January 2012

Spring has finally sprung here at Emma Bridgewater and to celebrate the launch of our new Cookware Range we ran a competition for you to share your favourite baker recipe's on facebook. The winner has just been chosen and here is her recipe;
(p) Anne-Lise Anderson's Cherry Clafoutis

For marinating the fruit

500g Cherries, best quality fresh; stoned

15g/1 tbsp Caster sugar

15ml/1 tbsp kirsch (optional) - I used amaretto as i didn't have kirsch

For lining the mould

15g/1 tbsp Melted butter

45g/3 tbsp Caster sugar

For the batter mixture

100g Plain flour

3 Whole eggs, medium organic

1 egg yolk, medium organic

90g/6 tbsp Caster sugar

2g/2 pinch Salt

2ml/6 drops vanilla extract (the best you can find)

160g Milk

160g Whipping cream

70g unsalted butter

1 lemon, zest finely grated

1 Mix together the cherries, sugar and kirsch and marinate for upto 2 hours to maximize their flavour.

2 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

3 Brush the inside of your favourite baker with melted butter. Add the caster sugar and shake the dish so as to coat the inside of the dish. This gives a lovely crust whilst cooking.

4 In a mixing bowl add the flour and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs, caster sugar, vanilla essence and lemon zest to the well. With a whisk incorporate slowly the egg mixture into the flour until you have a smooth consistency.

5 In a small saucepan heat the butter until it reaches a golden hazelnut colour and leave to cool. Slowly whisk in the milk followed by the cream and finally the butter.

6 Pour the batter over the cherries and their juices and pour up to ¾ high into the buttered and sugared baking dish.

7 Bake in the preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes. The clafoutis is cooked when the blade of a knife inserted into the mixture comes out completely clean. To serve, sprinkle caster sugar over.

Fab served hot with a dollop of cold cream, or the following day (if there is any left over) cut into slices.

Bicester Village Shop Open 24th November

22nd November 2011

The past few weeks have seen a whole lot of anticipation for our new shop in Bicester Village, and the time has come to open the doors this Thursday 24th November. Sarah has been sourcing some gorgeous vintage props to fill the shop. And to celebrate its launch we will give a Tea Towel to the first 100 customers through the door. Emma will also be at the store on Friday, so come along and visit us.

British Library Royal Beasts Collection

16th November 2011

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new range entitled ‘Royal Beasts’. This fabulous collection celebrates the opening of The British Library’s new major exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination which launched on 11th November 2011. The exhibition is the first to display its enormous collection of colourful and gilded royal manuscripts together in such numbers.

Commenting on the launch of the collection Emma said “A designer could not look for more exciting inspiration than the imagery of the royal manuscripts in the British Library. Emma Bridgewater has based this pattern on some of the menagerie of animals, real and imaginary that cover the pages of this collection. Equally compelling are the jewel like colours of the illuminated manuscripts and the characteristic cursive line of the monk’s pen.”

The Collection can be purchased directly from The British Library shop or online at www.shop.bl.uk.

House Beautiful Gold Award!

11th November 2011

The House Beautiful Awards 2011 were held last night 10th Nov in one of England’s finest Art Deco buildings, Freemasons’ Hall in London. The awards comprised 26 categories, commending not only the UK’s top TV personalities but also 2011’s best homes products and retailers. And we are so happy to announce that we won Gold in the Best of British category!

The Lord Mayor’s Show 12th November.

9th November 2011

The Lord Mayor’s Show is taking place this Saturday 12th November from 11am onwards. There will be a Stoke float featuring a big Polka Dot Plate to help represent the potteries and the future of Stoke-on-Trent. The Lord Mayor's Show is like no other procession in the world being 3 miles long and nearly 800 years old. On average 6000 participants spend months preparing their floats for the amazement of hundreds of thousands of people who line the streets of London to watch them go by. There will also be a fireworks display over the Thames at 5pm.

For further information please click here

National Baking Week Celebration.

19th October 2011

We’ll be celebrating National Baking week this week in our lovely factory in Stoke on Trent. Join us in celebrating, where we'll be putting our Polka Dot Aga to work and baking tasty treats for our lovely customers. Come along on Thursday 20th October or Friday 21st October when we'll be offering free home-baked cakes with every cup of tea or coffee in our kitchen cafe.

Macmillan ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’.

18th October 2011

The 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning 2011' at Emma Bridgewater took place on Friday 30th September in our Fulham, Marylebone, Edinburgh and Stoke shops. Many of you came along with your wonderful home made cakes, and many of you also came along to enjoy them. We would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who got involved and those who gave generously, we raised a fantastic sum for the Macmillan charity. Thank you!

Specials at The Sissinghurst Smallholders Fair this Weekend

10th August 2011

The Sissinghurst Smallholders Fair takes place this weekend the 13th & 14th August. It’s a fantastic day out, with talks from River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnely- Whittingstall, the Soil Association’s Helen browning and renowned garden writer Sarah Raven. There will be a Kentish beer tent, a BBQ of locally reared meat, a traditional English tea tent and delicious hand- made ice cream from Taywell’s. Yum!

Most importantly (of course), this is your chance to get some Studio Specials Emma Bridgewater pieces in celebration of The Sissinghurst Small Holders Fair, created especially for the event!

Our very own Jamie and Elaine will be selling a limited number of The Sissinghurst Fair mugs. The Hens ½ Pint Mugs will also be on offer from the Emma Bridgewater stall in Cuckoo Maran, Lavender Pekin and Speckled Sussex!

Come and see us!

Alice

8th June 2011

Many of you have read about Alice, a 15 year old girl with terminal cancer who’s made a bucket list of things she’d like to do in her life - read here. Emma and Matthew were really touched that she included designing an Emma Bridgewater mug on her list. Matthew emailed Alice late yesterday evening and is making plans to meet her to start designing her special Alice mug soon.

Royal Wedding Street Party

3rd May 2011

We had such a lovely day at our Street Party at the Factory in Stoke-on-Trent last Friday – and we’re so glad so many of you could join us. Whether you came along for the final street party sale in the outlet shop, the Royal Wedding Studio Specials, to decorate a commemorative piece yourself to mark the occasion, to sample our delicious afternoon tea or just to say hello to the chickens in the factory garden, we hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. We’re already busy planning our May and June activities at the factory and hope we’ll see you sometime soon – maybe at the official opening of the garden on Sunday 15th May?

Liberty signing

6th April 2011

Meeting so many of you at a signing at the new Dining Room in Liberty was a real delight for Emma last week. When she arrived at Liberty a queue had already formed, and Emma signed hundreds of pieces of pottery for over two hours. She was most amused by your witty and creative uses for her designs, and loved writing personal messages for numerous wedding and birthday gifts. She really appreciated the chance to speak to so many of you, and was delighted by your suggestions for new designs and products developments. After the signing Emma had a quick look around Liberty; she’s really delighted how well her Spatterware is doing there, as it’s a unique design especially for this important store.

Emma Bridgewater Commemorates The Royal Wedding

26th January 2011

To celebrate the most exciting event of 2011, the wedding of HRH Prince William to Kate Middleton, Emma Bridgewater has designed several commemorative products. The Royal Wedding collection comprises; a one pint mug with gift box, an 8 inch plate, a half pint spongeware mug, and a tea towel.

The one pint mug and 8 1/2 inch plate bear the names Kate & William, the date of the wedding, and an illustration of Westminster Abbey. The mug is priced at £39.95 and the plate at £29.95.

The half pint spongeware mug is hand decorated with a W&C, and has helicopters around its base as a representation of HRH Prince William’s duties as an RAF Search & Rescue Pilot. The mug is priced at £19.95.

The William & Kate tea towel is vibrantly illustrated with Westminster Abbey and the Royal Lion. It is priced at £10.

Click here to order yours now

February events in our Stoke factory - Valentine’s Day

25th January 2011

Love is in the air already at Emma Bridgewater and we’ve got plenty going at the factory in Stoke-on-Trent in February. Join Laurie and the team to decorate Valentine’s biscuits on 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th February (the big day itself!). Plus on Saturday 12th February and Sunday 13th February we’ll be making Valentine’s Day cards and would love you to join us.

February events in our Stoke factory - Half-term

25th January 2011

We’ll be celebrating half-term from 19th to the 27th February with a whole week of fun at our factory. Dress as a Pirate or Princess for free time in the decorating studio (usually £2.95 per person), plus Princess Laurie is cutting some extra special pirate and princess sponges. We’ll have princess crown and pirate hat-making for the little ones, and we’re open longer hours; 9am - 6pm Saturday to Monday and 10am - 5pm on Sunday. It’s the perfect way to get the children out of the house to have some fun together. Piratical!

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!

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.