We had a chat with Collector's Club member Claire Goddard @thiftwood114 about her Emma Bridgewater collection, home comforts and things that bring joy to her everyday.
“I really like the new foraging range as that is one of my favourite hobbies... I’m happiest when I’m in the kitchen making jams and cordials and filling the pantry shelves. They make great gifts for family and friends too"
Claire's Pick Of The Bunch
Claire, we’re delighted that you have lots of our products and we love seeing your photographs...how long have you been collecting Emma Bridgewater?
I’ve been collecting EB for about 25 years now - something just appealed to me about it; it was simple, stylish, and different from anything else available at the time. It definitely sparked my interest, and the rest is history!
Do you have a favourite piece or collection?
Although I love all of my collection, I do have several favourite pieces. My two Shine Like a Star candle holders from the Love and Kisses range are very special, and I believe, quite rare. I love their simplicity and the way the light shines through the cut-out star. They go very well with my Sampler collection and other Pinks on my dresser, although I try not to be too matchy. I like the idea of a dresser full of mismatched, chunky pottery, mixed with vintage items, the way Emma envisaged her own kitchen dresser to look. I think I’ve achieved that look on my open shelving in the kitchen where everything is regularly used but still on view.
How do you like to style your pieces?
On my open kitchen shelves (which are made from reclaimed 8 ft long scaffold boards) I don’t really style my pots; I now have a plate rack at one end and the mugs hang on hooks. Other than that everything is just placed on it… the bottom shelf is for everyday items such as plates and bowls, the second shelf for baking and cooking items and the top shelf for less used items. This is where I put the glass kilner jars that contain my homemade liqueurs, glass cake stands and domes. Everything is used and earns its keep! My dresser is crammed with everything else EB. I have a shelf for mainly Black Toast, one for Polka and the other for Pinks. In the middle of November, I take it all down, wash it and put my Christmas collection.
Toast & Marmalade
Black Toast Shop Toast & Marmalade
All Polka Dot
Polka Dot Shop All Polka Dot
All Pinks
Pinks Shop All Pinks
Is there anything you have your eye on at the moment?
I really like the new foraging range as that is one of my favourite hobbies and Autumn probably my favourite season of all. I love to pick elderflowers in late spring, wild raspberries in summer and blackberries in early autumn. I’m happiest when I’m in the kitchen making jams and cordials and filling the pantry shelves. They make great gifts for family and friends too.
A Forger's Tea
Collect a colander of blackberries to make a small yet highly prized batch of blackberry jam, or combine with apples for a comforting crumble...
Shop collectionWhat small pleasures bring you joy everyday?
My daily rituals change depending on the season. In the summer the first thing I’ll do after getting up is water the garden if it needs it (and if it’s not raining which it usually is in this part of the country). I have lots of container plants and a kitchen garden where I grow salad vegetables, potatoes, beans and brassicas, strawberries, and rhubarb. In the winter my morning ritual is to clean out the two wood burners we have and then set them ready to be lit. Last winter we didn’t use the central heating at all so my husband Steve often lit the fire in the kitchen before he left for work, and it was lovely to come down to a warm toasty room.
