Understanding Pottery Quality & Handmade Characteristics

There's no such thing as a perfect piece at Emma Bridgewater, because each item of pottery is handmade – that's the charm. 

Everything we create is a blend of the beautiful and the practical, whether a motley set of dinner plates made into a happy feast or a pair of mugs turning a simple get-together into a laughter-filled chat. 

30 pairs of hands look after each piece of our Stoke-on-Trent pottery – from the minute the clay arrives at our factory to the final inspection of the finished creamware.

The tiny differences that make each hand-crafted and hand-decorated pottery item unique are part of its story; our quality checks throughout the whole process simply make sure that story is one to share.

Pieces with slightly more pronounced characteristics are sold as seconds at a discount, see how that works below, or shop our seconds range now.

We use two different pottery decoration techniques: sponge painting (spongeware) and lithographic transferring. Both hands-on processes take precision, patience and years of experience to perfect.

Sponging creates a folksy appeal in classic patterns such as Pink Hearts and Polka Dot. Slight variations in colour and the way in which they’re hand-sponged give each item of our tableware and serveware a handmade feel that’s as unique as the craftsperson who decorated it. 

Lithography is ideal for remarkably intricate artwork, such as British Birds, so that the illustrations look realistic and crisp. As with all handcrafted processes, teeny variations can occur from piece to piece.

By using both techniques, we celebrate traditional craftsmanship while creating designs that range from simple and playful to richly detailed and illustrative.

Every piece of creamware is checked manually several times throughout the process of being hand-created. 

After the final firing, the item is carefully scrutinised for a last time to check for any flaws. If it reaches our incredibly high quality standards – with no more than two handmade characteristics – it’s sent to the Best Warehouse: the final stop for all Bridgewater products. This is where each item is boxed individually, ready to be delivered to stockists or find its way into your home or be sent by you to someone as a lovely present. 

As all our pottery items are crafted and decorated by hand at our Victorian factory in Stoke-on-Trent, no two are ever alike. Any subtle variations in colour, pattern and finish are part of the charm and character. They’re a hallmark of true craftsmanship. 

No. There’s a big difference between a pottery imperfection or pottery fault (which we’ll reject) and a pottery blemish (which is due to the artisanal crafting of our Stoke-on-Trent pottery).

Because our pottery pieces are handmade and hand-decorated, some items may carry slightly more distinctive variations which makes them “seconds”. These unique blemishes might appear in the finish, decoration or shape and are all part of the hand-crafting process.

The blemish is marked with a black pen so that you can identify it clearly, and easily washes off.

Emma Bridgewater seconds are just as functional and just as practical as first quality items – and just as destined to be enjoyed and loved every day.

You can buy them at a specially discounted price when you visit our factory or shop online at Emma Bridgewater Seconds.

Handmade pottery is completely different to factory-perfect pottery.

Every Emma Bridgewater earthenware item is carefully fired in a gas or electric kiln, depending on whether the decoration is by sponge or litho. Minor variations in temperature and atmosphere during the firing process help create the unique finish and character of each one. 

These variations are completely normal but can occasionally lead to pottery crazing (see below), which many customers view as part of the beauty of a well-loved, well-used ceramic piece.

Even though we smooth over each piece with a special sponge by hand, it can’t guarantee 100% of surface imperfections will be removed. That’s simply the nature of ceramic craftsmanship.

For cheery patterns such as Polka Dot and Pink Hearts, hand-sponging creates the slightly irregular finish that makes each piece feel wonderfully characterful. Small differences in colour and positioning are part of the artisanal charm.

Emma Bridgewater pottery is made from traditional English earthenware: a material chosen for its organic warmth and handmade aesthetic. 

Unlike non-porous materials, such as porcelain or fine bone china, earthenware is a natural clay body and porous. Even when glazed, pottery can still absorb moisture over time if exposed to water – such as being left to soak in the sink.

For tips on how to wash, dry and look after your pieces in the best possible way, see our guide on how to care for pottery. 

Turn over an Emma Bridgewater mug, plate, vase, jug, or any of our pottery pieces, and you’ll see an unglazed ring on the base. This is known as the "foot". It’s a reassuring sign that your pottery tableware has been made traditionally.

Before each piece is fired, we carefully wipe away the pottery glazing otherwise it would melt during firing and cause the pottery to stick to the kiln shelf.

The result is a clay foot you'll find on every Emma Bridgewater piece which is naturally porous and liable to absorb water … yet also a reminder that every item has passed through skilled hands before finding its way into yours.

Every piece of pottery goes through an intense firing process, during which both the clay body and glaze expand and contract. If these materials cool at different rates, tiny hairline cracks appear in the pottery glazing. This glaze cracking is called “crazing”. 

We work hard to prevent this from happening and every piece is carefully inspected before it leaves us. Pieces identified with crazing or other characteristics during quality checks are sold as seconds rather than discarded.

However, pottery crazing can also happen at home, such as through the repeated warming and cooling that naturally happens with frequently used earthenware (i.e. the favourite mug you enjoy a hot drink from several times a day). 

If crazing happens to your Emma Bridgewater pottery, do get in touch. Our Customer Services team will be happy to advise and if your product is less than five years old, we'll gladly look at arranging a replacement.

We’ve been investing in several areas of our factory recently]to improve the consistent quality of all our pottery.

The tiniest mark, the smallest crack, even a little run on the pottery glazing is spotted by our eagle-eyed selectors. Every single piece of creamware is checked in person several times throughout the process of being made and rigorously examined one final time before it leaves our factory. 

We also continuously carry out internal maintenance and regular inspections of our kilns along with the testing of our clay to ensure we’re improving our ceramic craftsmanship.

If, for any reason, your handmade pottery develops a fault during our two-year warranty period, please get in touch with our Customer Services team and we’ll aim to replace the item free of charge. 

We’ll just need you to provide a few things first: a photo of the faulty items and proof of purchase. Them simply return the item to us (at our expense). If your original item is no longer available, then we can offer you a like-for-like replacement. 

If you didn’t buy your Emma Bridgewater item directly from us, please contact the original place of purchase.



If you’ve enjoyed reading our handmade ceramics quality guide, take a look at our tips on Caring For Your Collection