Emma Bridgewater

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Emma Bridgewater Limited
Company type Private
Industry Ceramics
Founded1985;41 years ago (1985)
Founder Emma Bridgewater
Website www.emmabridgewater.co.uk
A plate made by the company Cheese Plate (27553504614).jpg
A plate made by the company

Emma Bridgewater is a British ceramics manufacturing company founded in 1985 by Emma Bridgewater. The company specialises in earthenware tableware, manufactured in Stoke-on-Trent, England. [1] [2] [3] [4] The pottery is produced using traditional techniques. [5] The company is one of the largest pottery manufacturers based entirely in the UK. [6]

Contents

Bus with Emma Bridgewater livery CTB 206 Wardle K345OFM v2 - Flickr - megabus13601 (1).jpg
Bus with Emma Bridgewater livery

There are two Emma Bridgewater shops in London as well as two outlet stores, located at the company's factory in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, and in Bicester Village, Oxfordshire respectively.

The company has been certified as a B-Corporation since January 2022. [7]

History

Bridgewater Pottery Works, Eastwood, Hanley Bridgewater Pottery Works, Eastwood, Hanley - geograph.org.uk - 344857.jpg
Bridgewater Pottery Works, Eastwood, Hanley

The company was founded by Emma Bridgewater in 1985 when being unable to find a suitable cup and saucer for a gift for her mother she decided to create her own. [8] Drawing four shapes, a mug, a bowl, a jug and a dish, samples were created in Stoke-on-Trent. [9]

In 1995, the company purchased a former Victorian factory site in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, and converted the site. [10] Production began there in 1996. [8]

During a royal visit, Bridgewater discussed the brand's launch of its biggest ever collection of Royal commemorative ware to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. [11] Catherine, Princess of Wales, made an official visit to the factory in 2015. [8]

In its first year the company had a turnover of around £30,000. By 2009 this had increased to almost £8 million, [9] and £11 million in 2010, employing 180 people. [12] According to their website, in 2022 around 230 people worked their factory and produce 1.7 million pieces annually. [1]

Products and Production

Emma Bridgewater earthenware is manufactured using "traditional techniques of manufacture and decoration", for example decoration is hand-applied using sponges, brushes and transfers. [13] The earthenware is produced using mould casting, before being fettled and sponged, and then fired. [14] Decoration is then applied using either sponge painting or lithographing. [14] Sponge painted decoration was a historically common technique in the British pottery industry, but had fallen out of manufacturing practice until it was revived by the company in the 1980s. [10] The polka dot pattern is one prominent Emma Bridgewater design created using this technique. [14]

Emma Bridgewater also produces a range of homeware and gifts. The company's pottery designs are adapted for application onto textiles, glass, tin, stationery, and melamine. [15]

"Festival in a Factory"

For the last few years,[ when? ] the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent has been the home to the "Festival in a Factory", a 3-day literary festival where a number of authors, politicians, artists and celebrities give public lectures. [16] Recent speakers have included Mary Portas, Viv Groskop Elizabeth Day, Christopher Eccleston, Lauren Child, AN Wilson, historian Tom Holland, author Ben Macintyre, historian Andrew Roberts, Rachel Reeves MP, Greenpeace UK's Will McCallum, biographer Jenny Uglow, the National Trust's Nino Strachey, the V&A Museum's Oriole Cullen and Claire Wilcox, and novelist Deborah Moggach. [17]

The 2020 Festival, planned for 4–6 June, [18] was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The head gardener of the factory garden is the author and broadcaster Arthur Parkinson. [19]

Bibliography

References

  1. 1 2 "About the Factory | Our History | Emma Bridgewater".
  2. ↑ 'The UK Ceramic Marketing Strategy in response to globalization.' N.Ewins. Conference Of Historical Analysis And Research In Marketing (CHARM). 30 May - 2 Jun 2013. Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
  3. ↑ "Emma Bridgewater | Artists | Collection | British Council − Visual Arts".
  4. ↑ "Behind the brand: Emma Bridgewater".
  5. ↑ "Emma Bridgewater's Oxfordshire farmhouse is as lovely as her pottery". House & Garden. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "About the Company at Emma Bridgewater". www.emmabridgewater.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "Emma Bridgewater Ltd - Certified B Corporation - B Lab Global". www.bcorporation.net. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 "'5 homewares I can't live without,' with Emma Bridgewater". Country Living. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Emma Bridgewater: The success of a pottery design business". The Daily Telegraph. 5 May 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  10. 1 2 "Who is Emma Bridgewater? Everything you need to know". Your Home Style. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Emma Bridgewater launches Jubilee collection | 6 Towns Radio". 6towns.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015.
  12. ↑ "Emma Bridgewater". BBC Business News. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  13. ↑ "Emma Bridgewater | Artists | Collection | British Council − Visual Arts". visualarts.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "This is how an Emma Bridgewater mug is made". Good Housekeeping. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Knight, Kathryn (30 March 2014). "Pottery designer Emma Bridgewater: The woman who inspired my designs". Express. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  16. ↑ "Video of the 2019 highlights". Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  17. ↑ speaker list
  18. ↑ "The cancelled 2020 programme". Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  19. ↑ Parkinson, Arthur (2018). The Pottery Gardener: Flowers and Hens at the Emma Bridgewater Factory. History Press. ISBN   978-0-7509-8557-4.
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