About Emma Bridgewater

It all began in 1984, when Emma was working in London soon after leaving university. One day, she was hunting for a birthday present for her Mum. She wanted to give her two cups and saucers that would say ‘I love you. I miss you’. She went into a china shop and looked around, hoping to see some china that would capture the warm and welcoming spirit of her mother’s North Oxford kitchen. Emma suddenly had a vision of the dresser from her mother’s kitchen. She imagined it here in the china shop, laden with a wonderful array of colourful, mismatched pottery. It was clear that the only way to make the vision a reality would be to start making china herself. But she had absolutely no idea how - or where. A casual conversation with a friend pointed her in the direction of Stoke-on-Trent. And so, Emma Bridgewater, the classic modern pottery brand, was born. All our pottery is made from cream-coloured earthenware – a traditional Staffordshire product which we make in our own factory in Stoke-on-Trent, the home of British pottery. At our factory most of the production work is still done by hand, and all of the pieces are individually hand-decorated, so every one is very slightly different – and our spongeware is always signed by the person who decorated it. We believe everyday kitchen china sits right at the heart of our lives, and that each cup, bowl, jug, and plate holds our personal stories, reflecting shared moments, enriching us as we eat and drink together.Read their story