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BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Stoke pottery firm's plea to help industry 'on its knees'
Ahead of the government spending review on Wednesday, pottery bosses are not holding out hope for it to contain support with spiralling energy or employment costs. "Our industry is on its knees," said fifth generation ceramicist Emily Johnson, from one of the oldest traditional Stoke-on-Trent manufacturing families - the Johnson brothers. "There is a lot of hope and opportunity, however, we need help. If our industry fails, where do people work?"The Department for Business and Trade said: "Ministers continue to engage closely with the ceramics sector to understand the challenges and provide support, ensuring the industry is globally competitive as part of our Plan for Change." In 2011, Ms Johnson established 1882 Ltd, one of the youngest ceramics firms in Staffordshire. She said she did not believe ministers would step in: Although the pottery industry has been in decline for decades, 2025 has seen a quick succession of three Stoke-on-Trent manufacturers going bump, citing energy bills as the events included:The February collapse of historic firm Royal Stafford along with the loss of 70 jobs, followed by Heraldic Pottery going into liquidation, and other firms working on reduced hours. Moorcroft's trading end in April. The company stated its energy costs had gone up almost £250,000 over the past two March, in between the events, industry bosses and unions pitched a rescue plan to ministers in "make or break" meetings, including Labour Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell who said help could not come fast Ms Johnson said she believed that while "our local MPs are doing all they can", they were just "getting lip service" from ministerial colleagues."We don't need lip service," she said, "we need help." Without it, she added, the future of factories, and the industry itself, were in jeopardy. The 1882 Ltd firm has a factory within the Wedgwood site in Barlaston, employs 23 potters, and operates ten electric kilns for firing products, as opposed to the traditional gas operator Nathan Platt said that insulating kilns with bricks made them more efficient, however they still used a lot of energy. "The gas kilns, it's a lot of money. Electric, it's a lot of money. But I'd say electric kilns are smaller, easier to fill, easier to empty quicker," he said. With an ageing workforce within the industry, there are fears those with specialised skills will literally die out. Andrew Henshall, a potter for 50 years, and one of only a handful of ceramic modellers left, said he was positive there remained a demand for handmade despite a changing market, he likes an approach that prioritises the potential of the craft."It's not who can make the cheapest mug or who can make the cheapest teapot now," he said. "It's often guided by designers who say they want to create a new range, or create something beautiful." Rob Flello, chief executive of Ceramics UK, said he believed the government was listening, but whether the message cut through to the treasury remained to be seen."All we're asking really is that some of the burdens that are placed on our industry are lifted, so those taxes, those levies - get those lifted off."
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Interest expressed in collapsed Stoke-on-Trent pottery firm
"Various interested parties" have come forward after a pottery firm collapsed last month, its liquidator has Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent ceased trading on 30 April and announced it was entering liquidation, with its 57 employees all made Recovery was appointed by the firm to handle the process and director Laura Pickering said Moorcroft would officially enter liquidation on 27 told BBC Radio Stoke an agent had put the company's assets up for sale, which included its name, online presence, factory and remaining retail stock. "We're in touch with various interested parties who have come forward since the sad news reached the press and the local community," she said."We've got various people who are interested in potentially looking to take Moorcroft forward but at the moment, we don't have any deal agreed - we can't agree a deal until the company is in liquidation." 'Difficult industry' Despite the expressions of interest, Ms Pickering said nobody has committed to purchasing the business as a said the pottery sector was a "difficult industry" at the moment and getting someone to take on a sizeable firm was a "difficult sell".Moorcroft, which had been trading for more than 100 years, was the third ceramics company to collapse since the start of the year, following Royal Stafford and Heraldic sparked further concerns about the future of the industry in the face of rising energy prices and falling sales. MPs, unions and workers have been calling on the government to support the sector, with meetings held with Williams, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, recently called on the government to "act now" to save the industry."What we can't have is any more of our pot banks going, it's part of what makes us a city. It's in our DNA," he said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ceramicists speak of fears for pottery industry
Ceramicists at a market in Staffordshire have spoken of their fears over the increasing pressures businesses are facing in the pottery industry. More than 60 traders attended a Ceramic Makers' Market at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday, the city council said. But business owners said they were worried after a number of pottery firms in the area closed recently, with job losses at Royal Stafford and Portmeiron last month. Ceramic maker Ian Minshull said the pottery industry was "difficult" at times due to factories announcing redundancies. Mr Minshull was made redundant from three separate ceramic firms before he started his own business, Black Star Ceramics, 10 years ago, but he said the industry was facing rising costs and bills. "The pressures that I'm under with my small business is mostly electric, the cost of electric is constantly going up, we're doing everything we can to subsidise that whether it's solar and batteries," he explained. "But it's the increase in the cost of glaze, the materials and we're having to pass that onto the customer." Mr Minshull said customers had been sympathetic and understanding but he was worried about the future of the industry. "Every day we're seeing businesses announcing that there's going to be job losses and that's concerning," he added. "The skills, they take so long to learn, to pass through generations and to just lose them overnight, it's quite scary." Another trader, Sarah Hallam, told the BBC the price of both bisque and glazed fire had increased in the last couple of years. "The industry is struggling to attract younger people because of all the redundancies they've made over the last 20 years, it doesn't look really attractive, " added Nathan Smallman from Sculpta Ceramics. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Throwdown judge hopeful for pottery industry Pottery museum to host ceramics market Ceramics worker says industry 'needs support now' Pottery firm with 200-year history goes bust Gladstone Pottery Museum Stoke-on-Trent City Council
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Some Royal Stafford staff set to return to work, liquidators say
Some workers from a pottery firm which collapsed last month could soon be returning to work, according to the firm's Recovery said plant and machinery owned by Royal Stafford, whose site in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, has a manufacturing history dating back more than 200 years, had been sold to TG Green & Co deal will mean some former workers getting their jobs back, although it is unclear how liquidators added that TG Green & Co Limited would use the Burslem site to manufacture Cornishware products previously made by Royal Stafford. "The sale concludes a period of high interest from various interested parties," a spokesperson added: "The sale is also resulting in employment for a number of former Royal Stafford workers and will, in the short term, provide ongoing occupancy of the former trading site in the heart of Burslem."Royal Stafford called in administrators on 25 February, resulting in the loss of more than 70 jobs, according to the GMB at the time, a union spokesperson said the firm's collapse was a "wake-up call" for the government and its industrial Griffiths, from the GMB, warned Britain could lose its ceramics and pottery industry without government intervention."Our ceramic and pottery industry is vital for economic growth and supports thousands of jobs across the UK," he Royal Stafford brand was established in 1845, but records indicate its Royal Overhouse Manufactory site was in use in 1787 and operated by Thomas Wedgwood, according to the firm's website. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent pottery museum to host ceramics makers' market
A ceramics market is returning to Stoke-on-Trent amid ongoing concern about the future of the event, at Gladstone Pottery Museum on Saturday, will be attended by contestants from The Great Pottery Throw Down and about 60 makers, the city council in the city's pottery industry called for more government support after Royal Stafford entered liquidation last month, with a second firm, Portmeirion, also confirming leader Jane Ashworth said the market would be a "fantastic event" for both aspiring potters and fans of the television pottery competition. She added the venue had hosted a number of similar events over the years, which were always popular."Our centenary year is in full swing right now so what better way to showcase our brilliant city than with an event that celebrates all things pottery," Ashworth added. Contestants Jonathan Jolly, Steve Brown and Natalie Simms from the latest series of The Great Pottery Throw Down are due to attend, alongside representatives from local firms Burslem Pottery and Scruffy Little Herbert. The ceramic makers' market will run from 11:00 GMT until 16:00. Entry is free of charge, with advance booking not will be stalls offering a range of clay artworks for sale, from traditional works to abstract will also be able to view a Great Pottery Throw Down exhibition which opened at the venue earlier this month as part of the city's 100th anniversary display features six bird baths the TV potters were challenged to create in episode seven of the show to reflect the area's industrial heritage, green spaces and waterways. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
