Emma Bridgewater talks industry after 25 years

An iconic British brand with a traditional heart and soul, Emma Bridgewater celebrates 25 years in business tomorrow. Launched in 1985, the business has gone from strength to strength, while continuing to support the best of British design, talent and old school hand-made manufacturing values. A rarity in an industry that has for the most part outsourced design and manufacturing abroad, Emma Bridgewater tells The Good Web Guide why she would like to see a second Industrial Revolution.

My mother was and is my greatest inspiration… She kind of wrote the book on kitchen living. Her style was very lovely and very attractive. She was onto the idea very early on that you live in the kitchen so it's got to be easy and laid back.

When I first started the business in 1985… the whole industry hung itself on continuity and the promise that if someone bought one of their dinner services, they'd replace tea-pot lids and saucers till kingdom come. We say, well, if we can we will, but if we can't, don't worry, you can use something else. It's very pleasing to see how that notion has caught fire.

I would like to see a second Industrial Revolution… of intelligent product development and design, energy use and proper integration between excellent art schools. We've still got an industrial base here. It's just that no-one's looked at it for 20 years, or thought about it, except to wave their hands airily as they go past. It's so wrong, so wrong.

Our factory is not really a factory… I love the ‘f' word, but it's a workshop. I have to face it. These are people who have great skills, which really need preserving. They also have a very significant attitude in that they're very proud of what they do and very committed to it. That's what a tradition really means.

No-one's been interested in where our stuff was made until the last few years… There's a different mood at the moment. So much of it is going, going, gone. There's no more glass, there's no more tin - there's just cutlery. Now people are interested.

The price of our pottery is what it is, based on what it costs to make… If you go and buy the same thing half price elsewhere, then someone else is paying the price - some child, some river, some flock of swifts. It's not a genuine reduction. It's an artificial reduction. It's just exploiting undeveloped legislation in developing countries.

Matthew (my husband) and I design everything… we decide the shapes, we draw the patterns out, and we know our customers quite well, so we're interacting with people. Giving the customer the courtesy of designing something for her has become, sadly, rather unique.

Books on the early designs of Susan Williams-Ellis at Portmeirion are… such a delight. She was prolific, so enthusiastic, so original, and there's this marvellous wealth of ideas. That has become something really quite extraordinary.

For my 25th anniversary… The Stoke-on-Trent museum, which I've drawn on enormously for inspiration, is doing a retrospective. It's an endorsement and the idea of that endorsement is very lovely. We're having a drinks party at the opening of that.

My older two children are quite gripped by the idea of taking over… but I've realised I'm only in my 40s, so I say, ooh yes, but I think you ought to go off and do something of your own first. It's not an urgent situation.

The Emma Bridgewater 25th birthday products include a limited edition ‘Silver Toast' design - a new take on the signature ‘Black Toast' - and ‘Silver Union Jack' - both available in ½ pint mug (Silver Toast £19.95, Silver Union Jack £24.95). Each are made with Bright Platinum paint. For those true collectors there is also a limited issue of 250 solid silver baby mugs (£350). Products are available online at www.emmabridgewater.co.uk.

Emily Jenkinson

27 May 2010