Welcome to the World of Wedgwood

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the World of Wedgwood in Stoke on Trent with the Amara interior blog awards team and a lovely group of bloggers. A 5am start to make it to Euston station to meet the group – it was so lovely to finally meet Karen and the team from Amara Living who greeted me with a steaming cappuccino. I knew everyone from the group either via email or through their blog and social media, but had only met a handful and so was really looking forward to getting to know my fellow bloggers some more. Two hours on the train later and a short cab ride through the picturesque Staffordshire countryside, we had arrived at the World of Wedgwood.

Josiah Wedgwood

Starting our tour in the factory we saw the process of clay being thrown to mould it before going into a biscuit kiln for 9.5 hours. Once clay has been fired, it’s known as ‘biscuit’ and is translucent when held up to the light. After a glaze has been applied, the plates, cups, teapots etc. go into the glost kiln (which is hotter than lava) for 6-8 hours. This process gives the bone china a smooth and glass-like finish – although it also makes the bone china very durable and tough too.

The finished items can shrink by 13% during firing and Wedgwood have this down to a fine art after years of experimentation. They can tell how much an item will shrink by the temperature of the kiln. If an item isn’t absolutely perfect, it won’t go to the next stage of processing.

A brand created in 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood, they have since grown to be an iconic British brand with Waterford and Royal Doulton PLC also under their belt. What is the secret of the Wedgwood success? Innovation, creativity and a team of highly skilled designers who really know their stuff! The craftsmanship on display is really inspiring – these people have the steadiest hands ever!

Lee is painting a section of the Borghese vase which has a retail value of £50,000. 22 kt gold dust is mixed with oil so that it can be hand painted, after firing the oil evaporates just leaving the gold behind.

Every piece is hand-painted by some of the finest ceramic artists – the wild strawberry range here is a Wedgwood best-seller in Asia.

After the factory tour we headed over to the museum which is filled with over 250 years of Wedgwood history. There are so many ground breaking designs that the collection is UNESCO protected. Here’s what I found out about Wedgwood…

5 things you probably didn’t know about the World of Wedgwood

1. Many of the decorative plates hold historical value and depict snapshots in time. The National Trust often call on the Wedgwood museum for images of their buildings as they were drawn by Wedgwood artists over the years. I love these pates illustrating New Engalnd industries such as lobstering, grist milling and sugaring.

2. 14,500 pieces are cast every week.

After our spending a few hours in the factory and museum – we were ready for a spot of afternoon tea… Wedgwood style. The tea room décor is simply stunning and inspired by the Wedgwood Hibiscus range. We had finger sandwiches, scones and delicate little cakes as well as some delicious Wedgwood tea – I went for a black tea with peach and flowers. Seriously though, check out the interiors here… the beautiful wall coverings, brass mirrors, grey walls and lighting are perfection.

After tea, we had time to wander around a little before getting our hands dirty. One group went off to do some plate designing and I was with the group which did some clay throwing! I’d never done anything like this before and had such a blast – it really makes you appreciate the skill involved in making ceramics. With some (quite a bit of) help, I managed to actually make something that resembles a vase! I’d definitely recommend a trip to the World of Wedgwood – a great day out! Huge thanks to Wedgwood and Amara Interior blog awards : )

Natalia xo