My friend is a big fan of Emma Bridgewater's pottery, so we decided to stop at Stoke on our way to the Lake District from the Cotswolds. We were delayed in getting to Stoke because of train problems, but we managed to get here before they closed at 4 pm. It's only a couple of kilometers from the station, so it was a quick ride. We stopped at the café first as we were famished. They were at the end of their lunch service, but they still had some tomato soup, so we settled on that, a slice of sponge cake, and a couple of bottles of Elderflower Presse. The tomato soup was great. It didn't have cream, so definitely better for my tummy. It was piping hot too! The cake was perfect--moist and not too sweet even with that thin layer of jam. So glad they had Belvoir's Elderflower Presse. That and Fever Tree's Ginger Beer are favorites of mine. We shopped at both the regular store, and their "seconds" (imperfect pieces) store. As I'm traveling light (carry-on and backpack only), I got something small. I got a trio of egg stands from their regular shop, and a Christmas plate from their seconds shop. My friend also got a few things. Almost all her pottery are hand made, but all of them are hand-decorated. It's good to know that not all pottery is made in China! read more

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It's best to ring in advance and ensure yourself a 90 minute slot. I've been twice now, but I could happily go very regularly- you and your group if you have one are seated at a table (it's kid friendly, so sometimes there are some squealers on the one adjacent). You're charged for the piece of pottery you want to bake, and you can choose from several different pieces of biscuit from egg cups and mugs, to large platters and enormous tea pots. You're given a quick break down, and you can pencil and hand paint your own design, or use the selection of cute shape and letter stamps. Whilst you're there, there's also a lovely little coffee shop inside, where you can enjoy messy mugs of marshmallow topped hot chocolate inside, or decent coffee, which they will bring over to your table for you to quaff whilst you're creating. They'll tell you when your pieces will be glazed and fired, and if you're local, you can pick up, and if not, posted out in stacks of card and bubble wrap. read more

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Absolutely great fun. We visited Emma Bridgewater on a Sunday so the tours weren't running, but we thought it would still be fun to try our hand at painting our own version of one of their beautiful shapes using their curated colour pallette. We each painted a small mug and had a great time doing so. About 2 1/2 weeks later, the mugs arrived by post in the most over-the-top amount of wrapped/padded/boxed packaging ever. They clearly take safety of getting fragile items to their destination seriously. It's just a few pounds fee for 90 minutes to paint, which is definitely enough time to create something special. I really recommend visiting if you're in Stoke. read more

Emma Bridgewater - Arts & Crafts Near Me - Hanley, STE

We love Emma Bridgewater pottery and own quite a bit of it. This store is a fantastic place to buy first quality and second quality Emma Bridgewater pottery pieces. They have two stores, one that sells first quality and one that sells seconds. There is also a tea room here and the food was good. read more

Lots of fun for the little ones (and the big kids) decorating bowls, cups, teapots and the likes. Once decorated they'll send the end result to you (or you can collect) in approx 7 days. A short walk to the restaurant and you'll be greeted with the finest of 'cottage style' toasted sandwiches and cake! Can be a little expensive, but very friendly and a must for all... read more