Spotlight on: Emma Bridgewater.

We pack a lot of things into our shop, online and in real life. We try our best to make sure that when you visit us you know that you’ll be able to find a gift for pretty much anyone, or even a little something for yourself. We carefully research and hand-pick which brands we stock and ensure that what we offer to you is a carefully curated selection of things we would love and use ourselves or give as a gift to a friend or family member. We also hope that you find something that you wont find in every other shop you visit. We like to be a bit different aswell you see!

But there’s a lot to keep track of! So we thought it might be quite nice to pick out a few of our brands from time to time; and to share a little bit more about them. If you know them already and have bought their products before – from us or somewhere else - then you might just learn something new. And if you have never heard of them or they’re a new-to-you find, then lucky you because you’re in for a treat and you might just find a few extra things sneaking into your shopping basket. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

This time we’d love to introduce you to the beautiful Emma Bridgewater.

I’m sure we don’t have to tell you what it is that Emma Bridgewater is so well-known for really but do you know what? Indulge us by letting us tell you about how it all began for one of our all-time favourite brands and quite frankly the cream of the crop when it comes to British ceramics.

Emma Bridgewater the brand was born in the mid Eighties. A year or so earlier Emma was working in London and on the look-out for a special birthday present for her mother. She’d envisioned a pair of beautiful cups and saucers that might say something like ‘I love you’ and ‘I miss you’ on them. But at that time she could only find extremely dainty or formal and robust china. She wanted something that would really capture the warmth and welcoming feel of her mother’s kitchen back home in North Oxford and something she could already imagine fitting right in on her beloved kitchen dresser.

Disillusioned with what was on offer there was only one thing for it: She would have to make her own china. With no experience whatsoever she was kindly pointed in the direction of Stoke-on-Trent. And the rest, as they say is history and Emma Bridgewater was born not long after in 1985.

Emma Bridgewater makes playful, pretty and practical crockery inspired by the small joys of everyday life. Using traditional Staffordshire cream coloured earthenware, each piece is lovingly handmade and hand painted in the brand’s factory in Stoke-On-Trent, known as the home of British Ceramics. At the brand’s core is a desire to create charming, very British designs that are a pleasure to own and use not just on special occasions but every single day.

Nowadays Emma Bridgewater has expanded its range and you can now enjoy its now iconic and quintessentially British designs on all manner of things including fabrics, wallpapers, picnicware and on glass – to name just a few!

WHY DO WE STOCK THEM?

It’s a no brainer really. If you’ve ever been into visit us in person you might know that David was born in Staffordshire and because of that has always had a great appreciation for ceramics. Some might say it’s in his blood! It’s a brand that fits right in with us here at Ashbridge and Brown. The fact that each and every piece is still handmade and decorated right here in the UK and in Stoke-on-Trent to this day is a real testament to a brand that has remained true to it’s original values and ethos from the start. We love that Emma Bridgewater is timeless and collectable and doesn’t date. We also love the beautiful details in each piece that make them feel extra special but also something that you can pick up and use each day. Each year we really look forward to their new designs and love hand-picking our favourites to showcase for you all in the shop.

PERFECT FOR…

The best bit about Emma Bridgewater is that it’s designed to be used! Each piece is thoughtfully designed and crafted and just feels really beautiful to hold. Because of that it makes great everyday use just as much as it does for a special gift. Emma Bridgewater have a real knack of really ‘speaking’ to their customers through each collection and because of that you can often find really special gifts unlike anywhere else. Their popular 1/2 pint mugs look just as pretty arranged on a sideboard for all to see as they do filled up with hot tea and used each and every single day.

FAVOURITE PRODUCTS…

Now then that’s a hard one. Product-wise we’d probably opt for the 1/2 pint mug – simply because we couldn’t drink our daily brew in anything else! But as for specifics, we really love this year’s ‘Rainbow Toast’ range. It couldn’t be more apt for the year we’ve all had and the quotes are just beautiful. Being big on getting our hands in the soil as much as we can we also love the ‘Flower’ collection and stock up on a few varieties each season. This year we love the Daffodil, Iris and small Sweetpea mug. We’re also big bird lovers and can never resist adding a few new items from the Birds collection either. A favourite…? The ‘Garden Birds’ mug has got the most beautiful detail.

We could go on but we’ve a feeling you get the jist. Shop the rest of our beloved Emma Bridgewater collection HERE. Let us know if you love it as much as us and if so what are your favourite pieces!