Much-loved pottery firm suddenly closes after 128 years

1 May, 2025 | Admin | No Comments

Much-loved pottery firm suddenly closes after 128 years

Moorcroft Potteries outside of the building. — Moorcroft Pottery has been an important part of Stoke-on-Trent since it was founded in 1897 (Picture: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

An iconic pottery firm has gone bust after more than 100 years of trading.

Moorcroft Pottery, based in Stoke-on-Trent at the heart of the UK’s pottery region, has shut with immediate effect, putting 57 people out of work.

Directors had warned of job cuts in March and worked to find a buyer in the weeks leading to the closure.

Bosses said in a statement: ‘The company faces an increase in energy and other costs, in a difficult trading environment with a global cost of living crisis. This has resulted in a seemingly unsustainable financial position.

‘The board of directors wishes to thank each employee for their unique heritage skills and commitment to the art pottery during a very challenging economic period.

‘The directors have pursued every avenue possible to save the business, however they have been left with no other option than to engage the services of a local insolvency firm to place the company into liquidation.’

Woman painting a ceramics pot. — The pottery industry has been at the heart of Stoke since the 1700s (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 22: The remaining kilns of Gladstone Pottery, Longton on October 25, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. At the height of the Potteries industry, the Stoke-on-Trent skyline was dominated by over 2000 bottle kilns. Now fewer than 50 remain. Kilns is a year long photography project by photographer Gareth Copley documenting the last remaining bottle kilns of the six towns that make up the city of Stoke on Trent. Stoke on Trent grew to be the centre of ceramic production from the early 17th century and became home to many famous names including Burleigh, Doulton, Minton, Moorcroft, Twyford, and Wedgwood. The uniquely shaped bottle kilns where the firing of the pottery took place were used until the mid-twentieth century. The end for the bottle kiln came in 1963, when the Clean Air Act of 1956 came into full force and the reign of the coal fired bottle oven was over. The remaining handful of kilns are looked back on by some romantically as a symbol of when Stoke-on-Trent???s potbanks shipped ceramics all around the world. However not everyone looks back on the kilns as fondly, novelist Arnold Bennett compared the black smoke atmosphere created by the bottle kilns in Longton to be akin to Hell. Each remaining kiln is a 'listed building'. Some of the kilns have been beautifully restored, redeveloped and given a new lease of life as museums, visitor attractions and business centres. Sadly there's a handful of them that stand derelict and unloved. The exhibition opens at The Centre Space Gallery at Spode Heritage Centre in Stoke on 21st November and runs for two weeks. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) — The remaining kilns of Gladstone Pottery, Longton, pictured in Stoke on Trent, England (Picture: Getty Images)

Union organiser Chris Hoof told Metro: ‘The closure of Moorcroft is devastating news for workers and their families, but, unfortunately, it’s not a surprise.

‘The government must act and act now to support the ceramics sector and protect workers in this sector.’

Moorcroft was founded in 1897 and by 1928 it was appointed as Potter to HM The Queen during the reign of George V and Mary.

Queen Elizabeth II added Moorcroft designs into the Royal Collection and the company won many prestigious international awards.

Reflecting on the collapse of Moorcroft, a spokesman from the British Ceramic Confederation said: ‘This regrettable news underscores the significant challenges currently facing the UK ceramics sector, including soaring energy costs, increased international competition, and a difficult trading environment.

‘These pressures are making it increasingly difficult for even established and celebrated manufacturers to remain viable.

‘Ceramics UK is actively engaging with the government and relevant stakeholders to highlight the urgent need for support for our vital industry.’

Outside building of Moorcroft Potteries. — Organisations are calling for more support for businesses like Moorcroft (Picture: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Rise and fall of an industry

The pottery industry in Stoke traces its roots back to the mid-17th century, thanks to an abundance of clay.

There was a boom in the yearly 1700s and by World War Two, half the town’s population was employed in the industry.

However, over recent decades, there has been significant decline with the closures of Dudson in 2019, Wade in 2023, Johnsons Tiles in 2024, and Royal Stafford in February.

The collapse of the industry has been put down to:

the rise of mass production
not enough people with the right skills
Lack of support for small business

Despite the bleak outlook for the industry, Stoke-on-Trent retains its status as the World Capital of Ceramics.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Much-loved pottery firm suddenly closes after 128 years

1 May, 2025 | Admin | No Comments