An iconic British design, Cornishware has been supporting Britain’s cooks, bakers and tea makers for over 100 years and we’re proud to say it’s completely manufactured on British shores. Buy British!
100% of the range is made in England either through the third party pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, or at the new pottery down in Somerset.
Nestled in the picturesque West Country, their site employs over 30 passionate staff members, each contributing to the creation of their iconic stripes.
With their commitment to local craftsmanship, they have opened a unit which sees 50% of their casting process taking place right on site, while the remaining half is expertly handled in the renowned pottery hub of Stoke on Trent.
Cornishware is manufactured by T.G. Green who operated the pottery back in 1864. Rumour has it that he bought up an existing pottery factory while he was on his honeymoon with his new wife, Mary Tenniel who was actually the sister of Sir John, Tenniel, illustrator of Punch and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
However, historical records suggest Thomas Goodwin Green was actually offered a job at a pottery in Derbyshire (then Wileman’s pottery) from a chance meeting with Henry Wileman in Scarborough. Thomas and Mary were on honeymoon in the town. TG had just returned to England from 10 years in Australia, he returned to marry Mary, who detested Church Gresley and the area and refused to leave her home in London. Following the sudden death of Wileman within only a few months, Green operated the pottery in 1864 as manager and finally owned the pottery in 1872.
One of the company’s most popular lines was always Cornishware, which was first introduced in at least 1922, as ‘E-Blue,’ a set of 7 graduated jugs. The jugs and brand extended into kitchen and table wares in 1923 as a rebranded ‘Cornish Kitchen Ware’.
It was created using a nifty lathe-turning technique that scraped blue slip away from its beautiful ceramics to reveal white bands of clay beneath. Some say the distinctive stripes came about after an employee was inspired by the blue skies and white-crested waves of Cornwall.
However, nobody at the pottery, in a small village in Derbyshire, would have ever seen Cornwall, therefore the idea of blue skies and white crested waves in 1923 was impossible. There was no direct train to Cornwall, and it would have taken up to 3 days to get there. The real truth is in production. To create the blue bands by the lathe process, it needed a chemical process to take place. General Manager Mr Parker couldn’t get Derbyshire clay to adhere to Derbyshire clay. The bands peeled and cracked on firing. Mr Parker spent months and months trialling different clays to gain the perfect finish and it was the introduction of Cornish China Clay (Kaolin) that made the chemical reaction happen giving perfect lathed stripes, in honour of this remarkable find, Mr Parker named E-Blue, Cornish Kitchen Ware.
The appearance of those familiar blue and white stripes in children’s books, adverts, fashion magazines, collectors’ websites and homes all over the world is testament to Cornishware’s timeless design and enduring popularity.
From plates to cups to storage jars, Cornishware was such a roaring success that it soon became a household name, adorning dinner tables up and down the country.
From plates to cups to storage jars, Cornishware was such a roaring success that it soon became a household name, adorning dinner tables up and down the country.
In the 1960s, Cornishware’s look was updated by talented young designer, Judith Onions, and the restyled range was embraced as warmly as the originals. Over the past 20 years Onions’ designs, as well as the older ranges, have become highly prized by collectors, commanding ever-increasing prices.
Sadly, the story didn’t go as well for T.G.Green. As time went on, it became increasingly difficult for the Victorian pottery workshop to compete with modern industry. After a series of different owners tried their best the save the business but the company went into financial administration in 2007.
Production joint ventures with other UK ceramic manufacturers were sought to save the company but at a time when most UK producers were moving some or all of their production abroad to fend off stiff pricing competition from low wage economies overseas. In 2009, reluctantly, the new team started a short production abroad in an attempt to secure supply but remained committed to bringing production back to the UK.
Luckily, T.G.Green and Cornishware had fans in all the right places. Lifelong enthusiasts, Charles Rickards and Paul Burston, teamed up with designer and brand consultant, Perry Haydn Taylor, to come to the rescue.
The first Lockdown in 2020/21 brought its challenges and after a short period of closing the pottery, it reopened after 10 days running two shifts to facilitate social distancing guidelines. The future seemed very uncertain with many of their retailers closed for an undefined period. However, increased activity on social media drove online sales to new records and the business struggled with demand throughout the whole Covid era as the business doubled in size.
Thanks to their expertise, those wonderful stripes have been restored to their rightful position, and they once again 100% British made.
Most of the products sold are now made on their new site in the South West of England where the business now employs 30 very talented and committed people and led by Charles Rickards and his daughter Rebecca.
As a nod to the authenticity and dedication to local production, all items crafted on the West Country site bear a distinctive backstamp.
With many thanks to Dr Iain Hambling, Curating Historian at T.G.Green & Co Ltd for his help with this article. Dr Hambling runs the Museum, in Church Gresley, the original pottery home of the product.
Conservative Post readers are invited to visit the pottery and see how Cornishware is made. Meet the pottery team and have a go at painting your very own Cornishware plate. Tour and painting your own plate will take about an hour and the tour group will accommodate up to 6 people. You will also have a 10% off discount if you would like to shop onsite.
Find out more about Cornishware here: www.cornishware.co.uk
