Our Kind of Tea Cup

The Potteries are Back

Reports of the death of The Potteries have been greatly exaggerated. The world-renowned ceramic hub in Stoke-on-Trent, England, seemed destined to lose its entire raison d'etre through a combination of offshoring and cheap foreign competition. Some of the biggest names in ceramics abandoned the city and its people — and their own legacy — through short-sighted managerial decisions. They paid dearly.

Increasing recognition of the craft and the intrinsic quality of the Staffordshire-made product helped the city and the industry fight back. People are now more informed and recognise the benefit of manufacturing in Stoke using techniques passed down through generations of skilled Staffordshire potters raised on a diet of Wrights Pies and Arnold Bennett.

Damn You!

Bennett on the people of The Potteries, who he described as 'all sentiment and crushed tenderness' beneath the cold exterior:

We are of the North, incredibly, ruthlessly independent, and eager to say 'Damn you' to all the deities at the least hint of condescension.

It's a pity the city couldn't preserve its unique skyline of 'pot banks' and bottle kilns. Unique in the world. And now almost completely demolished. Silly council. I'm glad the county has its own Staffordshire Day though. I suggested each county should have a day like we do in Somerset. Does yours?

Good Show Sarah Smith

Designer Sara Smith is inspired by the countless creative designs from the myriad potteries that were in existence in the heyday of Bennett's 'Five Towns' (actually six). She designed the range of  tea cups and saucers you see here to charm the contemporary tea drinker who is appreciative of such a design heritage. That's you and me, dear reader.

Sarah's cup and saucers are made from bone china by a Staffordshire pottery established in 1775. To appreciate tea at its best, it has to be drunk from a Staffordshire bone china cup. Countless trials have proved this time and time again.

Sarah's cups are a decent size too. Vintage tea cups can be a tad on the small size unless you keep a full teapot next to them. These cups can hold a decent cup of tea.

If I had to choose a colour, though they look best all-together, I think it would be the Chartreuse green for no other reason than I enjoy Chartreuse and so does Anthony Blanche. I'm fairly certain he would like these cup and saucers too. You wouldn't get him drinking out of a chipped mug.

Banish Barbarism

Look at the charming detail. You could be enjoying your tea from one of these cups each morning. What a treat. A small but significant addition to an improved quality of life. And they positively dare you to be civil.