It's exciting launching a new edition of tea cups, but there's no doubt it's delayed gratification.
Our previous manufacturer in Stoke decided to join a long line of famous names abandoning Britain to manufacture overseas. It's definitely cheaper to do that but I wasn't interested in following them. The whole point of this range - other than producing beautiful tea cups - is to show off the incredible heritage we have in this country when it comes to making ceramics. So, I started searching for a new team to work with and took the opportunity to bring in a few changes of my own.
First I changed the size to a more traditional one. I'm a fan of a well made flat white and the new size is just perfect for that. Then I decided to rethink the way we put the colour and design onto the bone china. This time they go on together and I've worked with the wonderful Tracy and her team at Fine Ceramic Transfers - in Stoke of course - who went through the painstaking process of testing how the colours would turn out using this new method.
Tracy creates a screen printed transfer of colour, pattern and the all important back stamps which let everyone know they are made in England. These prints go on to David and his team at Edwards and Lockett who glide them onto the tea cups and saucers, fire them and then pass them onto the gilders who hand paint the 24 carat gold onto the rims and handles. They're fired again and after a final check are ready to go.
It's taken months of testing at every stage, but at last the first few are out of the kiln and ready for you. I hope you love them as much as I do.
Sara
