Portmeirion's Chief Executive Warns More British Potteries Could Close Without Promised Support

The teacups and dinner plates on many British tables may have a harder future than their owners realise. Michael Scheepers, chief executive of Portmeirion, the Stoke-on-Trent business behind Spode, Portmeirion and Royal Worcester, has warned that more of the country's potteries could go under without urgent help, This is Money reported on 17 October.

His warning arrives after a difficult year for a craft that has shaped British homes for centuries. Here is what he said, what the government says in reply, and why it matters well beyond the Potteries.

What Portmeirion's chief executive is asking for

Scheepers wants ministers to confirm the details of a £120 million support package for the ceramics sector that was announced in May. He has also called for more ceramics firms to be included in the British Industrial Supercharger scheme, which offers relief on electricity bills and green levies. According to This is Money, only around 10 per cent of Britain's roughly 100 potteries currently qualify.

He did not mince his words. "Good intentions don't pay the mortgages of our employees," he told the publication, adding that good intentions do not keep businesses running or pay energy bills. He has written to the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, inviting him to tour the factory and see the craftsmanship for himself.

Why the sector is under pressure

The pressures are familiar to any manufacturer, but they bite hard in ceramics, where kilns run on large amounts of energy. This is Money reported that the industry's troubles have been blamed on UK energy prices, among the highest in Europe, along with tax rises and increases to the minimum wage.

The toll is already visible. Denby, the 217 year old Derbyshire pottery, fell into administration in March with the loss of 600 jobs, and Burleigh was rescued by a former Burberry boss in June. Historic England figures cited in the report show Stoke-on-Trent had around 200 factories in the 1970s and has about 30 today.

Scheepers was keen to stress that the industry is not simply asking for a handout. He said manufacturers are willing to adopt cleaner technology, but energy costs leave British firms at a significant disadvantage as they try.

Apprentices and the hand-made argument

One of the more striking points in the interview concerns young people. Portmeirion did not run its apprenticeship academy last year, which would normally take on around ten people a year. Scheepers said apprenticeships have become prohibitively expensive and the scheme too complex for many firms in the sector.

He also made a case for craft as a source of future jobs. "No Artificial Intelligence is coming to make mugs and plates," he said, pointing out that much of the work is still done by hand. The apprenticeship question is live in Westminster too: The Guardian reported the same day that ministers are considering changes to apprenticeship funding in England to encourage firms to train younger workers.

What the government says

A government spokesman told This is Money that the ceramics industry is an important part of the UK's industrial story and that the £120 million fund is a crucial part of its plan to reindustrialise the country, helping manufacturers to modernise, grow and stay competitive. In September, the Prime Minister described himself as a staunch defender of the Potteries.

The disagreement, then, is less about whether the sector matters and more about timing and detail. Firms want the money confirmed and the eligibility rules widened before more of them run out of road.

Why it matters to the rest of us

British tableware is part of the country's domestic heritage. A Spode pattern or a Royal Worcester piece is often the china that comes out for Sunday lunch, wedding lists and family occasions, and many of those designs carry generations of specialist skill. In his letter, Scheepers warned that Britain risks losing heritage brands, specialist skills and the industrial jobs that sustain communities such as Stoke-on-Trent.

For readers who care about that heritage, there are small things that help. Check the backstamp to see where a piece was made, consider British pottery when choosing a gift or a wedding list, and look after the china you already own. Whether the support package arrives in time is a matter for government, but the market for well made British ceramics is something every household helps to decide.