and Country Living’s 40 Best Artisans 2025
At the award ceremony in November the eight makers chosen for the mentorship were gifted a personalised Emma Bridgewater mug
At the end of last year we were selected as one of Country Living Magazine’s 40 Best Artisans 2025, and on top of that, we were also chosen as one of just eight makers to receive a personal mentorship with Emma Bridgewater.
This recognition has felt like a huge milestone in our journey, and a great honour to be celebrated for our values of craftsmanship, care, and a deep connection to the materials and traditions that inspire our work.
2025 marked Country Living magazine’s 40th birthday. For four decades, the magazine has been dedicated to supporting makers, preserving heritage crafts, and sharing the stories of those who create. To commemorate this milestone, the brand launched a special initiative designed to spotlight the very best of British craftsmanship, with dame Emma Bridgewater, who started her brand the same year, serving as awards patron.
Seeking small businesses, makers and producers across a range of artisanal and heritage crafts, the team received hundreds of applications from across the UK.
A panel of Country Living editors and industry experts undertook a rigorous judging process, carefully reviewing each entry to identify those with a clear passion for craftsmanship, quality and sustainability, from potters and textile artists to weavers, cheesemakers and blacksmiths.
A Celebration of British Craft
Emma Bridgewater - from her website emmabridgewater.co.uk
“We believe everyday kitchen china sits right at the heart of our lives, and that each cup, bowl, jug, and plate holds our personal stories, reflecting shared moments, enriching us as we eat and drink together. Each design starts as a deeply felt personal response to what we love in the world around us.”
— Emma Bridgewater
These values, central to the Emma Bridgewater brand, are those shared among all craft makers. The physical and intellectual creative investment in the pieces we make to contribute to daily life connects us in the past, present and future, to our community, landscape, and the materials we work with.
An Unforgettable Opportunity
The eight of us chosen for the mentorship were recently invited to spend a day at the Emma Bridgewater factory, to see behind the scenes and learn more about the history of pottery in Stoke-on-Trent. We glimpsed some new designs and business strategies, learning about how Emma and CEO Iain Martin are nurturing and strengthening the Emma Bridgewater brand, which currently employs 350 people making pots in Stoke-on-Trent.
It was inspiring to witness their dedication to British manufacturing. Although the brand operates at an entirely different scale to Carpenter & Cloth (which in absolute honesty felt hugely daunting!) it was both motivating in terms of what possibilities may lay ahead for us and deeply affirming in the choices we have made this far in how and why we want to do things differently.
Honouring the Past, Inspiring the Future
Ultimately, to be recognised among such an inspiring group of makers is an honour, but the significance of these awards extends beyond recognition.
The mechanisation and growth of industry has let our understanding of craft slip into being predominantly a leisure activity. As valuable as that is, if it can’t have priority in peoples lives, such skills and knowledge will be lost.
This award celebrates crafts that are at risk of fading from view, and supports artisans who are not only preserving tradition but evolving it for contemporary audiences.
As Country Living reflects on 40 years of storytelling and craftsmanship, the awards stand as a fitting tribute to the makers who have always been at the heart of the brand; a celebration of the past, and a commitment to supporting the future of British craftsmanship.
Thank You
But, all of that aside, we wouldn’t be here without the support of our customers, community, and everyone who believes in the value of handmade work. Thank you for being part of our journey — we owe this recognition as much to your support as our own hard work.
Here’s to continuing to create, learn, and celebrate craftsmanship together.