Porcelain Purchasing and Chocolate

Don't know if they are 'true' seconds shops, but there is a good porcelain shop in Covent Garden and one in Windsor. And you can get Cadbury anywhere in London and at the airport for a decent price.

Not sure how far you are from Stoke on Trent but there are several factory outlets there, including one at the Wedgewood factory.

I was wondering about the Stoke on Trent locations. Are they true "outlets" for slightly imperfect pieces? Are the prices better than buying at one of the shops you see in towns like Windsor or at Covent Garden? Is there any company in particular that has great deals in their outlet shop?

If you are talking about Cadbury World then you are talking about the Birmingham suburbs. You will be as close to Worcester where Royal Worcester comes from. They have several areas of their shop, from full price moderate to very expensive first quality products to seconds of various degrees of imperfection, to unpainted products, all at very, very keen prices. The potteries both there and in Stoke are on a razor sharp knife edge. Many have already gone bust and most have started sourcing overseas. Whichever one you pick, and go with what you like, have a look online, they could really use your $$$, and it doesn't go to a middle man. On http://www.worcesterporcelainmuseum.org.uk/ is an introduction to the museum, well worth seeing in my opinion. On http://www.royalworcester.co.uk is a list of factory shops. It almost looks like the one in Worcester has gone, but the museum is still there, and there are several shops around the country. I'm short on time or I'd give you a better answer. When is the trip? Or are you here now?

I'm in Leicester now but was thinking of going to Birmingham on Saturday, November 19th on my way to a couple days in the Cotswolds. Stoke is about 1.5 hours out of my way between Leicester and Birmingham, so if there is porcelain closer to Birmingham, I'd rather go there. As far as Cadbury, I've already been on the tour years ago, but my family had so much fun with the misshapen pieces and "seconds" that they wanted me to bring some of those home, rather than the perfect little boxes sold at Sainsbury's and Heathrow. I'm hoping they still sell Seconds in Birmingham.

Check carefully before you buy English Bone China. Some years ago many company bean counters decided that it would be cheaper to have it made in eastern Europe and the East eg Thailand (Royal Doulton) or China. As well as still charging premium prices, they completely missed the USP of the product! There are still some English factories but you need to do your homework because, on company websites, it is not easy to identify which items are actually made in England. In a shop just turn it over! Sorry to be so negative but I feel quite strongly about the destruction of this industry by people who "know the price of everything but the value of nothing" (misquoting Oscar Wilde?). Nowadays if I have to replace any items I look on Ebay or on-line second hand sites.

Linda, You raise a very important point. As I was composing my answer earlier today I referred to the Royal Worcester website. Now a part of Portmerion, along with all sorts of other iconic names such as Spode and Waterford Crystal it is a shock to see the museum still at Worcester but no sign of the tour I used to take people on or the factory outlet there. Many hours happily spent wandering Worcester listening to the magnificent bells of Worcester Cathedral while my wife, or other rellies or friends, scrounged through the acres of shop. I don't know what Kathryn will find if she goes there. Same with the Potteries area around Stoke-on-Trent. I saw a few months ago that because the Wedgwood pension fund has had so many troubles the new owners are considering breaking up the museum there and selling the priceless (can you sell priceless? I guess so) items, mostly overseas. As far as Cadbury's choccie I have just spoken with them (0121 451 4444 9am to 5 pm) and they assure me that there is still an outlet at the factory in Bournville (take a train from New Street station in Birmingham to either Redditch or Longbridge and get off at the 4th stop, Bournville - the station is painted in Cadbury purple - and go directly across under the tracks). There is also one at Gloucester Quays near the Cotswolds, and one in Swindon at the outlet mall there, near the southern Cotswolds and Bath. There are others, too - have a google.

Nigel - until recently I thought Portmeirion was one of the last potteries manufacturing entirely in England but, because I did not follow my own advice, inadvertently bought an item made in China! Very depressed!

China made in China! How awful! Note: I have not had my life destroyed by the disappearance of a manufacturing base.

Linda, I am thinking your quotation is from G.B. Shaw, not Oscar Wilde.

I'm tossing my money on it being Wilde.

I believe that is Oscar Wilde's definition of a cynic.

Thank you all for your assistance with my questions. I certainly appreciate it. I believe I will be visiting this factory store: http://www.burleigh.co.uk/index.php It clearly says all porcelain is still made right in Stoke on Trent. Unfortunately, the other companies seemed to muddy the waters as to whether they make their items here in the UK or in cheaper countries, so Burleigh will get my business. Thanks!

Burleigh is a new one on me, Kathryn, it looks really nice (my wife says we'd better set a trip to go and look {yeah - I know what "look" means} at it) and the visitor environment sounds really pleasant, doesn't it? I hope that works out really well for you....

Kathryn - while not wishing to take business away from a traditional English manufacturer, you do realise that they make earthenware products not porcelain or bone china?

Yes, sorry, I shouldn't have referred to porcelain in my latest post. Burleigh does make earthenware. Unfortunately, the other companies in the Stoke area just did not make it easy to determine if their pieces were made in England or other countries, and I just can't see myself spending time in a factory shop flipping over pieces to see their country of origin. It seems easier to go to Burleigh and just know that everything is made in-country. If anyone knows of a company that still manufactures bone china in England, I would definitely be open to visiting that shop, as well.