Every Spode piece begins the same way: with carefully prepared clay, shaped and refined through a process that combines skilled hands with precision manufacturing. From plates and mugs to teapots and bowls, the making of ceramics relies on the people behind every stage - craftspeople, decorators, kiln operators, finishers, and quality teams all working together to create pieces designed for your home.
In our Stoke-on-Trent factory, no two roles are the same. Some team members focus on forming the clay, ensuring consistency across hundreds of pieces each day, while others specialise in applying intricate patterns, glazing surfaces, or checking the quality on the final details. Together, these processes transform raw materials into the collections recognised and adored around the world as part of Spode’s long-standing ceramic heritage.
What is pottery made of?
Spode’s tried and tested recipe for earthenware pottery is one if the best in the industry. We use the finest materials to produce a clay formula that starts as an earthy brown colour, but results in a beautiful white body after firing. The clay ingredients are combined to create ceramics that are durable enough for everyday use while still allowing for the fine detail and smooth finish Spode designs are known for.
Shaping the Clay
The journey begins with raw clay being prepared and moulded into recognisable forms, from dinner plates and cereal bowls to mugs, teapots, and serving pieces. While the process is carefully controlled to ensure consistency, shaping ceramics still relies heavily on human skill and experience.
Each different shape is made using a model, created by a highly skilled Model Maker whose role requires seven years of training. Once a model has been turned into a mould, the piece can be crafted to ensure consistency.
Glazing and Firing
Once an item has been shaped, and handles have been added to mugs and teacups, the pieces are fired in the kiln for the first time at 1165°C for 12 hours. This first firing produces pieces known as biscuit ware – unglazed and undecorated ware.
Before glazing, the ceramic surface appears matte and relatively fragile. Glaze is applied to each Spode piece to protect the surface while also creating the smooth, glossy finish associated with finished tableware. We use a rock-hard, clear glaze to showcase the beauty of our ceramics. The glaze is applied either by machine or by hand, a highly skilled technique that involves dipping the ware into a vat of glaze and shaking off the excess.
Inside the kiln, a carefully controlled temperature of 1025°C permanently transforms the material, strengthening the body and bonding the glaze and any decoration to the surface. Timing and heat are critical throughout the process, as even small variations can affect colour, durability, and finish.
What is pottery glaze made of?
Pottery glaze is typically made from a blend of silica, minerals, and fluxes suspended in water. When fired in the kiln, these materials melt together to form a protective glass-like coating on the ceramic surface. Modern glazes are carefully developed for durability and food safety, while historic glaze recipes were often simpler and varied more widely between makers and regions.
Decorating Ceramics
Flatware, such as a plate, is commonly decorated by a printing machine, and this is applied straight to the biscuit piece before the glaze is added. The rich colour of the pattern is first spread across a pattern engraving and excess colour is taken away. A silicone pad then presses onto the engraving and over onto the biscuit piece, transferring the colour and print onto the ware.
For shapely pieces, the decoration is applied by hand by our talented lithographers. Transfer printing has long been part of Spode’s ceramic tradition, allowing intricate patterns to be applied consistently across a wide range of shapes and forms. The process involves transferring printed designs, known as transfers or lithographing decals, onto the ceramic surface by hand, requiring careful placement and attention to detail. The transfer is moistened and then quickly stretched and massaged onto the ware to ensure it is sitting precisely and all air bubbles are smoothed out.
Applying decoration to curved surfaces such as mugs, teapots, and bowls can be particularly challenging. Patterns must align correctly across edges, handles, and contours to ensure the finished design sits naturally on the piece. Maintaining the level of consistency across large production runs requires both precision and pace. Teams apply and check significant volumes of pieces throughout the day, relying on techniques refined through hands-on experience to maintain the accuracy and finish expected from every collection.
Final Quality Check
At this stage, attention to detail is essential. Teams, known as Selectors, inspect each piece closely for consistency in shape, glaze, decoration, and finish. Not only do they look and feel the product, but they also use a tool to listen to the product to ensure it makes the correct ‘ding’ sound. Any items that do not meet quality requirements are removed before reaching the final collection.
These finishing touches help connect the technical side of ceramic production with the craftsmanship behind every design, ensuring that each plate, mug, bowl, or teapot reflects the care and skill involved throughout the entire process.
Explore the pieces crafted by the hands behind every Spode design, shop our collections today.