Portmeirion Group’s CEO has urged the Government to deliver its promised £120 million support package for the UK ceramics industry, warning that further delays will put more historic brands and skilled jobs at risk.
Michael Scheepers has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of next week’s Budget calling for clarity on when funding will reach manufacturers and demanding further action to tackle soaring energy costs encountered by the sector.
The letter, dated yesterday (19 October), says the industry is still waiting for clarity on how and when money will be allocated from the Ceramics Industry Support Scheme.
The scheme promised investment in energy efficiency and decarbonisation, alongside operational support for eligible businesses facing increased costs when it was announced in May.
The CEO says that, beyond a roundtable meeting with the Department for Business and Trade in September, the industry has heard little about how the support will be delivered.
He wrote: “In a recent speech you described yourself as a “staunch defender of the Potteries” and recognised the ceramics sector’s crucial importance. Whilst those words are welcome, it is vital they are translated into timely, long-term support or we risk losing further iconic British brands and hundreds more highly skilled industrial jobs.”
The letter points to the closure or administration of historic ceramics firms such as Denby since April 2024 as evidence of the pressures facing the sector, alongside higher energy bills, employment costs and the administrative burden of accessing financial support.
It describes the Budget as an opportunity for the Government to “demonstrate that its reindustrialisation agenda extends beyond warm words.”
Portmeirion has also renewed an invitation for the Prime Minister to visit the company’s Stoke-on-Trent factory to see the skills, craftsmanship and people behind brands including Portmeirion, Spode and Royal Worcester.
The firm employs more than 700 people and says it is taking steps to increase domestic manufacturing through its Made in Stoke strategy, launched in 2025.
Production is being brought back from China and the UK output of branded tableware is being significantly increased.
During the last financial year, the company produced an additional 280,000 branded pieces in Stoke, a 7% increase.
It is also preparing to relaunch Royal Worcester in 2027, while investors backed its growth plans through a share issue in June.
How do you think the new £120 million national fund will affect the competitiveness of Staffordshire’s ceramics industry? Considering the challenges faced by local manufacturers, what specific criteria should be prioritized to ensure the funding leads to sustainable growth and innovation?