emma bridgewater tour and afternoon tea

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How to visit the Emma Bridgewater factory

From fantastic tours to afternoon tea

Located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, the Emma Bridgewater factory is the hub of design and manufacturing for the iconic British pottery brand. And given that they produce almost two million pieces of pottery each year, expect to see plenty of activity. If you love Emma Bridgewater as much as we do, then you make room for this in your calendar next year.

Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about visiting the Emma Bridgewater factory:

Emma Bridgewater factory tours

Emma bridgewater factory decorating studio, emma bridgewater factory experiences, emma bridgewater factory shop, gift shop and cafe.

Emma Bridgewater afternoon tea

Every day at 2pm, the Emma Bridgewater factory cafe hosts afternoon tea , with tasty sandwiches, homemade cakes and scones, all of which are served on their beautiful cake stands, along with a pot of tea. Those visiting can choose between traditional, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free treats.

Booking is required and it costs £20 per person. You can also treat a loved one to an afternoon tea experience with one of their Afternoon Tea for Two gift vouchers.

Join an Emma Bridgewater factory tour for a peek into the action. Each tour lasts around one hour and is available on weekday mornings at 10am – apart from on Wednesdays which are designated to school visits. Tours cost £8.

The tour is wheelchair accessible and any customer who requires a companion to accompany them can also request a free carers ticket in advance. In addition to the factory tours, carers tickets are available for factory tours, experiences, decorating studio sessions, workshops and other paid-for activities.

Did you know that each piece of pottery is touched by 30 pairs of hands before it reaches a customer? Well, on the tour you'll get to see some of the 200 highly skilled staff who work at the factory, to discover exactly how a lump of clay is transformed into a beautiful hand-decorated mug, plate or jug.

You can also upgrade your tour ticket to include breakfast or afternoon tea, making it a great idea for a special day out.

BOOK A EMMA BRIDGEWATER FACTORY TOUR

Always wanted to create your own unique design? Well, you can get help from the team to do exactly that in the decorating studio. A great family activity or way to let your creativity flow, there are a range of different daily decorating sessions to choose from.

There’s even the option to create a sweet memento of your little one with the Baby Prints Experience, which allows you to stamp your child's hand and/or footprint onto one of the 10-and-a-half-inch plates.

The Decorating Inspiration slot also includes a highlight tour of the factory decorating department too. A £2.95 studio fee applies to each person and should be booked in advance, while pottery pieces start from £10.

The Emma Bridgewater factory also offers a range of different experiences, many of which are seasonal, meaning you can look forward to the impending holidays of Christmas , Easter and more while at the factory.

Some of the experiences include a Christmas card screen printing workshop, a Christmas wreath-making workshop, as well as a decorating experience where you can choose a piece of pottery to decorate.

You can also add afternoon tea or a full English breakfast – with vegan and vegetarian options – to many of the experiences to make them even more special.

As you might expect, there's a gift shop selling a wide range of wonderful pieces. Don't miss visiting the factory shop, where you'll find discontinued patterns and the occasional highly collectible sample. If you’re looking for a bargain or special piece, you'll certainly want to visit it.

You may have already stopped by the cafe to enjoy breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea, but you can also stop in for a tea, coffee and cake and relax by the polka dot Aga. There’s also a beautiful walled garden too, if the weather permits.

16 Christmas decorating ideas taken from dreamy country homes

The Christmas kitchen

A simple string of lights and some wooden stars are enough decoration for this country kitchen. A tree is wonderful if space allows, but hanging your decorations above your head or propping them on shelves is a bit more practical.

Read more: 31 country kitchen ideas to fall in love with

Small festive nods

Lights4fun are a really reliable source for Christmas lights that are a bit more interesting than standard fairy lights – LED snowflakes, tree candles, illuminated garlands and even a sweet LED Christmas duck.

Pictured: Osby Snowflake Christmas Window Light at Lights4fun

Paper decorations

If the usual gold and silver of Christmas doesn't quite suit your home, paper decorations made of colourful illustrated paper – wrapping paper or even wallpaper samples would work – are a lovely bespoke solution.

Read more: The best recyclable wrapping paper for a more sustainable Christmas

Decorating with cards

While greeting cards are a typical Christmas decoration, adding them to a bed frame with ribbon is a nice touch, and can be replicated just about anywhere in the home.

Read more: 92 merry Christmas wishes to write in greeting cards

The scene stealer

You really can't beat the drama of a real Christmas tree , especially in a space as large as this. Something of this size calls for a lovely mismatch of decorations collected over many years, rather than a neat and coordinated arrangement.

Read more: Rent a Christmas tree: How tree renting works

Sweet bedroom decorations

Paper chains are a sweet and low-effort way to decorate a child's bedroom – and of course, little ones can be recruited to make their own.

Read more: The most popular bedroom colours

Festive foliage

A winter arrangement will always be light on flowers, and so velvet ribbons, tassels and a length of LED lights make for a fitting alternative.

Read more: Christmas foliage ideas for decorating your home

DIY decorations

Another DIY project to keep little ones busy in the run-up to Christmas. These lovely articulated characters can perch on picture frames, mirrors and windowsills.

Read more: 14 wooden Christmas decorations for a natural look

The Christmas table

Create a centrepiece overhead instead of taking up valuable space on the Christmas table. Baubles have been added to this hanging garland, and LED candles would make a nice match.

Read more: 12 autumn garlands to style up your home

Christmas in colour

It's not all red and gold. This cheerful living room makes a compelling case for using lots of colour at Christmas. Note the fabulous oversized ribbon on the door, too.

Read more: The most popular living room colours

Decorating the pantry

Some spaces need little more than a garland and a plate of mince pies. What a wonderful way to organise and display your Christmas ingredients too.

Read more: 6 stylish ways to make a kitchen larder work for you

DIY Christmas card tree

Another clever use for Christmas cards – or indeed any greeting cards, postcards or clippings. We've even seen this replicated with pages from a book ( take a look here ) and a string of fairy lights.

Read more: The most popular Christmas crafts for 2023

The XL tree

A real tree can be a bit misshapen, which only adds to its charm. We love the choice here of an XL tree that really fills the space – it's not the season for exercising moderation.

Read more: The best places to buy a real Christmas tree online

Extra baubles

A lovely solution for extra baubles and decorations. These would make a great Christmas display in the kitchen without taking up too much space.

Read more: This clever calculator reveals how many baubles your Christmas tree needs

A grand Christmas lunch

A dining room this grand needs little decoration. Slim candles punctuate the Christmas dishes, and we spot a couple of crackers, but it is entirely festive enough.

Read more: 11 Christmas tablecloths to elevate your festive dining

The Alpine cabin

This cabin lends itself to a real alpine scene full of bright wintery whites. This tree makes a compelling case for white decorations too.

Pictured: LED lights and candles, all from Lights4fun

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NEW Weekend Afternoon Tea & Decorating Package

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Treat a friend or loved one to the perfect Emma Bridgewater creative afternoon. Arrive in our cosy, Aga-warmed café to enjoy our famous, indulgent Afternoon Tea, followed by an afternoon in our Decorating Studio designing your own Emma Bridgewater masterpiece, with £15pp credit towards the pieces you choose.

Saturday 2pm/Sunday 12pm: arrive in the café for a delicious afternoon tea – s erved on our beautiful cake stands and including a range of tasty sandwiches, homemade cakes and scone along with a pot of your favourite tea.

Saturday 3pm/Sunday 2pm: visit the Decorating Studio and choose a pottery piece to decorate with £15 credit towards your items. (Decorating session last 1½ hrs).

Price - £42pp Advanced booking required.

We are pleased to offer a free carer ticket for any customer requiring a companion to enable them to visit us. Carers tickets can be booked by emailing [email protected] and our team will respond and confirm by our team. To ensure your Carers Ticket is allocated, please email us at the time of booking your tickets. Please see our  Help article for full details . 

Available on Saturdays (start time 2pm) and Sundays (start time 12pm) only. 

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Saturday 3pm/Sunday 2pm : visit the Decorating Studio and choose a pottery piece to decorate with £15 credit towards your items. (Decorating session last 1½ hrs).

Emma Bridgewater Afternoon Tea Review

For the longest time, my right hand woman Jules and I have been itching to go to the Emma Bridgewater Factory for a girly day out. We are both big fans of Emma Bridgewater pottery, and with a baby due at Christmas (her, not me), it seemed a nice time to treat Jules to afternoon tea in Stoke-on-Trent to thank her for her amazingness. She helps to moderate our group , in case you didn’t know.

I drove the two hours from Gloucestershire to collect Jules on a Monday morning, and after a quick cup of tea in her lovely Victorian house (in an Emma Bridgewater mug no less), we carried on for a further hour in the car towards our dream destination.

Visiting The Emma Bridgewater Factory for Afternoon Tea

The Emma Bridgewater Factory is located in an area colloquially known in the UK as “The Potteries”. The Staffordshire Potteries is the industrial area encompassing six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. North Staffordshire, the county to which Stoke-on-Trent belongs, became a centre of English ceramic production in the early 17th century, due to the local availability of clay, salt, lead, and coal. All required for the production of these mugs, plates, and pots we love so much! Historically, The Potteries has been a major employer in the area, but though numbers have dwindled in recent decades (due to production moving abroad for many brands), Emma remains a large employer in the area since its inception in 1985.

Emma Rice ( née Bridgewater) set up the company after failing to find a nice cup and saucer for her mother’s birthday, and instead decided to paint one herself! The company is still run by her and husband Matthew Rice - though some reports say they have recently separated, Matthew continues to design for the brand. The artwork (particularly the litho printed motifs) are by his hand.

As you walk through the entrance, you are greeted with the Mothership that is THE SHOP. Not to be confused with the outlet/discount area - this is where you will find all current full-price ranges, and the brand’s most popular products. It was early October when we made our visit and the area was already bedecked for Christmas. We had a good look at all the new designs that we had only seen in the catalogue thus far and made mental notes of the pieces we’d like to add to our wish lists.

Both Jules and I were up for a bit of bargain hunting, so we followed our noses to the Factory Outlet Shop to hunt down what we really came for. At the top of my wish list were some items from the Black Toast & Marmalade range, notably a butter dish , a large jug , small jug , a bellied milk jug , a garlic bowl , and ideally if pigs would decide to fly that day - a 6-pint Fig Jug I had my eye on last year but never pulled the trigger on. Sadly it has been discontinued and I cry myself to sleep over it regularly! (Just kidding, sort of)...

Afternoon Tea menu at Emma Bridgewater.

We were seated very promptly in the cafe, opposite the famous dotty Aga, and I thought to myself I would appreciate sitting right alongside it on a chilly day. There was definitely an “industrial” feel to the cafe. Long and narrow, bricked walls and iron railed windows, huge cast iron radiators, and fairy lights strung across the length of the room.

Despite there being some fantastic chairs - many seemed to be vintage, and lots were from old Churches, I was surprised that the tables were as basic as they were. Not that it’s an issue - but the brand is synonymous with “country kitchens” so I would have expected chunky old Victorian scrubbed pine, not lightweight IKEA pine. Considering the frequency in which Emma seems to take our money, I expected a little more. The whole place was spotlessly clean, and tables were cleared quickly by the staff. Much appreciated as it’s not nice staring at other people’s discarded food as you try to enjoy your own. The staff were definitely attentive!

We were asked about dietary preferences when we sat down, so I am more than sure that they can accommodate vegans and vegetarians, as well as allergies. However because we had pre-booked I didn’t sight a regular menu.

As we worked our way up the Afternoon Tea tree, the cakes were utterly delightful! We each had an individual portion of Victoria Sponge (they weren’t shy on the vanilla and it was the best I’ve tasted in a long while), a fruity sponge I couldn’t quite put my finger on - Jules and I thought it may have had apricot, and passionfruit with cranberries… Should have asked, I know. The chocolate brownie/ganache square was oh-my-goodness-me decadent! I couldn’t even finish mine it was so rich. Couldn’t help but feel Mr Darling would have loved it very much.

I chose to have a plain scone (see my dedicated scone post , and recipe ) ... I am not a fan of fruit scones so I left that one alone. They gave us little jars of my favourite Tiptree jam, but I was a little shocked at the long-life jar of clotted cream! Why not serve fresh Rodda’s ? I hate to sound like a snob, but it really is the best.

Pottery Painting at Emma Bridgewater Decorating Studio

I know my artistic limits, so chose some small and simple pieces from the “biscuit menu” provided, and decided upon some “nature” themed sponges, but surprised myself by free-handing most of my designs in the end! You pay for the pieces you want to paint, as well as an additional £5 for glazing/firing and P&P. It’ll be so interesting to see what they look like when they turn up in the post! My bird-brain didn’t really think too much about the colours and how my go-to choice of white, might not show up on a background of off-white! Major fail, haha! Oh well, we can live with “green grass”.

Jules’ colourful mug design of “Space Dinosaurs” for her little boy will be far more vibrant, and I am more excited about seeing the final result of this than my own.

After a good couple of hours spent painting in the Decorating Studio, our day finally came to an end as the shutters were closed. Jules and I had a quick peek of the gardens, as a helpful staff member put through one final last-minute purchase on behalf of a friend. Happy but tired, we walked out the door as they locked up behind us - literally the last to leave! In fact, we didn’t really want to!

We decided this will become an annual pilgrimage for us. Pray for our bank balances, won’t you!?

Emma Bridgewater cafe and factory review

Price Point: Fair! The Afternoon Tea cost £17.50 per head at the time of our visit (Oct ‘21). Dress Code: Casual. Most seemed to be dressed in Joules & Jeans. What I wore: The Riley Jersey Wrap Dress by Joules ( similar ), an EWM Lamb Wool cardigan, Reebox Classics. Formality Level: Casual & Comfortable. Food Rating: 7/10 - it would have been a solid 8 if the Clotted Cream was Rodda’s. Atmosphere Rating: 7/10 - the furniture and basic canteen weight cutlery let it down, and background music would have been nice! Perhaps it feels cosier in the winter with the Aga running, but the cafe felt a little sterile without it. Service Rating: 10/10 - the staff couldn’t have been lovelier, or more helpful. Overall Score: 8/10

Will I return?

I feel I have already answered this, but it’s a resounding yes! Jules and I have decided to make this an annual trip, but next time I think we will have a lunch, as opposed to afternoon tea. The food otherwise looked really good! I shall also save hard for our next visit as the prices were fantastic. I saved a good 25% on my wish list items. It will also be nice to “go a little mad” with the new season stock too. “When in Stoke”, as they say. ;)

Tips for visiting the Emma Bridgewater Factory

• Access was very good, as well as parking - but it is a little rough in the carpark (exposed ground and gravel), so do bear that in mind if you are in a wheelchair or are taking a pushchair. Don’t bother wearing heels! I spotted ramps and lifts for wheelchair users, as well as an ample-sized disabled loo and baby changing facilities. Apart from the initial entrance, everything else was pretty much on one level, with double doors to all buildings.
• Shop first! You don’t want to miss out on your wish list items, because once they are gone, they are gone.
• As for shopping; set yourself a budget unless you want to get in trouble! I’m glad I stuck to my budget and didn’t deviate from my wish list. It’s a good idea to plan ahead unless you want to go bankrupt. The prices in the Factory shop are very appealing - and you’ll find trolleys if you are buying large, or multiple items. Do be prepared to find something that you aren’t planning on though. Jules picked up a much longed-for gallon sized teapot at a price we’d never seen before! It was too good a deal to pass up. Alas, my DISO (desperately in search of) 6 Pint Fig Jug was nowhere to be found. If it had been there I would have definitely snapped one up.
• Have a good rummage amongst the stock to find the best items. All “seconds” will have black pencil marks showing you where the ‘fault’ of the item is so you know why it didn’t pass quality control. Some of them are so minor though, you’d hardly notice! I spent a good five minutes rifling through about thirty butter dishes in order to find the best top, and the best bottom.
• Do bear in mind that they will not sell you any chipped or cracked items. The lady at the checkout noticed Jules’ original chosen teapot had a small chip in the bottom, and so we had to find another as she refused to sell it - despite us claiming it’s for display only.
• Book your visit for late morning, to mid-afternoon. The area is rather industrial and traffic can be heavy, so do avoid arriving and leaving during rush hour if you can.

Visiting Emma Bridgewater

You can book your afternoon tea, factory tour, and painting experience online . I did notice a couple ask if they had spaces for painting while we were in there (they did), and the staff accommodated them, but do book in order to avoid disappointment!

I hope you enjoyed coming along with Jules and I for our day trip! It was a great day out and I’m really happy to support a British brand synonymous with English Country Kitchen Style - the girl can do no wrong!

Well, except for bankrupt me with her pretty pottery, but I’m more than willing…

Where to find more Emma

If you are outside of the UK, you can use this stockist finder to source your local distributor of Emma Bridgewater products. They also ship internationally within 8 days!

‘Toast & Marmalade’ is a great coffee table book to learn about the history and story of the brand, and I currently have the book ‘Pattern’ on my Christmas wish list.

If you’d like a FREE pint mug with your first order from Emma Bridgewater, you can use this referral link* , or click below.

Use Alena’s personal referral code link for your FREE ½ pint mug .

As always, I hope you liked this blog post, thank you for your support - and make sure to stay tuned for more British Lifestyle and Afternoon Tea blog posts coming soon!

This article is filed in: Afternoon Tea , General , British Lifestyle , Made in Britain

All content and images in this article are copyright of The Darling Academy and are not to be shared or reproduced without our express permission. Affiliate links have been used in this blog post. *Qualifying first purchases with Emma Bridgewater will award me with a 15% discount code.

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Emma Bridgewater Factory – Pottery Painting & Afternoon Tea

Emma Bridgewater Factory – Pottery Painting & Afternoon Tea

A few weeks ago we visited the very lovely Emma Bridgewater decorating studio for one of our half term days out . Always a favourite. Always top of our list. Always so much fun. For a few years now it has been a mummy and son activity that has filled both of our hearts with so much joy. It’s our thing and I know that we both look forward to the School holidays rolling around. Have you been?

Emma Bridgewater is a favourite brand of mine, we are so lucky to have the Factory on our door step. This is a real working factory where the pottery is still manufactured here in my home town. The Potteries. The Victorian factory sits just on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent, is a beautiful building, one that often appears on my Insta. I adore the eclectic and colourful designs, as well as the original spots, polka hearts and blue stars. Do you have a favourite?

What is there to do for visitors at the Emma Bridgewater Factory?

As a visitor there are so many activities you can take part in. There are the factory tours which are truly fascinating – you are shown every stage of the pottery creating process. Tours are free and last 45 minutes. You can of course paint a piece of your very own Emma Bridgewater pottery in the decorating studio, enjoy tea and cake in the beautiful cafe, be sure to sit beside the spotty Aga (of course), visit the factory outlet shop where you will find a huge range of seconds the gift shop is stocked full of beautiful items from pretty much the full range and depending on the time of year you can also visit the garden behind the gift shop.

How much does it cost to paint pottery?

First of all I would recommend booking a slot in the decorating studio as the sessions do get super busy. On booking a time you’ll pay a £2.95 studio fee per person, for non painters you must pay the fee to secure your table spot – it will then be deducted from your total bill. The cost of pottery is from £7. We often paint a bowl or plate which costs an additional £12-15. Do look out on the EB social channels as there are often (although not on our last visit) offers on for the School holidays, as low as £10 which are worth looking out for as they make it such good value as a day out.

What age would you recommend a child visits the decorating studio?

My personal recommendation would be from 4 years old. You are allotted 1.5 hours to enjoy the experience which is ample time for little decorators. However younger ones will indeed have fun. Maybe a tad messy. But all good fun. We have been painting bowls, cups and plates since George was 4 years old. We use the sponges, letters and numbers as we find it really helps to build a design and paint around them. That way I can leave George to the creative side whilst I look on. I would prefer to create a design rather than just sploshing paint everywhere. It’s all personal preference.

With the paints, do remember that the colours will end up darker than when you apply them. On each table you’ll find a plate with numbers on which highlight the end product. I would recommend you getting an extra bowl with water and some paper towel for any spillages.

Afternoon tea in the Emma Bridgewater Cafe

No trip to the Emma Bridgewater Factory would be so without tea and cake. The menu is reasonably priced, the cakes are always delicious and as it’s the Emma Bridgewater cafe you’ll be served all your drinks and treats on original pottery. So cute. If we visit during the School holidays the children at this point will often run off on the treasure hunt around the grounds which means the adults can enjoy the sweet treats without little fingers trying to steal bits. I’ve never eaten off the full menu as I’m always drawn into the cakes.

And that’s our thoughts on visiting the Emma Bridgewater Factory – Pottery Painting & Afternoon Tea. One of these days I must go with the girls as I know we’d love to paint a pot ourselves, I would love to design a mug as a gift for George and egg cups for Mr H.

I’m Kerri-Ann or KA as my friends call me, always found with a cup of coffee in one hand and my camera in the other. I have a huge passion for photography, fitness, fashion and family travel. I started this blog in 2014. It began as my creative outlet after becoming a mummy to our little boy George Archie. I started out blogging about parenting and over the years it has evolved into a blog that covers lifestyle, fashion, family and travel. Today TheKAEdit is ultimately a life and style blog. Thank you for reading x x

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Emma Bridgewater Factory

Exclusive offers,, at emma bridgewater, potty about pottery.

We've partnered with Emma Bridgewater to offer our hotel guests exclusive offers on the ultimate Emma Bridgewater day out.

Enjoy an Emma Bridgewater Factory Experience Day which includes a factory tour, decorating studio session and either a sumptuous breakfast or indulgent afternoon tea, plus a shopping discount too!

Their Victorian pottery is just 8 miles from The Tawny Hotel and well worth a visit. You'll see the traditional skills and craftsmanship that goes into every piece of Emma Bridgewater pottery.

If you are interested in booking an Emma Bridgewater Factory Experience Day with The Tawny's exclusive rates, please contact our Reception Team who will be happy to book this for you and arrange transport if required.

Tea For Two

On an Experience Day at Emma Bridgewater wouldn't be complete without tea for two.

Indulge in their famous afternoon tea (inc. vegan and vegetarian options) served on Emma Bridgewater pottery in their cosy café on the factory site.

Designed By You!

This incredible day out includes a session in the Emma Bridgewater Decorating Studio where you'll have the opportunity to decorate your own unique piece of pottery.

Your design is then fired in the kiln at the factory as the ultimate keepsake of your trip away and day out.

Picnics at The Tawny

Here at The Tawny, we love all things Emma Bridgewater, so much so, that we use their classic Polka Dot pottery in our guest Picnic Hampers.

Everything tastes so much nicer when it's presented beautifully!

Places to Visit

Consall Nature Park

Caldon Canal

Alton Towers Theme Park

Peak Wildlife Park

World of Wedgwood

The Roaches (Peak District)

Rudyard Lake

Trentham Monkey Forest

Go Ape Buxton

Poole’s Cavern

Jodrell Bank

Privacy Overview

Afternoon tea and pot painting at the Emma Bridgewater Factory

A few weeks ago a friend and I headed up to Stoke-on-Trent to the Emma Bridgewater Factory to try our hand at painting a mug!  

The Emma Bridgewater Factory is based in Stoke, the centre of the UK’s pottery industry and the factory was first opened by the Meakin brothers in 1883. Now it produces over 1.7 million pieces of pottery decorated in the distinctive Bridgewater style per year.  

Each piece of pottery is made from clay sourced from Devon, Cornwall, Wales and even nearby Staffordshire before it’s piped into different casts where it is left to dry.  Each piece is smoothed off before firing – over seven hours at a 950-degree heat. The factory has 50 decorators who hand paint each piece of pottery using brushes and sponges to create different designs – including the famous polka dot. 

Emma Bridgewater High Tea 

Maxine and I first had an afternoon tea at the Emma Bridgewater tea room. It’s everything you’d want, lots of the iconic crockery plus delectable leaf tea served in large family-sized teapots.  Rather than the three-tier stand you often get, here sandwiches, cake including a shot of Eton mess, scones and crisps are served on a large cake stand just waiting for you to dig in. 

It’s all prepared on-site and you can see the team assembling sandwiches and cake as you walk in. The tea room is filled with the inspiration painters use for the pottery and to really set the scene a range master Aga decorated in that classic polka dot print is placed centre stage.

There’s also plenty of room. I sprained my ankle pretty badly a few weeks beforehand and was still hobbling on a crutch, which does not make you the most nimble of people. I felt there was pretty good space for me and my crutch or maybe a mama and pram. 

The afternoon tea is very popular, as you’d imagine, so I would recommend booking in advance. We went on a Saturday and the restaurant was full by the time it reached peak afternoon tea period (3 o’clock). It’s  £12.50 per head for the High Tea and is available from 12 noon at the weekend and from 2pm on weekdays. We booked about 6 weeks beforehand to get the slot we wanted. 

The cafe is also open for breakfast plus hot and cold lunches, so if afternoon tea is not your thing, there are other options – but you’d still probably need to book a table. 

Had I not been on crutches, I think we would have opted to do a Factory Tour which is free but also needs to be booked in advance. You can walk through the whole process, meet the jigger, jollier, fettlers, casters and decorators and see their traditional skills in action.  

Decorating Studio at Emma Bridgewater 

After our high tea, we had a session in the Decorating Studio (because you remain seated for most of it!). A session costs £2.95 which secures your booking and basically covers the costs of your decorating materials. It then costs extra for the items you wish to decorate which you pay for on the day. I found it quite difficult deciding what to decorate – in the end, I opted for two quarter pint mugs, whilst Maxine tackled a star-shaped bowl and an egg cup. 

It is worth bearing in mind when making your selection that you have an hour and a half to complete your paint job. There are lots of different items to paint including a 50-gallon teapot. I did hear a staff member say to a lady painting a GIANT jug that she could have an extra 30 minutes due to the size of her piece!  

After an introduction from a professional decorator, showing you how to use the specialist paints and pencils, it’s time to take a look at the offer tools on offer. There is a whole host of sponge stamps, like the equipment the professional decorators use, everything from mermaids to leaves to the alphabet.  

With the paints the trick to remember is that the colours will end up darker than when you apply them – there’s a plate on each table to show you how they end up and with all painting, you apply lighter colours first and end with the darker ones. 

It can actually be a bit overwhelming, so they have plenty of inspiration for designs on the shelves around the studio. I’d also recommend maybe having a bit of a Pinterest spree before you go – you could even save a photo on your phone to save time. (I definitely saw at least three versions of this mug being painted – clearly going down the Pinterest route, and who could blame them!) 

I liked using the sponge stamps as it meant that we created a design at the end which was reminiscent of the classic Emma Bridgewater looks but with our own twists. You can, of course, go completely rogue! We were explicitly told to not paint the bottom of our pieces so that the official Emma Bridgewater stamp could be seen. 

Once we’d finished pretending to be Picasso, our pieces would then be fired a final time. It takes about two weeks for the finished product, which you can either collect from the factory or they will post to you for £5.  

Factory Outlet shop 

Lastly, it’s definitely worth mentioning that the factory has both a factory outlet shop, which sells seconds and final buys, and a showroom, which shows the latest ranges.  You can certainly get a good buy in the outlet shop but do check that although it is a second, that you pick up a piece that’s not cracked or chipped. Despite checking several dishes, I managed to buy a butter dish with a hairline crack in it! 

There’s plenty of parking at the factory and in the summer, it has a courtyard area which would be lovely for sitting in if it’s warm. You can also book a complete experience day at £30 per person – which includes the afternoon tea, tour and half-pint mug to paint in the decorating studio (and a 10% shopping discount in the showroom). 

Visit https://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/products/afternoon-tea for more information. 

This sounds like my kind of day. Definitely on my to do list!

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How to host the perfect Afternoon Tea at home

Afternoon tea ideas, summertime calls for afternoon tea at home or in the garden. send out an invite and celebrate with plenty of tea and scones to go around., we've put together a selection of everything you'll need to host a wonderful afternoon tea party., afternoon tea essentials, you can't have an afternoon tea party without a teapot to pour the rounds. take your pick from our colourful polka dot, witty black toast, and more... , make it personalised.

Discover pottery teapots in classic Emma Bridgewater patterns. The perfect gift when personalised with something special.

Spot of tea?

Personalised Polka Hearts 4 Mug Teapot – $116.00 Shop now

One sugar or two...

Personalised Hawthorn 2 Mug Teapot – $81.00 Shop now

2. Mugs & Teacups

Find a fitting mug for all your guests or for something a little more delicate why not go for a teacup and saucer there are mugs for all, whether you enjoy working in the garden, cooking up a storm in the kitchen or spending quality time with your animal friends. or perhaps you are fond of the classics - like our popular polka dot pattern, if you have time to plan... a personalised mug with their name, a date or something meaningful to them - makes for a special gift to take home..

Whether it's a generously sized 1/2 pint mug for your morning cup of tea or a hot cocoa mug... you'll have an abundance of options with our extensive mug collection.

Always a favourite

Polka Dot Large Teacup & Saucer Set – $70.00 Shop now

Tea in the garden

Hawthorn Tree 1/2 Pint Mug – $41.00 Shop now

Sweet pickings

Mimosa 1/2 Pint Mug – $41.00 Shop now

Seeing double

Double Dot Large Teacup & Saucer – $70.00 Shop now

Dish up your scones, cucumber sandwiches, cakes and bakes onto a prettily patterned plate. 

Plate it up.

Our plate collections ranges from large dinner plates to lovely side and dessert pieces, perfect to dress your table or adorn your dresser.

Perfect for sweet treats...

Pink Hearts 8 1/2" Plate – $35.00 Shop now

Pile up with Veg...

Artichoke 10 1/2 Inch Plate – $42.00 Shop now

Snap Up A Lobster Plate!

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One more...

Sampler 8 1/2 Inch Plate – $35.00 Shop now

Bring out your afternoon tea in style with our trays. Pile your homemade scones high and make light work of supplying everyone with tea and treats. 

Tray to balance it all! Deliver tea in bed, pile on lunch and ferry to the garden table on our robust trays.

Lay up strawberreis (don't forget the cream!)

Black Toast Rectangular Birch Tray – $53.00 Shop now

A slice of summer

Vegetable Garden Lemons Round Birch Tray – $53.00 Shop now

5. Glassware

All our glassware sings of summer. our large glass pitchers are just the ticket for a classic pimm’s. with cocktail glasses, gin glasses and wine glasses - there is a receptical for all of your favorite tipples .

Golden Tulips Glass Jug – $132.00 Shop now

Picture perfect

Dandelion Short Tumbler Set Of 2 – $56.00 Shop now

Crystal Clear

Shop our glassware collection - with many beautiful pieces including glass vases, glass cake stands, cheese domes, trifle bows & storm lanterns.

There are a few key factors that go into a planning perfect picnic! Read our blog on arranging the perfect 'proper' picnic here...

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Does anyone know where to get a nice afternoon tea for a special treat after a hard day's sight-seeing? We prefer traditional, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a hotel. The Grand Hotel Europe in St Pete's is going to be hard to beat! All suggestions welcome!

If you are looking for a high end place to go for tea then you may want to consider Cafe Puskin or somewhere similar.

afternoon tea is not a real russian tradition

Thank you for your suggestions,everybody. I shall look into them. Justgorussia, although I know that "afternoon tea" is not a real Russian tradition, tea certainly is. So, throw in some nice cakes and what have you got....?? Thanks again

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