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Portmeirion buys Royal Worcester and Spode brands

Published: 27 April 2009
Portmeirion has bought the global intellectual property rights of Royal Worcester & Spode, which went into administration last November.
The £3.2m deal, which includes the remaining stock held by the US subsidiary of the company, means that the historic brands will remain in UK ownership.

Portmeirion said that ownership of the Worcester and Spode brands, and successful patterns such as Evesham, Blue Italian and Christmas Tree, would complement its own offer. Sales of the products are expected to be worth some £7m this year.

However, it will not be taking on the Jamie Oliver range of oven-to-tableware and mugs, the licence for which was recently transferred from Royal Worcester to Churchill China.

Portmeirion is based in Stoke-on-Trent and lists Botanic Garden and Sophie Conran by Portmeirion amongst its most successful tableware ranges. In 2006 it had a turnover of £28.4m. The company declined to give details of where the Royal Worcester and Spode ranges would be manufactured.

However, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP administrator Matthew Hammond said: "We are pleased to have been able to preserve the Royal Worcester and Spode brands, and their ongoing presence in Stoke, which is of vital importance to the region.

"We are continuing to trade the remaining four Royal Worcester and Spode retail outlets in the UK whilst we continue to retail our extensive remaining range of products."

Comments

Published prior to March 2014
By Richard Williams
As an avid buyer of Blue & White Spode over the years it is vital that any manufacture is kept in Stoke and produced to the same quality. As a customer I am really not interested in inferior products manufactured abroad. The Spode pieces made in China before this great British institution went into receivership were a disgrace to the name. I look forward to buying Spode again soon! But only if Spode's glaze is used and proper copper plate underglaze printing is brought back. Well done and thank you Portmerion!
Published prior to March 2014
By Jane Smith
I think that it was a great idea that Royal Worcester and spode has been bought but what about Royal Worcester in Worcester vecause that is where it should be if it war not for buying spode Royal Worcester would or maybe still trading now lets forget about the potteries what about the Worcester based firm and its staff that have worked there for more than decades and their families no one seems to be bothered especially the management. Portmerion may have bought the brands and the name but all they have done is get rid of the competition. Sorry that this does not seem to be positive but there are potteries away from Stoke on Trent.
Published prior to March 2014
By Andrew Clarke Louis Potts & Company
Together with the completion of the Wedgwood purchase, this is the best news the industry had had for a long time. We couldn't wish for a better company to take on these important brands. Let's hope that Portmeirion can bring as much production as possible back to Stoke-on-Trent.

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