Construction equipment manufacturer JCB has placed a major order with Stoke-on-Trent pottery Duchess China 1888, taking locally made fine bone china to its sites and dealerships around the world.

The order covers around 1,300 cups, saucers, plates, teapots and coffee pots. The tableware will be used at JCB’s world headquarters in Rocester, its operations in North America and Brazil, and dealerships across the UK and Europe as well as Panama.

JCB says it is the largest order placed during a relationship with Duchess China spanning more than 25 years, and the first to distribute the Stoke-on-Trent manufacturer’s products across several JCB locations globally.

Stoke-on-Trent craftsmanship reaching global sites

Duchess China makes its products at Uttoxeter Road in Longton. The manufacturer says each piece passes through as many as 30 pairs of hands, with skilled local craftspeople carrying out work including gilding and hand painting.

The company also supplies customers including Harrods and the Orient Express, alongside fashion houses such as Burberry and Jimmy Choo.

JCB chairman Lord Bamford said supporting another Staffordshire manufacturer was important to the company and that the order would showcase the Potteries’ ceramics skills at JCB sites overseas.

Jason Simms, co-owner and director of Duchess China, said the manufacturer was proud to see its work valued by JCB. He said the clay was made in Stoke-on-Trent and the products were handmade from start to finish by local people.

The order also includes the first JCB-branded mugs embossed with 22-carat gold. They will be sold alongside JCB cups and saucers at the company’s visitor centre gift shop in Rocester and through the JCB online shop.

Visitor centre demand

The china is already used as part of the visitor experience at JCB’s headquarters. The company says almost 57,000 people visited the centre last year, where 39,000 teas and coffees and 14,000 lunches were served. More than 1,000 guests also attended dinners using JCB-branded tableware.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Jane Ashworth described the order as positive news for the city’s ceramics sector and the wider local economy.

“A major order from a globally recognised Staffordshire company is a real vote of confidence in the skill, quality and innovation that exists here in Stoke-on-Trent,” Councillor Ashworth said.

She said the ceramics industry remained an important part of the city’s identity and economy, and that the order demonstrated continuing demand for products made in Stoke-on-Trent.

Duchess China also operates factory tours in association with Gladstone Pottery Museum. Details are available from the museum by emailing gladstone@stoke.gov.uk or calling 01782 237777.

Order details and photography were supplied through the JCB newsroom. Stoke-on-Trent City Council supplied its statement.