The Portmeirion story began when the legendary pottery designer Susan Williams-Ellis was asked to create some ceramic gifts for the local shop at Portmeirion Village. In 1960, following the immediate success of this initial enterprise, Susan and her husband Euan Cooper-Willis went on to found Portmeirion Potteries. The popularity of the company products continued to grow and the 1970s saw the birth of what is probably their most recognized design, Botanic Garden, often hailed as the world’s most popular casual tableware. Today, the original philosophy that tableware should be both beautiful and practical remains at the heart of Portmeirion design

The Royal Doulton story began in 1815 when John Doulton invested his life savings of £100 in a small riverside pottery in Lambeth, South London. His son, Henry Doulton, established a vital link with the Lambeth School of Art and a cooperation between art and industry on a scale rarely seen. In 1877, he was knighted,and his company was settled at its now famous home at the Nile Street works in Burslem, Staffordshire. It became ‘Royal’ Doulton in 1901 when King Edward VII granted the company its Royal Charter, with the right to incorporate in its backstamp, the now famous lion and crown. It remains one of the most prestigious names in the history of fine china

The Royal Worcester Porcelain Company was founded in 1751 on the banks of the River Severn, by a group of businessmen led by Dr John Wall. It soon established an enduring reputation for inspired artistry and quality and in 1788 King George II and Queen Charlotte granted the use of the title ‘Royal’. By 1793 the company was already famous for its superb, highly glazed porcelain which, in the early 19th century, gave way to fine bone china with a still whiter, translucent body and an even more brilliant glaze. The company’s Dyson-Perrins Museum, still based at Severn Street, houses what is the finest and most complete collection of Royal Worcester porcelain in the world.

For two centuries, the city of Waterford in southern Ireland has produced what is acknowledged to be the world’s finest crystal. Superb craftsmanship, stunning design and an unrivalled dedication to quality have been the guiding principles in creating everything from the most magnificent chandeliers to supremely elegant wine goblets. Waterford’s traditional cutting patterns are rightly renowned, serving to emphasise the sparkle, brilliance and light-enhancing qualities of the crystal and in recent years the company has extended their range into successful collaborations with contemporary designers like Jasper Conran and John Rocha.