Splashing out on expensive crockery from British heritage brands was once a treat that many Britons would indulge in.

However, changing food trends and e-tailers like Temu and TikTok Shop selling expensive-looking dishes for half the price have caused UK businesses like Wedgwood to suffer.

Founded in 1759 by the pioneering Josiah Wedgwood, the brand quickly rose to prominence, earning fans in high places – its elegant, often hand-painted china was used in Buckingham Palace, the White House, the Vatican, and even the Kremlin.

Today tells a different story, and some of the once-prized porcelain pieces are gathering dust, or heavily discounted on online marketplaces.

Last week, after seeing lower demand in key markets, Fiskars, the makers of Wedgwood, revealed plans to halt production at its Barlaston factory for up to 90 days starting September 29, with production expected to resume in early January 2026.

Meanwhile, Emma Bridgewater, which has sold pottery items since 1984, has suffered a series of business blows in recent times, and last year posted a pre-tax loss of £4.4m for the 12 months to April 27, according to City AM.

Food consultant and chef Renae Smith told The Daily Mail that fast fashion culture and a desire for convenience in all aspects of life is driving the population away from spending cash on high-end crockery.

‘We’re in an era where convenience trumps curation. People are eating on the couch, not hosting dinner parties, and when they do entertain, it’s often with takeaway containers or one-off, budget-friendly buys from TikTok Shop. That shift in behaviour has hit heritage brands hard.

‘Wedgwood and Emma Bridgewater were built on the idea of dining as an event, setting the table, bringing people together, creating memories, and putting in the effort. But that model doesn’t sit easily with modern culture.

‘These days, you can spend £10 on a trending glass that looks great, lasts a few months, and by the time it chips, you’re ready to move on.

‘It’s fast fashion for the dinner table… and while I don’t necessarily agree with it, it’s thriving because it fits the mindset of now.

‘We want what we want, when we want it. And unless that mindset shifts, I don’t see the trend disappearing anytime soon.

‘I do think there’s still room for investing in quality, especially in things like bakeware, which isn’t tied to trends in the same way.

‘But when it comes to plates, cups, jugs – the more visible, lifestyle-led pieces – people are shopping with their eyes, their phones, and their wallets. And that leaves heritage brands in a difficult position.

‘It’s not just about how we eat. It’s about how we live. And for many, the idea of setting a formal table just doesn’t hold the same relevance anymore.’

A quick scroll on Temu reveals a plethora of items on offer like those sold at Wedgwood, but for a fraction of the price.

One floral dining set, which includes 16 pieces, is sold on the website for £44, but a similar set from Wedgwood would cost upwards of £200.

Meanwhile, a tea pot in a Wedgwood style costs £18.64 on Temu, making it a much more affordable price than the original £240.

Elsewhere, supermarkets like Aldi have cashed in on the trend, and throughout the years, the chain has flogged its popular cast iron cookware range, and the appearance of the line has drawn comparison to Le Creuset.

The items, which cost between £1.99 and £24.99, have come available in various shades, including blue and orange, and are designed for all hob types, grills and ovens.

Shoppers could feign luxury and cook up hearty stews and casseroles in the Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Dish or the Cast Iron Dutch Oven – for just £24.99.

In contrast, a Le Creuset Cast Iron Shallow Casserole dish will set shoppers back a dear £149.

At the same time, the population might also have less of a need to buy expensive crockery because they’re hosting their friends less, meaning there’s fewer occasions to impress, and when they do, they often opt for takeaway, or, in the case of Nigella Lawson, Twiglets.

Nigella revealed in 2023 that she is no longer hosting dinner parties, instead preferring guests to come over for Twiglets in their pyjamas.

The famous TV cook revealed she has ‘got out of the habit’ of hosting elaborate soirees, and believes that a lot of the prep is ‘too much fuss’.

‘I’ll have a person or a couple of people over quite often and I keep planning to have people around in a proper, grown-up way but I haven’t yet. I must! I feel a bit guilty because people have had me for dinner and I haven’t had them back,’ she told The Times.

Nigella, who is based in Chelsea, added that she recently served the Marmite-flavoured snack Twiglets to American guests because she felt it was her ‘duty to introduce them’ to the British bites.

‘I’m very happy for a friend to come over in their pyjamas to have supper,’ she added, explaining that formality turns her off.

Despite dozens of books with many recipes, Nigella says that peeling and chopping onions is ‘too much work’ and she prefers ‘using spring onions instead’ because it is ‘less faff’.

She added that cooking for strangers makes her nervous, and that on the rare occasion she has people over she serves them ‘buffet style’ on long narrow tables.

While Nigella may, on occasion, cook for her guests, many often choose to dine on takeaways.

There’s been a 54 per cent decrease in home cooking in the last 30 years, and over a quarter of millennials have no desire to improve their cooking skills, according to a survey by the Co-op via The i.

Elsewhere, expert and prolific author on ceramics and glass, John Sandon, who makes regular appearances on the BBC Antiques Roadshow, revealed the decline in demand for traditional porcelain is less about quality and more about shifting cultural attitudes.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘Most people consider their best china and family inherited crockery is ‘old fashioned’, whatever that means.

‘Most old sets are regarded as impractical for everyday use, and very, very few people want to use them.’

Reflecting on changing attitudes toward inherited tableware, John noted the growing disconnect between sustainability messages and modern family preferences.

He added: ‘The much quoted ‘Antiques are Green’ message has tried to emphasise that old china sets are the ultimate recyclables. And Granny’s china sets should be used. But most modern families don’t want to.’

Highlighting the gap between appreciation and practicality, John pointed out that admiration for antique ceramics doesn’t always translate into everyday use.

‘Not using your old china tea services and fruit sets is nothing to do with the reason people choose plain white from Ikea and The Range instead of very expensive Wedgwood from John Lewis.

‘And thankfully collectable antique Wedgwood is just as wonderful as it’s always been. It mostly costs a lot less than it used to, which means great opportunity for those who still want to collect antiques. We love our antique ceramics- but we don’t use them.’

Meanwhile, Pauline Kent, whose father Roy was one of seven potters from Stoke-On-Trent, working for Wedgwood, revealed the British people have ‘fallen out of love with formality.’

Roy worked in the mould-making department and later retired to Norfolk at 65, passing away at 95. His brother Kenneth remained in the potteries until the age of 80.

Roy, who started working in Wedgwood at 14-years-old, also met Pauline’s mother Irene at the company, and they were married for almost 70 years.

Pauline said: ‘Apparently she spotted my dad in the mould making department and it was love at first sight.’

She shared that her late father, who passed away two years ago, had observed the decline in porcelain appeal over the years.

She said: ‘He started his working life at 14 working for Wedgwood. He died two years ago and left my brother and I lot of beautiful pottery, including Wedgwood, some I can’t even give away let alone sell.

‘We spoke many times about the demise of British pottery and changing taste.’

Pauline recalled her father explaining that ‘people no longer eat together, they eat in front of the TV and they eat a lot of takeaways so the occasion for beautiful China isn’t there.’

She added: ‘He also made the point that the British have embraced everything that’s casual – casual clothes, casual relationships, casual dining, casual ways of working.

‘We have fallen out of love with formality. Add to this our love affair with all things Scandinavian and French too and British pottery is undesirable.

‘I find it very sad but it won’t stop me from bringing out the Spode Christmas Tree collection at Christmas.’

In 2009, the collapse of the Waterford Wedgwood Royal Doulton group brought the company to the brink of closure, however Finnish firm Fiskars bought it in 2015, saving the brand.

It continued to produce its high-end, hand-painted and limited-edition pieces at its factory in Barlaston, Staffordshire, but after the company plunged into the red in 2023 with a £1.4 million loss.

Tom Hammersley, marketing manager at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, said he was concerned about the drop in demand, which came against a backdrop of increasing costs.

Speaking to BBC he said: ‘Wedgwood has huge global demand in areas including China and Japan. If that demand is slowing, and married with the increasing costs, it is a huge concern.’

Meanwhile Gareth Snell, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, described it as ‘incredibly worrying’ and said it further highlighted the need for support for the ceramics industry.

‘The support cannot be in some distant future or the promise of help tomorrow but real help today,’ he told the BBC.

However, Wedgwood’s woes are not in isolation. Britain‘s once-booming ceramics industry has been hit hard in recent years by soaring energy costs and changing tastes.

In February, Royal Stafford, a company with nearly 200 years of history, collapsed and eventually closed.

In April, Moorcroft Pottery also went under, though it has since reopened, saved by the founder’s grandson.

For Pauline, whose family has deep roots in Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry, the decline of British ceramics is more than just economic, it’s deeply personal.

She explained: ‘It’s definitely sad that there isn’t the demand and distressing to know that Stoke-On-Trent will no longer be known as the Potteries where whole families worked together and developed the most incredible skills.

‘I will always be the person who turns a dish upside down to see where it’s been made and value a beautiful plate or candlestick or vase because I can appreciate the craftsmanship. It’s in my DNA.’

While many are downsizing or giving away their heirloom china, Pauline is holding on to it and passing it down.

She said: ‘Fortunately we have enough space to store most of my parents best pottery including soup tureens, huge serving plates and some Wedgwood cigarette lighters which they use for lighting candles.

‘I will definitely hold onto things although I have already started giving pieces to my children. It’s funny that they like the Mid-Century pieces which I’m not crazy about.’

Despite the shift toward minimalist interiors and mass-produced tableware, there’s hope that the tide might one day turn.

Pauline added: ‘I hope we will fall in love with formality again. Life would be boring if we lived in leggings and only used white dishes.

‘As a family we love an excuse to dress up and this applies to having dinner together where we use a mixture of my parents Wedgwood, Emma Bridgewater and some Spode. Every piece comes from Stoke…of course it would.’

A spokesperson for Wedgwood told the Daily Mail Online: ‘On 29 September 2025, Fiskars Group will temporarily pause production at the Wedgwood factory in Barlaston, UK, for up to 90 days.

‘This short‑term measure is being taken to address elevated inventory levels caused by lower consumer demand in some of our key markets. A total of 70 employees will be placed on temporary leave.

‘The factory tours, part of the acclaimed World of Wedgwood tourist destination, will be suspended during this period, with plans to resume in early January 2026.

‘Barlaston and its community are of key importance to Fiskars Group and Wedgwood.

‘The site serves as a hub for our high-end and bespoke product, including handcrafted pieces in fine bone china and our signature Jasperware.

‘These pieces are brought to life by skilled artisans using techniques pioneered by Josiah Wedgwood – many still in use today.

‘This living tradition reflects our commitment to craftsmanship, the value of Made in England, and Barlaston’s enduring role in our heritage and operations.’

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