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Moorcroft Pottery Closes After 128 Years, Citing Energy Costs and Falling Sales

The iconic Stoke-on-Trent ceramics firm enters liquidation, leaving 57 jobless and highlighting the UK ceramics industry's broader struggles.

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Moorcroft designer Kerry Goodwin with one of the pottery firm's products
(Photo: Phil Crow)

Overview

  • Moorcroft Pottery, a renowned British ceramics company established in 1897, has ceased trading and entered liquidation under Moore Recovery.
  • The closure, attributed to soaring energy costs and declining sales, has resulted in the loss of 57 jobs, with some workers receiving support from the GMB union.
  • Directors attempted to sell the company but were unable to find a buyer, leaving the business in an unsustainable financial position.
  • The UK ceramics industry, particularly in Stoke-on-Trent, faces significant challenges, with other firms like Royal Stafford and Johnsons Tiles also shutting down recently.
  • Industrial electricity prices in the UK, the highest among developed nations, are cited as a key factor crippling the ceramics sector, prompting calls for urgent government intervention.