This week, we had the pleasure of visiting the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-On-trent, and what a day we had! It's been 4 years since the last stockists day so it felt like it had been a long time coming. We laughed, we shopped, we said 'ooh' and 'aah' and we even got to meet the lovely lady herself. What a fabulous bonus. So we hope you don't mind if we talk you through our day, share some pictures, and generally relive a fun little girly work trip that we thoroughly enjoyed.

First things first: coffee. Which was served upon arrival with a cheeky pastry too. Lovely. Once we'd settled in we got down to business, literally. The girls took us through some stats and most excitingly, some new designs coming out later this year. We got a picture with Emma and a very brief but nice chat.

Next up was the factory tour. We all agreed that seeing all the processes that go into creating each product gives you a new found appreciation for Emma Bridgewater's products. More than ever, we really feel we can vouch for how special each piece is. Made with love, care and dedication, all to ensure you have a special gift for a special someone.

One of our favourite parts of the day was the pottery painting, which we highly recommend if you ever go for a visit. It's great fun and also feels like a mindful moment of calm to do something nice. You can choose from a range of their pieces to decorate. Lindz went for a 10.5" plate, Lizzie a 8.5" plate, and Em for a 1/2 pint jug, we'll receive them in a few weeks once they've been processed. So you get a lovely little package to open up too.

Next came lunch, which was in the form of an afternoon tea filled with sandwiches, cakes and scones and really hit the spot. Of course the tables were lined with table cloths, napkins and crockery in all of those gorgeous patterns and looked delightful. Then we were let loose in the shops. There's a seconds shop and a normal gift shop and goodness it was all so tempting. Of course we all came away with bags of the stuff, and we all had to restrain ourselves from buying more.

And that was it! The day was over in a flash and before you know it we were back in the car heading home. We all agreed that we couldn't recommend a day out to the EB factory enough. If you're a fan of the pottery, it's a real treat to witness the goings on of it all. We'd like to thank Emma Bridgwater for treating us to a lovely day and showing some appreciation for your stockists. We may just have to pay another visit in the future.