Fifty-seven jobs have been lost as pottery firm Moorcroft, a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II , announced its closure today.
This is the third ceramics firm to close in Stoke-on-Trent in as many months following Royal Stafford and Heraldic Pottery.
In a statement on its website, Moorcroft says: “It is with profound sadness that the director of W. Moorcroft Ltd announce that as of 30 April 2025, W. Moorcroft Ltd has ceased to trade. Moore Recovery has been instructed by the director to assist with placing the company into voluntary liquidation.” The BBC reports that in March, Moorcroft warned of redundancies after their energy bill costs had increased by almost £250,000 over the past two years.
In a statement, Moorcroft says: ” The closure comes after an extended period of intense marketing, which regrettably did not result in a buyer who could proceed with a sufficient level of investment.
“The company faces an increase in energy and other costs, in a difficult trading environment with a global cost of living crisis. This has resulted in a seemingly, unsustainable financial position. The closure of the business has resulted in the redundancy of 57 employees, some of whom are being supported by the GMB Union. As first reported at the end of February, staff were notified of potential redundancy and have now been made aware of the procedure for making redundancy claims.
“The board of directors wishes to thank each employee for their unique heritage skills and commitment to the art pottery during a very challenging economic period. The directors have pursued every avenue possible to save the business, however they have been left with no other option than to engage the services of a local insolvency firm to place the company into liquidation. Moore Recovery has been instructed by the directors. They are hopeful that a buyer for the assets and brand can be found together with a suitable outcome for Moorcroft’s highly-skilled workforce.”
Moorcroft Pottery traces its roots back to 1897. The firm’s founder, William Moorcroft, was able to produce pottery from its current site in Sandbach Road (which it moved into in 1913) thanks to the support of London department store Liberty. Moorcroft was appointed as Potter to HM The Queen in 1928. The firm’s royal patronage continued when the late Queen Elizabeth II added Moorcroft designs into the Royal Collection.
