When did you start up and why? I originally started up in 1990 making thrown pots on a very small scale whilst my youngest son was growing up. I wanted to develop my ideas and practice my craft. I joined two local craft organisations Make Southwest and Cornwall Crafts Association, selling pots through both these outlets as well as our local National Trust shop. What prompted you to launch the business? As sales grew I started to develop my ideas and in doing this I produced a large number of glaze tests which were fired in the kiln on small discs of clay. One day whilst removing my tests from the kiln it occurred to me that if I made two holes in them they could be turned into buttons. I went ahead with the idea, produced a few buttons then sewed them onto my work apron and put it through the washing machine. To my amazement they survived! I started to make more and more buttons then came my first big break. I sent a few examples to Country Living Magazine and they were selected for their Emporium section. The results were astonishing which was the real catalyst for starting Stockwell Ceramics in earnest. With my first two employees we set about marketing the buttons as a gift item. I was able to access a government grant which provided me with marketing workshops over the course of a year and funding to attend two trade fairs: Spring Fair at the NEC and Giving and Living at Exeter. I was bowled over by the resulting orders. Stockwell Ceramics was born. What challenges have you overcome since the company’s launch? Our biggest challenge after the funding ended was how to carry on attending trade shows without the support of an experienced marketing team. We somehow managed to get through our first major show and after that became regular attendees at Top Drawer, Spring and Autumn Fair, Harrogate Home and Gift as well as many more. This resulted in a very regular flow of orders and a big expansion of our team. There were many technical challenges but gradually together as a team we worked our way through them. Then of course came the lockdown. Trade shows cancelled, orders on hold, staff furloughed but we fought back and somehow continued. There was a huge demand for needleminders for the many who turned to craft as a way of filling time which for us were simply buttons without holes. This coupled with a big demand from abroad kept our reduced team very busy. It also gave us an opportunity to develop new ideas and new lines. Tell us about your product offering. The buttons are our primary offering Mary Goldberg, Founder of Stockwell Ceramics, charts the company’s rise to success, thanks to government funding and a longstanding presence at shows such as Spring Fair and Home & Gift Button crafts 60
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