Barton Croft pottery is about intentional simplicity and crafted function. It’s inspired by the idea that in the same way food can nurture and nourish us, so too can the right setting. Inviting friends, to sit down for a meal around an old wooden table, worn and marked over time. A generous bowl of hot soup served in a handmade dish that rests perfectly in your hand. A gently curved mug of fresh coffee, sipped in a quiet corner of the garden while catching the early morning sun. Swapping stories and laughter, while passing around generous plates, overflowing with favourite recipes.
Take the footpath overgrown with brambles, to where it bends along the river, and there you’ll find the field known as Barton Croft.
This small piece of land, owned by my grandfather, was the playground of my childhood. Every year, in summer my extended family would gather there. Under the shade of the old oak trees, we’d talk, laugh, play and share a meal. Plates were piled high with sausages and potatoes baked over hot coals, bowls of bitter green salad leaves, and mustardy dressing, all washed down with sticky sweet lemonade.
It was simple, humble, delicious food. Made with love, and made to comfort.
It’s those memories that are at the heart of my pottery range, which I named Barton Croft after that special place. I always knew I wanted to create something that would capture and inspire the simple joy of bringing people together, of sharing food and time with others.
The opportunity came when I discovered pottery. It was a natural extension of everything I love so much. I was fascinated by the process of taking mud and shaping it into something useful, and beautiful. The tactile nature of sitting at the wheel, losing myself in the focus of forming a cup, plate or dish, taking something fragile, that once fired becomes strong and durable.
As my skills grew, my hands were always covered in clay and I worked to refine and balance every design. I started making things for the table, understated and timeless pottery to be used, enjoyed and shared.
It gives me great joy that Barton Croft is growing, as more of us seek simplicity and connection in our lives and homes. It’s no longer just me sitting at the pottery wheel, our collections are now made on a larger scale in Portugal. My husband and I spent over a year researching and visiting factories to find just the right fit, where every stage of the making process involves a person, and every piece is touched by hand. It means we can create our products using the finest clay, with more consistency, while keeping the handmade tactile qualities we value so much.
Everything we make at Barton Croft is designed to work on its own, as a simple plate, bowl, dish or cup, or together as a collection that you can create to fit into your daily life with ease. All our pottery is made to be used often, it’s highly durable, chip-resistant and suitable for the dishwasher, microwave and even the oven. It’s not about perfection, instead, we want to invite and encourage people to celebrate the simple, and sometimes messy moments, that together make every day a little better.
Laurena, Founder of Barton Croft
