Denby brand gains new ownership

The Denby brand of pottery is to “live on” despite the Derbyshire factory’s closure, according to administrator FRP Advisory.

The British crockery business, which served both the hospitality and retail sectors, appointed Tony Wright and Geoff Rowley of FRP Advisory as administrators in March following a period of challenging financial circumstances.

Wright has now said: “The Denby brand itself will continue under new ownership, ensuring its legacy lives on.”

However, FRP did not disclose who the new owner is or what assets have been purchased.

The administrators failed to find a buyer for the full Denby Pottery business, which saw the end of production in June. Reports suggested that retailer Home Bargains was considering a rescue deal, though FRP Advisory declined to comment on a possible buyout at the time.

A petition calling for the government to include ceramics in a business support scheme, which could have helped the pottery maker, received more than 110,000 signatures but proved unable to save the company.

The company will also close its Denby Pottery Village and remaining retail stores in Ashford, Portsmouth, Braintree, York, Dalton Park, Castleford and Cheshire Oaks on 30 August.

Denby had been handmaking crockery at its Ripley headquarters since 1809, and employed more than 500 staff.

The company’s Burleigh pottery brand was rescued in June by a group of investors led by Christopher Bailey, the former CEO and chief creative officer of fashion brand Burberry.

Founded in 1851, Burleigh has produced tableware from the Grade II-listed Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent since 1889. Bailey’s buyout, for an undisclosed sum, meant that 62 jobs were saved and transferred to the new owner, allowing production to continue without interruption.