Emma Bridgewater
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
English pottery making hand-decorated mugs, teapots and tableware.
Emma Bridgewater makes its hand-decorated English pottery in its own factories in the United Kingdom, where legal wages are close to a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It is a certified B Corp.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Emma Bridgewater? Send a right of reply.
Compare Emma Bridgewater with another brand
Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in the United Kingdom are close to a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Emma Bridgewater's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Owns or runs its own production
- "Made in the United Kingdom" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good.
Research notes All Emma Bridgewater pottery is made and hand-decorated at its own factory in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, under UK employment law, and the company is a certified B Corp. Fabrics, bedding, wallpaper, stationery and napkins are made by licensees, and it does not say where these or its tea towels and glassware are made. Staff fell from 469 to 409 in 2023-24 as it cut production while losing money, and it had about 350 staff in early 2026. No labour abuses have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| B Corp directory | Certified | Certified B Corp since January 2022; category scores (governance 14.0, workers 27.4, community 17.2, environment 19.9, customers 2.9) total 81.4. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Not covered | Turnover of £27.4 million (year to April 2025) is below the £36 million threshold for a UK modern slavery statement. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No company profile or labour rights stories about Emma Bridgewater. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Emma Bridgewater Ltd (B Corp directory) · search the archive · Certified January 2022; category scores total 81.4, workers 27.4
- Stoke-on-Trent ceramics brand secures investment (Visit Staffordshire) · search the archive · BGF invested £8m in 2020; all ceramics made in Staffordshire at its Hanley factory, about 1.7 million pieces a year
- Emma Bridgewater ramps up production as recovery plan gathers pace (Daily Focus) · search the archive · About 350 staff; turnover £27.4m in year to April 2025; more decorators recruited at Hanley factory
- Emma Bridgewater: jobs cut as UK's 'queen of pottery' sinks further into the red (City AM) · search the archive · Headcount fell from 469 to 409 in year to April 2024; BGF added £2.2m in May 2024
- Emma Bridgewater polka dot oven glove and tea towel set (Ocado) · search the archive · Kitchen textiles are 100% cotton, a small part of the range; origin not stated
- Emma Bridgewater Polka Dot Mug (John Lewis Australia) · search the archive · Emma Bridgewater pottery sold online for delivery to Australia
Published by Emma Bridgewater or its owner
- FAQs (Emma Bridgewater) · search the archive · Pottery made in its Stoke-on-Trent factory with over 300 staff; fabrics, bedding, wallpaper and stationery made by licensees; B Corp
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Employees
- About 350
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Emma Bridgewater ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/emma-bridgewater, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Emma Bridgewater.