Portmeirion
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
English homewares company selling Spode and Portmeirion.
We couldn't confirm where it makes the rest, and most homewares and appliances are made in countries such as China and Vietnam, where the legal minimum is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Vietnam and India.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Portmeirion names some of the countries it makes in: the United Kingdom. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 39% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 31% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 9% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | 6% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
Research notes Portmeirion Group makes about 39% of what it sells at its own two factories in England: tableware in Stoke-on-Trent and Wax Lyrical candles in Ulverston. The rest comes from outside partner factories, which are not named; Spode Christmas Tree was made in China and elsewhere in Asia for about 20 years, and the group has moved several tableware lines back to Stoke (about 34% of branded tableware in 2025). The share shown covers only its own UK factories. All product suppliers get announced SMETA audits every two years, but no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment is published, and no labour abuses have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Portmeirion Group's 2025 UK modern slavery statement says all product suppliers get external SMETA 4-pillar audits every two years and no modern slavery was found in 2025. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion and Electronics reports do not assess homewares brands like Portmeirion. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Portmeirion Group preliminary results for 2025 (RNS, 6 May 2026) · search the archive · c.39% of products made at its two English factories; Stoke c.33.7% of branded tableware in 2025; rest from partner factories; 664 staff
- Portmeirion CEO focuses on U.S. retail growth (Home Accents Today, 2025) · search the archive · Spode Christmas Tree made in China and other parts of Asia for nearly two decades, now moving to Stoke
- Spode plans to move significant portion of production back to U.K. (Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 2025) · search the archive · About 26% of branded tableware made in Stoke-on-Trent per 2024 results
- Portmeirion Botanic Garden teapot - Minimax · search the archive · Portmeirion stocked by Minimax, which has physical stores in Australia
Published by Portmeirion or its owner
- Business model - Portmeirion Group · search the archive · About 39% of products made at its two factories in England; the rest outsourced to partner factories
- Portmeirion Group Transparency Statement on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery 2025 · search the archive · All product suppliers SMETA audited every two years; no modern slavery found in 2025; about 653 staff
Company details
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Employees
- About 664
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Portmeirion ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/portmeirion, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency 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 Portmeirion.