Spode
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
English tableware brand known for Blue Italian.
There's no proof Spode pays more than the legal minimum, which in China 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
Spode names some of the countries it makes in: China and the United Kingdom. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | 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 Spode is made partly at Portmeirion Group's own factory in Stoke-on-Trent and partly by outside partner factories that are not named. Its Christmas Tree range was made in China and elsewhere in Asia for about 20 years before moving to Stoke in 2025, and some pieces (such as a Blue Italian teapot set) are still sold as made outside the UK; the group plans to make most Spode in England within two years. No Spode split by country is published, so no shares are shown. All group 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 | Covered by Portmeirion Group's 2025 UK modern slavery statement: 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 Spode. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- 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; vast majority of Spode to be made in England
- Portmeirion Group preliminary results for 2025 (RNS, May 2026) · search the archive · About 39% of products made at own English factories; Spode Christmas Tree moved to Stoke in 2025; rest from unnamed partner factories
- Spode plans to move significant portion of production back to U.K. (Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 2025) · search the archive · Spode to return a significant share of manufacturing to Stoke over 24 months; about 26% of group tableware made in Stoke in 2024
- Spode Blue Italian tea for one set - Brookfield House · search the archive · Blue Italian tea for one set designed in Stoke but manufactured outside the UK
- Spode Christmas Tree Heart Dish 18cm - Minimax · search the archive · Spode sold by Minimax, which has physical stores in Australia
Published by Spode or its owner
- 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
Company details
- Owned by
- Portmeirion Group
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Spode ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/spode, last researched 3 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 Spode.