My mum and I went on a factory experience with afternoon tea and pottery painting. The day started with a factory tour which I'd been on before but it was still fascinating to hear about, the tour lasted an hour and was easy to walk around,my mum had a walker and she found it easy. It was quite warm inside though! Really interesting to see how the pottery is made. After that we painted our own pottery, I chose 2 pieces and found it a bit of a rush to fit in in the 90mins allocated. I did come prepared with ideas and a homemade stencil so I'd advise being organised! You can use their sponge stamps and paintbrushes and choose from a large range of colours. The pink colour was nearly empty and I thought it was a bit disappointing that staff didn't top up all the colours for the sessions. Some of the sponge stamps were in quite poor condition so it's good to have a rummage and try and get a newly cut one. Overall it is a really fun activity. I paid extra £28 for the small pet bowl I made. There wasn't all the pottery to choose from but a good range. I think it takes 2-3 weeks to get the pieces back and is free delivery. When our time was up at 2:30 we had afternoon tea and it was well needed! We had a big pot of tea, 3 sandwiches each, 2 scones and 3 mini cakes which we couldn't finish. I'd be happy with a couple more sandwiches instead though, the ham was really thick and lovely. All of the staff throughout were very friendly and the location is just gorgeous, the Emma Bridgewater Aga in the cafe is just a sight to see! You could definitely make a weekend of visiting the pottery factories in Stoke, by the time we had a look around the shops at EB and the really pretty garden it was nearly 5pm and time for the long drive home.

After doing the factory tour, which I thoroughly recommend, and is a bargain, I can now fully appreciate why the pottery is the price it is. The shop is great and there is a shop of seconds, saving 20% off the full price, although I'd prefer buying perfects as the majority of the imperfect ones are not worth the small discount in my opinion. The tea room is really good.

We recently visited from Canada for my birthday. We booked the Experience Day at the factory, which was really fun. We started with Afternoon Tea, followed by the Factory Tour with our tour guide Lorraine, and painting pottery in the Decorating Studio. Our tour guide, Lorraine, was amazing and made the day special. You’re a gem! ❤️ We loved seeing behind the scenes and how the things we use everyday at home are made. It was very special to meet the hardworking team of potters and decorators - they were all so kind to stop and have a chat during the tour. The decorating studio was fun and very relaxing. All of the staff were friendly and welcoming. Thanks for a special day!

What an absolutely incredible day out the breakfast experience is! Our tour guide Neil was so helpful and friendly with impressive knowledge of the factory. I cannot recommend the staff and value for money more, and the service is so welcoming - sorry to all the workers I didn’t get the names of! The food (and cake) here is absolutely delicious. We spent from 9:30am to 3pm here and enjoyed every minute - thank you to all the members of the Bridgewater team that made it so special.

We had the most amazing time at the factory last week! The last time I went on a factory tour was 2011! So lots of changes since our last trip! We started with the factory tour with a very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide called Lorraine! She used to work on the floor, so gave us first hand experience of what it was like working there! She took us to various parts of the factory and introduced us to some of the staff! The work they do makes you appreciate each and every pottery!! Next up, we went to the Decorating Studio and picked a piece of pottery to paint. It was so much fun being creative, but the hardest part was deciding what to paint! Needless to say, it was a great experience and had lots of fun! In the afternoon, we went across to the cafe for afternoon tea! It was fantastic! Everything was delicious and freshly made! I would highly recommend booking a factory tour experience and really immerse yourself into all things EB! I’ve been a fan for nearly 20 years and have collected all sorts of designed and limited editions! You never get tired of the designs!!