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Our Story
THE WADE STORY
An iconic British brand with over 200 years heritage and excellence in ceramics.
Originally founded by furniture maker John Wade in 1810, Wade produced products for the textile and
wool spinning industry, as well as manufacturing bottles for the beer breweries in Staffordshire.
Wade Ceramics was originally made up of three different companies founded by various members of the Wade family and was only united as Wade Potteries Limited in 1958. The original companies were:
Wade & Myatt (later became George Wade & Son, who made industrial ceramics and Wade Whimsies). Established 1867.
John Wade & Co (later became Wade Heath & Co, who made decorative ware, particularly art deco vases in the 1930s). Established 1867.
J&W Wade (later became AJ Wade Ltd, who made tiles, notably the original tiles for the London Underground). Established 1891.
Sir George Wade was born George Albert Wade on the 19th July 1891 in Burslem. His father, also George, owned a pottery in Burslem. When George Jnr returned home after the First World War, (he was awarded the MC for Valour in December 1917 with a Bar added in January 1919),his father made him a partner in the company and thereafter the company was called George Wade & Son Ltd.
Wade Ceramics was originally made up of three different companies founded by various members of the Wade family and was only united as Wade Potteries Limited in 1958. The original companies were:
Wade & Myatt (later became George Wade & Son, who made industrial ceramics and Wade Whimsies). Established 1867.
John Wade & Co (later became Wade Heath & Co, who made decorative ware, particularly art deco vases in the 1930s). Established 1867.
J&W Wade (later became AJ Wade Ltd, who made tiles, notably the original tiles for the London Underground). Established 1891.
Sir George Wade was born George Albert Wade on the 19th July 1891 in Burslem. His father, also George, owned a pottery in Burslem. When George Jnr returned home after the First World War, (he was awarded the MC for Valour in December 1917 with a Bar added in January 1919),his father made him a partner in the company and thereafter the company was called George Wade & Son Ltd.
CRAFTMANSHIP
Wade produced a wide range of wares, from jugs, bowls, vases, fancies, commemorative ware, moulded jugs, teapots, cheese dishes and nursery ware. In the 1920s and 30s, they released a cellulose range of Art Deco figurines designed by Jessica Van Hallen, featuring breathtaking Art Deco dancing ladies, ladies with dogs and many other figure studies. In the late 1930s, the figures were also produced in an underglaze range that today prove most popular with collectors and often fetch high prices in our rooms.
The 1930s Art Deco jugs and shapes under the Wadeheath Flaxman ware backstamp continued to be produced into the 1940s but, following the War, the introduction of a range of comical nursery rhyme characters, animals and birds and more really captured the hearts and minds of the nation. The range was known for its animal and bird characters that became known as the George Wade moulds, comical duck families dressed in clothes, pig lady and pig gentleman cruets and kissing rabbits.
In the 1950s, Wade began working with the talented modeller William Harper, who worked on developing the now famous Wade whimsies concept which are now known and highly-sought the
world over.
In 1999, there was a management takeover from Beauford PLC with the company renamed Wade Ceramics. Beauford plc's pottery factories were taken over by a management buyout in 1999, becoming
a wholly owned subsidiary of Wade Allied Holdings Ltd. Edward Duke, former CEO of Beauford, became the major shareholder of Wade Allied Holdings and Chairman of Wade Ceramics.
The last Wade factory in Burslem was closed in 2010, and sold for housing development. The original factory is still standing and has unfortunately lay derelict for 10 years. At the same time, Wade production moved to a new £8 million state of the art production facility in Eturia, Stoke On Trent where it thrived continuing to produce ceramic flagons for the whiskey industry as well as becoming renowned for its now iconic The Wade Gurgling Jug.
In 2023 Wade Ceramics was purchased by Europe’s leading appliance distributor RKW. Like Wade, RKW is based in Stoke and it was a priority to the owners of RKW to keep the Wade brand local to Stoke-on-Trent and restore the iconic brand back to greatness.
In the 1950s, Wade began working with the talented modeller William Harper, who worked on developing the now famous Wade whimsies concept which are now known and highly-sought the world over.
In 1999, there was a management takeover from Beauford PLC with the company renamed Wade Ceramics. Beauford plc's pottery factories were taken over by a management buyout in 1999, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Wade Allied Holdings Ltd. Edward Duke, former CEO of Beauford, became the major shareholder of Wade Allied Holdings and Chairman of Wade Ceramics.
The last Wade factory in Burslem was closed in 2010, and sold for housing development. The original factory is still standing and has unfortunately lay derelict for 10 years. At the same time, Wade production moved to a new £8 million state of the art production facility in Eturia, Stoke On Trent where it thrived continuing to produce ceramic flagons for the whiskey industry as well as becoming renowned for its now iconic The Wade Gurgling Jug.
In 2023 Wade Ceramics was purchased by Europe’s leading appliance distributor RKW. Like Wade, RKW is based in Stoke and it was a priority to the owners of RKW to keep the Wade brand local to Stoke-on-Trent and restore the iconic brand back to greatness.
