THE LEDGER: YOUR MASTER SOURCING LIST
For deep-dive journals and photographic studies of UK-made icons, visit The Edit. Here in The Ledger you’ll find our ever-expanding directory of UK makers with details on their origins, products and more.
These are short-form entries - distilled intelligence on heritage, provenance and why these brands deserve a place in your collection. As our field research continues, we’ll produce full photographic reviews in The Edit.
SHAWS OF DARWEN – Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire
The Heritage: Established by Arthur Shaw in 1897, the company spent over 125 years in the same quiet corner of Darwen, Lancashire. In a major development for 2025-2026, the brand completed a transition of its entire production to a new 270,000 sq. ft Centre of Excellence in South Staffordshire. This represents one of the largest single investments in UK ceramic manufacturing in decades.
The Verdict: Shaws remains a bastion of traditional fireclay engineering. Each sink is still hand-finished and stamped with the name of the master craftsman who created it - a rare mark of individual accountability in the appliance sector. Their sustainability credentials are rooted in the material itself: fireclay is denser than standard china clay and is fired at 1200°C for 32 hours, creating an inseparable bond between the body and the glaze. This results in a sink that is exceptionally resilient to impact, thermal shock and staining, often remaining in service for over a century. The new facility is tech-enhanced to reduce the energy intensity of the firing process while maintaining the traditional ‘Devon Ball Clay’ recipe that has defined the brand since the Victorian era.
Core Products: Heavy-duty fireclay Butler and Belfast sinks.
IMPERIAL BATHROOMS – Aldridge, West Midlands
The Heritage: Situated in Aldridge, a town with a centuries-old history of clay and brick production, Imperial Bathrooms is one of the few remaining large-scale manufacturers of vitreous china in the heart of England. Despite a restructuring in 2023, the brand has maintained its dedicated production facility, continuing to employ time-served craftsmen who utilise traditional skills passed down through generations.
The Verdict: Imperial is a rare example of clay-to-completion domestic manufacturing. While many competitors import white-ware and simply badge it in the UK, Imperial’s ceramics are formed, fired, and glazed in their Aldridge pottery. From a sustainability perspective, their ceramic ware carries a lifetime quality guarantee - a testament to the high-density firing process that makes their china significantly more resistant to crazing and structural failure than cheaper, high-volume imports. By sourcing local clay and keeping the entire production cycle within the West Midlands, they drastically reduce the logistical carbon footprint of these heavy, fragile goods.
Core Products: Vitreous china basins, toilets and pedestals (Westminster and Radcliffe collections).