Spode

Spode is one of England's most celebrated pottery houses, founded by Josiah Spode in Stoke-on-Trent in 1770. Spode is credited with two innovations that changed English ceramics forever: perfecting underglaze blue transfer printing in the 1780s, and developing the formula for bone china. More than 250 years on, Spode is still designed and crafted in Stoke-on-Trent, and is part of the Portmeirion Group.

Yes. Spode was founded in Stoke-on-Trent, England, in 1770, and its designs continue to be crafted at the company's Stoke-on-Trent factory today. It's one of the longest continuously operating names in English pottery.

Pepperfields stocks four of Spode's most-loved collections: Blue Italian (Spode's most popular and longest-running design), Blue Room, Heritage Green Italian, and Christmas Tree.

Spode Blue Italian is the brand's most iconic design — a rich cobalt-blue pattern launched in 1816 and in continuous production ever since. It's widely considered a timeless icon of English tableware, and remains Spode's best-selling collection today.

Blue Italian was created by Josiah Spode II amid Britain's Industrial Revolution. At the time, British nobility and gentry were embarking on Grand Tours of Europe, and a fashion for Chinese-inspired blue and white ceramics was shifting toward a taste for European landscapes. Josiah Spode II combined the two, pairing a romantic Italianate scene with a traditional Imari-inspired oriental border — and Blue Italian was born.

The design shows a classic Italianate landscape in shades of cobalt blue, framed by an intricate Imari-style border of florals and scrollwork. The exact real-world location behind the scene has never been identified — no single place in Italy matches all its elements.

The border draws on 18th-century Imari design, framing the pastoral Italian scene at the centre. This blend of European scenery and Asian-inspired decoration is part of what has made Blue Italian so enduringly popular.

Blue Italian was launched in 1816 and has remained in continuous production ever since, making it one of the longest-running tableware designs in English ceramic history.

Yes. Blue Italian continues to be produced using Spode's heritage techniques at the company's home in Stoke-on-Trent, England.

Blue Italian's popularity comes down to its unique combination of European and Asian design, the quality of its hand-engraved detailing, and its rich cobalt-blue printing. Its versatility also makes it easy to mix into everyday and formal table settings alike.

Blue Room is a collection of Spode's classic blue-and-white transfer-printed designs, drawn from patterns originating in the 18th century, featuring florals, famous places and scenery sourced from original engravings held in the Spode archive.

Blue Italian is a single, specific pattern, while Blue Room is a broader collection bringing together several of Spode's historic blue-and-white archive designs. Both share the same underglaze blue printing heritage.

The patterns in the Blue Room collection are taken directly from engravings held in the Spode archive, reproduced using the tradition of underglaze printing from hand-engraved copper plates.

Heritage Green Italian is Spode's archival green interpretation of its iconic Italian pattern, reinterpreting the same Imari-inspired border and romantic countryside scene found on Blue Italian, in a rich, organic green colourway.

Essentially, yes — Heritage Green Italian draws on the original 1816 Italian pattern, but presents it in a deep archive green rather than cobalt blue. The green colourway was first introduced by Spode in 1833.

Spode's Italian pattern first appeared in a rich, deep green in 1833. Heritage Green Italian revives this archive colour for a contemporary collection, crafted at Spode's Stoke-on-Trent factory.

Green Italian offers the same beloved Italianate scene and Imari border as Blue Italian, but in a warmer, more grounding tone that suits those who love natural, earthy colour palettes on the table.

Spode Christmas Tree has been bringing festive cheer to tables since 1938. First designed by Spode designer Harold Holdway, it features a decorated Christmas tree with colourful baubles, crackers and lanterns, topped with a jolly Santa Claus.

The Christmas Tree design was first created in 1938 by Harold Holdway, a Spode designer who later became the company's design director.

The Christmas Tree collection spans mugs (some with peppermint-style handles), serveware, platters, glassware and festive giftware, in addition to tableware.

There's no rule against it — many collectors use Christmas Tree pieces throughout the festive season. If your pieces have gold or metallic detailing, check the care guidance below before using them in the microwave or dishwasher.

Most Spode earthenware and porcelain tableware is dishwasher safe — look for "Dishwasher Safe" printed on the backstamp. Handwashing is still recommended to help protect intricate patterns and glazes, and to help prevent fading or crazing.

Most Spode tableware is microwave safe provided the dish is at least half-full of food or liquid — check for "Microwave Safe" on the backstamp. Gold-accented pieces, including Spode Christmas Tree Gold, are not microwave safe.

Spode/Portmeirion tableware is designed to be oven-to-table, performing at temperatures up to 200°C (400°F) for porcelain and 170°C (340°F) for earthenware. Always heat tableware gradually and ensure pieces are completely dry before use.

Crazing is fine, spiderweb-like cracking in the glaze, caused by water soaking into the earthenware body and expanding when heated during a high-temperature dishwasher cycle. Handwashing helps minimise this.

Spode/Portmeirion tableware uses lead-free glazes and is food safe for everyday use.

Depending on the piece, Spode tableware is made from earthenware, bone china or porcelain — Blue Italian, Blue Room, Heritage Green Italian and Christmas Tree are produced primarily in earthenware.

Pepperfields stocks a wide range of genuine Spode tableware and giftware, including the Blue Italian, Blue Room, Heritage Green Italian and Christmas Tree collections.

Yes — many customers combine pieces from different Spode collections. Blue Italian and Heritage Green Italian share the same underlying Italian pattern design, so they layer together particularly well.

Pepperfields is an Australian owned and operated business, based in Sydney, with orders placed by 12pm AEST dispatched the same day from our Sydney warehouse.