Anyway, far from British playground rhymes or unsightly body hair, today's post is actually about SECONDS. Not wishing to dust off my A Level Physics and talk to you about units of time, I will instead be discussing Factory Seconds, which are items of a production run that contain tiny flaws or imperfections and so are sold at a discounted price.
While I do not suggest that you stock your kitchen cupboards with chipped crockery and bent cutlery, Factory Seconds from high end ranges where only perfection is accepted, really are worth scoping out. Seconds can be less than half the price of the original piece, and often have flaws so tiny that they are imperceptible to anyone less than expert in the range.
After growing tired of attempting to entertain my friends using crockery from my student days (which, at last use, consisted of three plates of different size and two bowls) I decided to invest in a dinner service which I truly loved. It is common to hear fashion writers talk about "investment pieces" for your wardrobe, but when it comes to the kitchen (something that you use EVERY DAY), investment is the key. However, I would not be living up to my mantra if I did not encourage you to invest your money in a real bargain. For me, investment doesn't mean pouring cash into something, it means making your decision or choice as future proof as possible. If you are going to buy a dinner service, you don't want it to look dated and tacky in 5 years time.
Here are a few tips to help you make your choice;
- Don't go for an ultra modern pattern
If you choose to get pale pink and mustard striped plates with a bicycle motif because you absolutely love the look of it now, believe you me, it will look different in a few years when the 'popular' colours change. - Food looks best on white plates
I love to have accents of colour in my dinner service, but food really does look best against a white background. If you love patterns, get a few patterned serving dishes or a tea pot. If you can't bare a plain white plate, go for something with a pattern around the edge - for example a circle of colour around the rim. - Make sure it is dishwasher proof
Even if you don't have a dishwasher now, if you love cooking, you WILL want one in the future. Once you are accustomed to a dishwasher, you will never, ever want to wash anything up, least of all every single plate that you use. - Not everything has to match!
In fact, I am a great believer in an eclectic look - for one thing, no one else will ever have the same mix as you. In my opinion, the worst thing a kitchen can be is over designed, and the same goes for a dinner service. Whilst I want all of my dinner plates to match, I also want my set to be practical, welcoming and feel like my own. If that means that my table is not laid with glasses, plates, cutlery, serving dishes etc all from the same range and in the same style then so be it! It is also worth baring in mind that if you insist on one particular range or brand you really do limit yourself when it comes to bargain hunting.
And so, to start my journey from bring-your-own-plate host to dinner service owner, I headed to one of the best places to source crockery in the UK - Stoke on Trent. Since the 17th Century, this city in Staffordshire has been renowned for its industrial scale manufacturing of pottery, with crockery giants such as Wedgewood and Royal Dalton establishing themselves there. This is in part due to the availability of nearby clay suitable for pottery and in part due to the abundance of coal in the region, oh so important for an industrial revolution. Sadly, in recent years much of the pottery production has been pulled from the region and out sourced to China. However, many factory shops still remain in the city selling an abundance of high quality seconds at a fraction of the price of the original pieces. A list of the factory shops in Stoke on Trent can be found on the following website http://www.visitstoke.co.uk/ and once you have navigated to one, you can usually ask for a map which will show the others.
I also feel that I must mention that the Emma Bridgewater Factory can been found in Stoke on Trent. It is in a truly beautiful renovated Victorian factory, offering factory tours, pottery classes and a place to get a cup of coffee. It is well worth a visit, although I must warn you that the seconds are not hugely reduced at the factory, so you are better to purchase your Emma Bridgewater seconds elsewhere.
I had done some research before we decided to make the two and a half journey to Stoke, so I knew what kind of things I wanted to look out for. I loved the range Sophie Conran did for Portmeirion, but when it came down to it, I felt the dinner plates were too ridged and would be annoying to eat from. Instead, we opted mainly for Sophie Conran serving dishes and our main plates are actually from a range Gordon Ramsay did for Royal Dalton. I also got other, more colourful, pieces from Spode and Tala and have a few items from Le Cruset (also seconds, but not purchased in Stoke).
If Stoke is too far for you to travel, I urge you to have a look online at outlet villages or factory shops near you. There is a Portmeirion Factory Shop about half an hour away from our home, and I have used it to top up our collection and buy gifts many times. Factory shops often have "deal weekends" where a certain range will be cut price - we once stumbled into a 50% off all Sophie Conran glassware day and the car was considerably heavier on the way home. Ask in the shop if they have a mailing list, they usually do, and if you sign up you will receive emails alerting you to any sales or offers.
I mentioned above that I have purchased many gifts from seconds shops. This is not something of which I am ashamed, and I urge you not to be either! All of the seconds I purchase are of very high quality (or I wouldn't buy them) and they are usually unmarked, so no one would know they are seconds. Furthermore, if a friend of mine would be offended at receiving factory seconds from me, I would have to reconsider how much of a friend they truly were.
Until next time...spend wisely, give generously,
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