A Visit To Denby Pottery Village For Their 30th Birthday Bash (And A Spot Of Breakfast At Bournes)
Published On Sunday 1 Oct 2023 by Sticky Beak
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We all love a celebration, right? Well, The Man Bird and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary on the same day as Denby Pottery Village were holding their 30th birthday bash on their superb site, so it was a double-bubble day. Denby Pottery has been going for over 200 years (quality always endures, as my Nana used to say), and for the past 3 decades, the adjacent Pottery Village has evolved to offer guests a truly unique experience, that is family friendly as well – kids will love the play area. You can immerse yourself in the history of Denby Pottery and see how trends, fashions, and even wars, shaped the products that they produced for sale by taking a tour around the museum; Linda was imparting her knowledge this particular day. A short walk back across the narrow road takes you to the main Village area, which is home to the Factory Shop, where you can purchase goods to enhance your own nest.
Anyhow, we all know that to really make the most of a day out you have to fuel your body, so our first stop was Bourne’s Coffee Shop & Bistro for a couple of their Greedy Pig Butchers produce-containing Full English Breakfasts. We clearly weren’t the only ones with this thought as, at 9am, when the doors open, several other folks were streaming in and placing their orders – the lovely young lasses behind the counter were certainly going to be kept busy, if early indications were anything to go by!
I had a pot of tea and The Man had a coffee and, as we began supping, our two rounds of toast that form part of the ‘Bourne’s Big Breakfast’ arrived, brought over by a smiling member of the team. This gourmand feast comprises two thick rashers of dry-cured Bacon, two Sausages (made with a minimum of 85% Pork Shoulder, so proper meaty beasts), two eggs: fried for him, poached for me, a pot of Tomatoes that were destined to go on my toast (!), a pot of Baked Beans, loads of sauteed Mushrooms, and two crispy Hash Browns. You can add a slice of top-quality Black Pudding for an additional £1.25, but we didn’t on this occasion; I can tell you that it is jolly tasty though, as I’ve had some on previous visits!
From our table, we could see the specially erected marquee that housed the end-of-line super sale, whose pieces were all at 1993 prices – there were some absolute steals to be had and people were [literally] carrying out huge boxes of stuff in their arms! After filling our bellies, it was time to head over to the Craft Studio - via a visit to the Guide Dogs for the Blind stall to buy some Christmas Cards (don’t judge me for mentioning the ‘C’ word, ‘k?!) - where the lovely Scarlett was waiting to take us through our Potters Wheel session.
His Nibs and I have done the ‘decorate a piece of pottery’ experience in the Craft Studio before, but this was the first time we’d done the actual Potters’ Wheel and I don’t mind admitting that I was a bit nervous. It’s no secret that I’m cack-handed and not possessed of Ballerina-worthy delicacy, so I feared for the piece of Clay’s well-being between my clumsy hands… plus the fact, you have to control the speed of the wheel with your foot (and my tendency is to press down when I panic) so visions of lumps of clay hurtling across the room and taking someone out were flashing through my head!
I needn’t have worried; Scarlett had serious skills and endless patience, as well as a brilliant way of explaining things simply and putting you at ease. Much to my surprise, I managed to produce a half-decent bowl! His Nibs’ bowl got a bit of a wobbly edge, but it will make a rather arty tealight/candle holder, so all’s good. With the hard work done, it was time to have a bit of fun, so we re-created the famous scene from the film ‘Ghost’ where Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze got romantic at the Potters’ Wheel! Scarlett captured the moment for the ‘Gram, proving that, with maturity, wisdom doesn’t always come… The Craft Studio always runs a good programme of events (you can also host your child’s birthday party there), and the October Half-Term’s schedule looks amazing; if you’re stuck for ideas as to what to do with your young ‘un, check out their website denbypottery.digitickets.co.uk/tickets for the latest info.
Since our last visit, Greedy Pig Butchers have added a Deli Counter to their offering (just down from their butchery section), so we moseyed over to check out the scrummy morsels on sale . The anti-pasti section was eye-catchingly colourful with its variety of Olives, Tomatoes, Balsamic Onions and Coleslaw and lots of people were purchasing pots-full of them to take home. There was also a good selection of Pâtes, local- and continental- Cheeses, and Charcuterie to buy, but it was the individual, handmade pies that caught my interest; Mummy Bird was going to love the ones we bought for her to have: Rabbit, Chicken and Ham, Steak and Lamb and Mint. If ever you’re stuck for some dinner-inspo, head down to Denby Pottery Village and nip in the Farm Shop – there’s plenty of tasty options!
Our last port of call was the revamped Cookshop that was launching its new look at this celebratory event and, as I headed down the stairs from the Factory Shop towards it, I got a real sense of anticipation. I was relieved to see the Cookshop was still laden with all the premium brands (Brabantia, Joseph Joseph and Kuhn Rikon, to name just three!) and you can now purchase all your kitchen, utility and laundry gadgets in one place.
When we’d been in the Craft Studio with Scarlett, she’d said that there was a little surprise for us from the Denby Pottery team and, when we went back to collect our pottery masterpieces, she handed us a beautiful bag that, when we opened it, had a pair of stunning Denby Pottery mugs in, as well as some vouchers and an anniversary card from everyone. The Man and I cannot thank you all enough; this really made our day and was extraordinarily kind. We will treasure our ‘anniversary’ mugs forever and think of this wonderful venue each time we have a brew.
One thing we did notice as we walked around the Denby Pottery Village was how well organised this event was; there was medical cover from E.M.M.S and there were also staff members making sure the car park was flowing smoothly to allow people to find a space quickly.
All that’s left to say, other than Hot Wings, is Happy 30th Birthday to the Denby Pottery Village; here’s to the next 30…and beyond! Huge thanks again to Laura, for inviting us along to be part of your special day.
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