Final pieces fired at Denby as production ends

The final pieces have been fired in the kilns of Denby Pottery, bringing two centuries of production to a close.

Founded in 1809, the ceramics company appointed administrators on 31 March after it had struggled with rising energy and labour costs.

The last pieces were finished off on Thursday, and in a Facebook post the company thanked its customers and ex-employees for their support.

"Centuries of making pottery at Denby may be coming to a close, but the love and soul poured into each piece will live on," it said.

"Denby would not have been able to continue for this long without generations of dedicated, skilled people," the statement added.

"From the kilns to customers' homes and all the pairs of hands in between, thank you to every member of staff, past and present, for playing your part in taking care of this piece of history.

"The future is always uncertain and whilst it's hard to comprehend what things may look like in the next weeks and months, we are so hugely proud of everything this Derbyshire pottery has achieved. It's not and has never just been about the pots."

Announcing its decision to appoint administrators earlier in the year, the company said reduced demand, "escalating" employment costs and "soaring" energy costs had "squeezed the business financially".

A #SaveDenby campaign encouraging people to buy more products was launched, but administrators said they failed to find a buyer, leading to production ceasing.

International subsidiaries of Denby in Korea, the US and China are not in administration and will continue to operate as normal.