Spode | Copeland Spode

Spode is an English brand of Pottery produced by the company of the same name, which is based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Spode was founded by Josiah Spode (b1733 – d1797) in 1770, and was responsible for perfecting two extremely important techniques that were crucial to the worldwide success of the English pottery industry in the century to follow.

He perfected the technique for transfer printing in underglaze blue on fine earthenware in 1783 – a development that led to the launch in 1816 of Spode's Blue Italian range, which has remained in production ever since. Josiah Spode is also often credited with developing, around 1790, the formula for fine bone china that was generally adopted by the industry. His son, Josiah Spode II, was certainly responsible for the successful marketing of English bone china.

In 2008, the Copeland Spode company went through some financial troubles. Later the company was picked up by the Portmeirion Group. The famous Spode company was saved from possible extinction.

Since 2009, Spode has been owned by Portmeirion Group, a pottery and homewares company based in Stoke-on-Trent. Many items in Spode's Blue Italian and Woodland ranges are made at Portmeirion Group's factory in Stoke-on-Trent.