Shire Book: Portmeirion

Portmeirion pottery evolved from a souvenir shop in North Wales into a twenty-first-century global business, thanks to the flair and vision of Susan Williams-Ellis. She captured the aspirations of households all over the world, transforming their kitchens and dining rooms from the 1960s onwards by cleverly blending the contemporary and the traditional. Her 'Botanic Garden' pattern, introduced in 1972, combined antique flower prints with contemporary shapes, and having been in production for the last forty years, it is the firm's most successful creation. The company is currently moving forwards with a new generation of designers; it has a foothold in over fifty countries and has even acquired the Spode and Royal Worcester design portfolios. Will Farmer and Rob Higgins here tell the story of Portmeirion and illustrate dozens of Williams-Ellis's collectable design classics.