RCS - Portmeirion Group - Statement re Government support for UK ceramics

PortmeirionAnnouncement

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RNS Number : 3369F  Portmeirion Group PLC  21 May 2026

21 May 2026

Portmeirion Group PLC

("Portmeirion", the "Group" or "Company")

STATEMENT RE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR UK CERAMICS SECTOR

The Board of Portmeirion Group PLC, the global homewares brand group, welcomes
the announcement from UK Chancellor today that the UK Government will provide
a £120 million fund ⁠to support the ⁠UK ceramics ‌industry.

Portmeirion's heritage brands Spode, Portmeirion and Royal Worcester are
widely respected globally. Alongside being an employer of a highly skilled
workforce of over 660, with 433 colleagues based in the heart of the UK
ceramic industry in Stoke-on-Trent, the Group exports over £35m of
UK-manufactured product to over 60 countries worldwide.

Recent years have seen the UK ceramics industry grapple with crippling energy
costs along with wider cost pressures. The Group's UK energy costs in FY25
totalled c£2.8m, with costs being forward hedged until April 2027.

The Group has long called for meaningful Government support, including a
fairer deal on energy costs and inclusion in the Government's British Industry
Supercharger scheme in order to ensure that in this current challenging macro
and political trading environment, UK Ceramics can continue to compete
competitively on a global stage.

Commenting, Michael Scheepers, CEO of Portmeirion Group said:

"It is encouraging to see His Majesty's Government listen and take action
today to support UK ceramics with the announcement of a £120m fund that
recognises the important role that our sector contributes to British industry.
We look forward to finding out further details of how the scheme will function
and working with industry partners to make best use of the funds. This action
underpins our confidence to continue our investments as we look to elevate our
heritage brands to a wider global consumer and drive our export business.

Portmeirion is a champion of UK ceramics and our stable of brands are steeped
in the rich heritage of British craftmanship and design. We are already a
major sector employer and exporter of UK ceramics and the international
opportunity for our brands is at the heart of our growth plans as we execute
our 'Elevating Portmeirion' strategy.

In 2025, we committed to UK manufacturing and the City of Stoke-on-Trent with
the launch of our 'Made in Stoke-on-Trent' strategy which will significantly
increase UK production of our branded tableware products over the next two
years. To date this has seen us produce 280,000 more branded pieces of
tableware in Stoke in the last financial year alone, an increase of 7%. 

Alongside others in the industry we will continue to lobby hard for further
support for UK ceramics exports, including the vital Ceramics (UK Country of
Origin) Marketing Bill (aka "The Backstamp Bill") which aims to promote
consumer transparency and ultimately protect British craftmanship and UK
jobs."

 

ENDS

 

ENQUIRIES:

 Portmeirion Group PLC:
 Peter Tracey, Non-Executive Chairman                           Via Houston (see below)
 Michael Scheepers, Group CEO
 Jonathan Hill, Group Finance Director
 Houston:
 Kate Hoare                              +44 (0)7949 944 496    PortmeirionGroup@houston.co.uk (mailto:portmeirion.corporate@houston.co.uk)
 Charlie Barker                          +44 (0)773 303 2695

 Shore Capital:                          +44 (0) 207 408 4090

 (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker):
 Patrick Castle                          Corporate Advisory
 Lucy Bowden

 Malachy McEntyre                        Corporate Broking

 Isobel Jones

 

NOTES TO EDITOR:

Portmeirion Group PLC is a global homewares brand group based in
Stoke-on-Trent, England.  The Group owns six unrivalled heritage and
contemporary brands; Spode, Portmeirion, Royal Worcester, Pimpernel, Wax
Lyrical and Nambé. The Group serves markets across the world, with global
demand driven by diversified international markets including the key
geographies of the US, UK and South Korea.

 

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