Gillshaw Pottery

Gillshaw Pottery is a ceramics studio at Bow Cottage on Church Road in Barcombe, run by Sophie and Alexander, who met at the house that gives the business its name. Sophie moved to East Sussex from London in 2011, having previously run a decorative homeware shop, and turned to hand-thrown pottery soon after; Alexander, a chef with 25 years in professional kitchens, joined her to design tableware suited to plating food. The studio produces hand-thrown bowls, plates and bakeware, with Sophie's pieces featuring hand-painted slipware and underglaze decoration on terracotta clay and Alexander's favouring plainer, minimal glazes intended as a backdrop for food. Work is sold through the studio's own online shop and at craft fairs and markets around the country, and the pair also teach one-to-one and two-to-one pottery classes from their working shepherd's hut studio. Visitors can see the studio by arrangement, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.