Made in Cley, in Cley-next-the-Sea, celebrates 40th birthday

Made in Cley opened its doors in Cley-next-the-Sea in 1984.

The artisanal pottery workshop and store is home to a number of hand-crafted items including pots influenced by Japanese ceramics.

But the space also offers handmade precious jewellery and showcases a selection of local photographs and prints in its gallery.

Made in Cley was founded by four friends from Germany, Britain and America who met while working and studying in Germany.

The group bonded over their passion for pottery (Image: Made in Cley)

Wolfgang Altmann, Gunhild Espelage, Barbara Widdup and Quay Proctor-Mears all admired the artisanal workshops and galleries in Cornwall and they bonded over their dreams of one day opening a studio.

"During this time we were teaching English by day, then making pots in our living room and mixing glazes in our bathroom by night," Ms Espelage said.

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As the enterprise grew, the group moved into its Norfolk village shop and began to build a loyal clientele.

These clients include renowned restaurants such as the Michelin-starred Morston Hall.

They have attracted a number of loyal clients (Image: Made in Cley)

The original founders remain a core part of the team and they have been determined to pass their love of pottery on to the next generation.

Ms Widdup's son, David Veitch, is one of the newest makers.

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“It’s great to follow in the footsteps of mum," he said. "I remember making dragons out of clay as a child and now I’m making pots to sell in the shop.”

Ellen Monaghan, one of the staff jewellers, is the daughter of potter Mary Perry.

She said: “Being around such creative energy and seeing the work behind each piece gave me the belief I could go in to the crafts and make it a viable business – I was so supported in my jewellery training by everyone here and it is a dream to be working in the place that I grew up admiring so much”. 

The team has expanded in hopes of inspiring the next generation of makers (Image: Made in Cley)

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the studio and gallery has launched a new commemorative stamp for pottery made this year.

Visitors are welcome to join them for a celebratory glass of fizz on Saturday, June 8 between 4pm and 7pm.