New beginnings for McGlashen Pottery

A spontaneous stop at McGlashen Pottery in Brightwater turned into a life-changing opportunity for the business’ new owners, Josh Jones and Coral Denize.

During a work trip last May, Josh stopped by McGlashen Pottery with the intent of purchasing a gift for Coral. However, when he arrived, the shop was closed.

As he gazed at the pottery through the window, renowned potter Royce McGlashen appeared, greeting Josh in his signature white overalls. It was Josh’s first meeting with Royce, but certainly not the last.

“Royce shared with me that he and his wife Trudi were looking to retire but hadn’t found the right buyer for the business,” Josh recalls.

Intrigued, Josh took a tour of the pottery workshop, and after purchasing two pieces, he offered to help find a buyer for the business. But as the day went on, Josh became captivated by the scale of the operation and Royce’s artistic vision.

“Coral has a passion for pottery and at the time, she was teaching pottery classes in Christchurch while working as a civil engineer. I began to wonder if this might be something we should consider taking on ourselves, so I called her at work,” Josh says.

At first, Coral was taken aback.

“I thought it sounded like a crazy idea,” she admits. “But as Josh explained more, it began to sound amazing.”

The couple soon reached out to Royce and Trudi to discuss the possibility further, and a ‘working weekend’ was organised.

“We really liked the vibe and how well we all worked together. Royce and Trudi were incredibly supportive. At the end of the weekend, when driving away, we both felt like we wanted to go back immediately. That’s when we knew we wanted to make this work,” says Coral.

With the support of Royce and Trudi, and their family and friends, Josh and Coral sold their New Brighton seafront home and took the plunge to purchase McGlashen Pottery.

Just a few weeks in, McGlashen Pottery is back in full production mode making Royce’s well-known shapes, especially shell bowls, with the existing staff still on board and Royce and Trudi on-hand for support. The production goal is 20,000 pieces annually, with new pieces being developed over time.

“We are very happy to be here, and we can’t wait to prove ourselves in continuing Royce and Trudi’s legacy at McGlashen Pottery, as we aim to become lifelong potters and members of the Brightwater community,” Josh says.