Owner of pottery painting studio offering ‘creative fun for everyone’ says business is ‘booming’ in Northampton

The owner of a pottery painting studio, which is proud to offer “creative fun for everyone”, described business as “booming” in recent months.

Potz Ceramic Studio, located at Glennons Yard in Billing Garden Village, is a family-friendly environment for people of all ages and abilities with a desire to paint pottery.

The business offers a calm space to get creative and try something new five days a week, for an affordable price range of £6 to £30 for the pottery and an additional studio fee of £5 per person.

As well as offering pottery painting parties, the passionate team runs regular workshops for a variety of seasonal activities.

With free parking, drinks and snacks available to purchase, and being accessible to all painters, Potz Ceramic Studio welcomes one and all to make the most of what they offer.

Director Ronald Gunn and manager Hope Dimmer spoke to the Chronicle & Echo about the business, which began in the garden centre more than 17 years ago.

The studio was moved from there to its current location in Glennons Yard by the second owner, who Ronald then bought it from around four years ago in the midst of the pandemic.

Though the director described the difficult times they faced, grants saw them through paying for essential bills and now the Potz Ceramic Studio is “booming”.

“We offer an experience for everyone,” said Hope. “It’s a bespoke service for individuals or groups and it doesn’t matter about age. It’s incredibly therapeutic.

“A lot of people are trading in what I used to do as a teenager for something more cathartic. This is unique, makes you feel good and you don’t have to be skilled.”

When asked what visitors like most about the experience they offer, Ronald added: “They find it very relaxing and calming. They sit and chat with friends and family and don’t feel under any pressure.”

They offer a growing range of pottery to paint, from lanterns, vases, plates and mugs, to figurines and unusual retro designs.

“You can take home your work and keep it forever,” said Hope. “People still have their mugs from when this place first opened. It’s about making memories, not painting pottery.”

Since Hope joined the business last August, she has seen a change in the pattern of visitors – and the majority are repeat customers who they recognise and know by name.

Where their clientele was formerly dominated by families and children’s parties, groups of young adults and couples now make the most of the experience. This has particularly been the case since the last festive period.

Ronald’s proudest achievement is surviving the pandemic and doing well despite the lack of footfall in their current location.

Having worked hard over the past four years to make sure people know where they are, the business has doubled its takings.

Hope spoke of Ronald’s modesty as a retired man of 72 years of age with a long history of engineering work.

“He doesn’t need to do this but he has ambition, drive and a real wish to make other people happy,” Hope added.

Looking to the future of Potz Ceramic Studio, the hope is to open a second site in central Milton Keynes.

While making that a reality, the team also hopes to diversify what visitors can paint. With a new kiln, adaptable for both pottery firing and glass fusing, Ronald hopes to dabble in glass creations.

More workshops are in the pipeline, when visitors can make their own creation and come back to paint it. These will be especially prominent during the different seasons, such as Halloween and Christmas.