I have just bought a re-imagined Brown Betty teapot designed by the very talented Ian McIntyre. The Brown Betty is the archetypal teapot and one of Britain’s most familiar, everyday - and yet strangely uncelebrated - pieces of design. Ian has spent years researching its history and evolution and has come up with a re-engineered version that embodies and progresses the best DNA from the original, lifting this overlooked item into the 21st century.
The finished teapot has been made in Stoke-on-Trent (where it originated) in collaboration with Cauldon Ceramics using the same Etruria Marl red clay and Rockingham dark treacle glaze used in the original pots. Ian has even perfected the elusive non-drip spout, which makes the ritual of drinking tea all the more glorious.