When did you set up your business and why?

I grew up surrounded by and loving the tradition of pottery making.

I spent some years working in corporate environments, but after moving back to my native Kerry and while on maternity leave with my second child in 2019, I felt a pull back to my creative roots and also a stronger feeling of our individual environmental responsibilities for the world we are leaving for the next generation.

I began thinking of a unique functional pottery piece that could be a one-off purchase rather than committing to buying a typical full ceramic homeware set.

I wanted to design a product that would lean on the benefits of ceramic ware and use our skills and knowledge to create unique products.

I wanted to find a niche in the world of ceramics and reduce the need for imported products into Ireland, so my idea for Grounded Pottery travel mugs was born in 2020.

Supporting an Irish-made reusable cup not only reduces the environmental impact of importing alternative cups, but it also helps to reduce the waste impact on Irish ecosystems by reducing the use of single-use items that are disposed of.

Our handmade reusables keep the tradition and skill of pottery making relevant, with a modern take on a primitive human drinking vessel.

We have plans to continue offering more individual sustainable products that will help people on their low-waste living journey.

Can you explain your process?

As a creative mother-daughter team, we like to collaborate on design ideas. These can come about from inspiration in nature while passing by something eye-catching in our surroundings. It can also come from trying out a new pottery tool or technique.

We use traditional pottery craft-making processes and hand-throw our travel mugs on the pottery wheel. This is a skill honed over years by Marjorie.

The first step is preparing the clay, which needs to have any air bubble or lumps removed. This is done in a combination of manual wedding (a bit like kneading) and with the use of a machine called a pugmill.

The clay is then measured and thrown on the wheel. After a few days of drying, we turn the base of the cups to give a neater look and some designs have imprinting or text applied at this point.

Once dried to bone dry, the pottery has its first firing in the kiln. Then at this fragile bisqueware state, glazes and colours are applied.

One more firing to over 1,100C and the cups are ready to go to their forever homes, with a choice of lid colour.

Sustainability is a main value of our brand, so we keep our waste during making to the very minimum, reusing any clay that has been trimmed off, or if there are any mishaps, they get recycled.

We also keep our packaging earth friendly, it's all recycled material and plastic-free.

What is your best seller?

Our best-selling travel mug design is a toss-up between the seascape and the bee designs. The seascape is ocean inspired and has splashes of teals and yellow to replicate the look of the wild Irish seas and beaches that surround our island.

Ocean inspired travel mugs by Grounded Pottery.

It's a favorite of sea swimmers because the ceramic is a great heat insulator, so you can warm up your hands while drinking after a dip.

The 'Bee Happy' and 'Buzzin'' cups are all hand-drawn and painted and are by far the most time consuming to create. Each little bee has its own expression and they bring a smile to your face!

Christmas time is hugely busy in respect of making personalised cups. Most of our designs allow for some text to be added in the form of a name, message or quote.

The majority of travel mugs sold as gifts are individualised, which makes for a completely unique sustainable Irish made gift - a portable piece of art.

What is it about your business that brings you joy?

We love hearing our customers' feedback, so many people tell us that their coffee tastes better from our ceramic mugs.

This is because unlike plastic, bamboo or stainless steel reusables, ceramic does not absorb the taint of liquids over time, so you don't experience an odour or taste from your drink.

Even the shape of our cups sitting in your hand is recognised as a feature.

It's such a thrill to hear that customers love using the cups on the go and at home, they spread the word and recommend to friends or come back to purchase gifts.

Ceramic can last a lifetime if cared for, so you are giving the gift of quality, sustainability and individuality.

Our customers feel the difference of a ceramic cup and make a difference to the planet by avoiding single-use cups.

What are your hopes for the coming year?

We had hoped to launch an 8oz travel mug option this year, but this will now be a 2023 goal.

Our handmade process is quite time consuming and our current output is limited, so the goal is to streamline some elements of the making in order to increase our capacity and roll out more products and sustainable options.

For the remainder of the year, we hope that the products we produce are loved by our customers and our brand awareness grows, to help our business grow.

What advice would you give to another start-up business?

Keep the momentum up. Even on those days where you feel a lack of motivation, in my experience a small sign can go a long way to keep you encouraged.

Write the to-do list, but don't overload yourself, spread the tasks to keep on track and be kind to yourself if you don't get to all the jobs.

Recognise your achievements and network with like-minded people.

Visit www.groundedpottery.ie.

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