Potters Margaret and Stuart Slade's whimsical ‘Kiwis can do anything' series of decorated mugs and plates could well be a comment on their own lives.

The couple, who both had careers as teachers, went on to become full-time and successful potters, working from a former butter factory between Ohope and Opotiki.

Former teachers – now full time potters, Ian and Margaret Slade of Cheddar Valley Pottery.

Margaret's pottery tutor at Ardmore Teachers College was Peter Stitchbury, who inspired in her a love of the art which has never waned.

When she married Stuart, the couple and their family moved from school house to school house, always accompanied by a small electric kiln and treadle potter's wheel. Twenty-eight years ago while Stuart was teaching at Opotiki, they bought the old butter factory in Cheddar Valley, converting it to a working pottery called Cheddar Valley Pottery and there Margaret became a full-time potter.

By that time Stuart was potting too and 16 years ago finally took the brave step of giving up the security of a principal's job to become a self-employed potter with Margaret.

'It was a bit scary at first as we didn't know if we could support ourselves, but it's worked out really well,” says Stuart.

Butter factory

Despite its name, the factory never made cheddar cheese. It took its name from the valley in which it was built by early settlers as a butter factory, but when roads improved and the Opotiki factory offered more for butter fat, it closed. Over the years it's had a number of uses, including being a fitch farm.

When Margaret and Stuart bought it, the building was badly in need of renovation but structurally sound.

'It withstood the Edgecumbe earthquake,” says Stuart.
The couple work most days in the pottery, producing a range items they call ‘his, hers and ours'.

Margaret is well known for her domestic pottery including platters, bowls, casseroles, storage jars, mugs and jugs, particularly those in a deep blue glaze.

Stuart has earned a name for personalised platters with hand-painted pictures of pets, houses, cars and even stately buildings, from photos supplied by clients. Many of the pieces are to mark weddings or births.
Stuart also sculpts and decorates pots thrown by Margaret to form stylised native birds and both make garden ornaments.

There was a time when Margaret sold her art through retail outlets and local markets but today the couple concentrate on sales through their pottery and mail orders.