BHETA is campaigning to protect the future of UK ceramics manufacturing, calling on Government to recognise the exceptional pressures facing this energy-intensive sector and provide meaningful support to help British manufacturers remain competitive.
Working alongside the wider ceramics industry, BHETA has pressed Government for action on high industrial energy costs, fairer access to energy support schemes and greater recognition of ceramics as a strategically important UK manufacturing sector.
The campaign secured an important milestone in May 2026 when Government announced a £120 million support package for the UK ceramics industry, including support for household ceramics.
The challenge facing UK ceramics manufacturers
Ceramics is one of Britain's most established manufacturing industries, supporting skilled employment, regional economies and internationally recognised British brands.
However, manufacturers have faced an exceptionally difficult combination of pressures, including:
- High UK industrial energy costs
- Increasing operating and employment costs
- Competition from lower-cost overseas production
- Global economic and geopolitical uncertainty
- The substantial cost of investing in decarbonisation and more energy-efficient manufacturing
The problem is particularly acute for manufacturers of ceramic tableware and giftware.
Ceramics production relies on kilns operating at extremely high temperatures, with firing processes that cannot simply be switched off or significantly reduced when energy prices rise. Energy therefore represents an unavoidable and significant manufacturing cost.
At the same time, some ceramics manufacturers have historically fallen outside Government support schemes designed to help energy-intensive industries.
BHETA believes this creates a threat not only to individual businesses, but to Britain's long-term manufacturing capability, skilled employment and ceramics heritage.
BHETA takes the industry's case to Government
In March 2026, BHETA wrote directly to Government calling for urgent action to address the pressures facing the sector.
BHETA's intervention supported the wider campaigning activity led by Ceramics UK and followed growing concern about the financial pressures facing British ceramics manufacturers.
BHETA also publicly supported the #SaveDenby campaign, highlighting the challenges facing one of Britain's best-known ceramics manufacturers and the wider implications for the industry.
BHETA argued that the issue went beyond any individual company. Without action, there was a real danger that Britain could permanently lose manufacturing capacity, specialist skills, jobs and investment from a sector in which the UK has a long-established international reputation.
READ BHETA'S LETTER TO GOVERNMENT
What BHETA asked Government to do
BHETA called on Government to:
- Explicitly recognise ceramic tableware manufacturers within support for energy-intensive industries
- Review eligibility criteria to ensure genuinely energy-intensive manufacturers are not unfairly excluded from Government schemes
- Recognise ceramics as a strategically important UK manufacturing sector
- Provide support that reflects the exceptionally high and unavoidable energy requirements of ceramics production
- Work more closely with manufacturers and industry bodies to create a sustainable long-term future for UK ceramics
BHETA General Manager Steve Richardson said:
“Britain has a proud ceramics heritage and a strong reputation for quality, design and manufacturing expertise. But these businesses compete in a global marketplace and are being asked to absorb industrial energy costs that can place them at a significant disadvantage.
“We felt it was important that Government understood the urgency of the situation and that ceramic tableware and housewares manufacturers were properly recognised when support for energy-intensive British industry was considered.”
Campaign progress: Government announces £120 million ceramics support package
On 21 May 2026, the Government announced a major new package of support for the UK ceramics industry worth £120 million.
The package is designed to support capital investment in energy efficiency and decarbonisation, together with operational support for successful applicants requiring additional assistance with increased costs.
Importantly for BHETA members, Government confirmed that support would be open to eligible manufacturers across a range of ceramics subsectors, specifically including household ceramics.
The announcement also recognised ceramics as important both to everyday products such as plates and bowls and to Britain's wider strategic manufacturing capability.
BHETA welcomed the announcement as an important step forward following sustained campaigning across the ceramics industry.
The association particularly recognised the work of Ceramics UK, which led the wider industry campaign, while continuing to make the case directly to Government on behalf of BHETA members.
READ THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
A significant step forward – but the campaign continues
The £120 million announcement represents important recognition of the challenges faced by UK ceramics manufacturers, but BHETA's work does not end with the announcement.
The detail of how Government support is designed and implemented will determine its real value to manufacturers.
BHETA therefore continues to press for:
- Household ceramics manufacturers to have meaningful access to the scheme
- Eligibility criteria that work for manufacturers of different sizes
- Support to be made available quickly enough to address current competitive pressures
- A long-term approach to industrial energy costs and manufacturing competitiveness
- Continued Government engagement with the ceramics industry
BHETA will work with members and industry partners as the scheme develops to ensure the experience of housewares and tableware manufacturers is heard.
Championing British manufacturing
The ceramics campaign is an example of BHETA's wider role in representing members where Government policy, regulation or economic conditions threaten the competitiveness of the sectors we represent.
By bringing together the experiences of individual businesses, working with specialist industry organisations and taking those concerns directly to policymakers, BHETA can give suppliers a stronger collective voice.
Are you a BHETA member affected by the issues facing UK ceramics manufacturing?
We want to hear from businesses about energy costs, competitiveness, Government support and the challenges facing UK manufacturing.
Background info:
- BHETA welcomes Government support announcement for UK ceramics industry
- BHETA calls for urgent Government action to support UK ceramics industry
