Stoneware pottery holds its contents at a steady temperature, is less affected by the fluctuations of the environment around it (than plastic or metal) and has long been the preferred traditional material for fermentation containers. Now you can keep your sourdough starter in a mini version with our bespoke lidded pots handmade in Somerset by craftsman Matt Waite. These hand-thrown pots are ideal for storing your precious sourdough starter and make a beautiful gift as well.
Each pot has a lovely printed gift box to keep it safe and with each pot we include a FREE sachet of our wheat sourdough starter.
Glazed inside in duck-egg blue and plain on the outside with a very tactile shape, made from Cornish stoneware clay, the pots hold around 600ml (they vary a little - they're hand-thrown), 11cm wide and 14cm high including its drop-on lid. The pot feels very pleasing to hold, fitting the shape of your hand comfortably, and looks impressive whether on your shelf or in the fridge.
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Matt Waite has a degree in ceramics from Bristol and has worked for potteries in Bath and in the Hebrides. In 2001 he set up a workshop at Stowford Manor Farm in Wiltshire, where he has continued to work since.
The pots are hand thrown, using a robust stoneware clay from the north coast of Cornwall. The glaze firing is a long process, taking up to 18 hours to reach the top temperature of 1300C. The kiln is quite large, with a packing space of 18cuft and it needs regular checking and adjustment during the firing. Flame in the kiln gives the clay a warm  ‘toasted’ finish. The unglazed clay has a rustic appearance giving a contrast between the glazed and unglazed areas. The glaze, called Jun is mixed by Matt from carefully weighed raw materials. Jun is an ancient Chinese glaze, which requires flame in the kiln to produce the soft blue colour. The kiln takes three days to cool before it can be opened...this of course, requires a lot of patience but it is as much part of the pottery process as all the other stages.Â
