There is something rather lovely about a handmade mug.

Not just because of the coffee inside it, but because someone has made the thing you’re holding.

Maybe the shape isn’t perfectly symmetrical. Perhaps the glaze has pooled slightly around the base or there are tiny variations in the surface. Those little details are reminders that it wasn’t made by a machine.

That’s part of what we love about ceramics.

Make a Day With Clay is our way of thinking about ceramics as more than something to buy. It’s about the whole experience – discovering makers, chatting about their work, finding something you love, stopping for coffee and enjoying a day in Chester.

You might come to the fair knowing absolutely nothing about pottery.

You might leave with a new favourite maker, a beautiful bowl, a bag full of ceramics and an entirely new appreciation for the humble mug.

And perhaps that’s the magic of clay.

It gives us a reason to slow down, look closer, talk to people and enjoy something that has been made by hand.