Kiln revives pottery heritage with new studio

A Newcastle restaurant is returning to its roots with the launch of a new pottery studio at one of the city’s most historic ceramics sites.

Kiln will open Cullen Works this summer at Hoult’s Yard, near Ouseburn, bringing pottery making back to the former Maling Pottery site for the first time in more than 60 years.

Founded by ceramicist and restaurateur Richard Cullen, Kiln began in 2017 as a small pottery studio and coffee spot in Ouseburn before evolving into one of Newcastle’s best-known restaurants, recognised for its open-fire cooking and craft-led approach to hospitality.

The new venture marks a return to those roots. 

Designed as a working pottery studio, workshop and retail space, Cullen Works will feature production facilities, teaching areas, exhibition space and a shop, alongside a programme of workshops, private events and collaborations with local artists, chefs and makers.

The move also reconnects the site with its industrial past. 

Once home to Maling Pottery, it was the base of one of Britain’s leading ceramic manufacturers until production ended in 1963.

Richard said: “Opening Cullen Works feels like coming full circle – returning to that original idea, but in a way that now brings together everything we’ve learned through hospitality, design and community over the last decade. 

“There’s something really special about bringing pottery back to this historic site.”

Before establishing Kiln, Richard ran his own ceramics business, producing handmade tableware for leading restaurants, including Michelin-starred establishments. 

That connection between ceramics and hospitality has remained central to Kiln, with handcrafted pieces continuing to feature throughout the restaurant.

Alongside a limited number of bespoke commissions for chefs and hospitality clients, Cullen Works will focus on producing small-batch collections of handmade ceramics for the home, including both wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces.

The launch also strengthens Ouseburn’s reputation as one of the country’s leading creative neighbourhoods. 

Working closely with the area’s artists, designers and independent businesses, the studio will host exhibitions, workshops and seasonal events throughout the year.

Richard added: “We want the studio to feel open, creative and accessible – somewhere people can learn, make and discover beautiful objects for their homes and feel connected to the wider creative culture of Ouseburn.” 

Later this year, Kiln will also relaunch its online shop, offering curated collections of ceramics, homeware and seasonal gifts, further expanding the brand beyond its restaurant while reinforcing its longstanding connection to craftsmanship and design.

Laura Goldstone, general manager at Hoult’s Yard, added: “There’s real poetry in pottery coming back to Hoults Yard after more than 60 years away, and it means a lot that Richard is the one bringing it home. 

“He’s already built something special in Ouseburn, and his deep roots in craft and community are exactly the kind of character we love to see here. 

“Cullen Works is also a perfect example of what makes Hoults different: we’re more than an office space, we’re a working village where a ceramics studio sits happily alongside everything else, and there’s room for businesses of every shape to make their mark. 

“To mark the occasion, we’re even planning to dig out one of the original Maling moulds for a one-off piece, a proper nod to the site’s history and the new chapter Richard is starting on it.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.