Who founded Spode, and where did production begin?

Spode began with Josiah Spode I, who built his business in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the heart of English pottery. The Spode story is usually dated from the late 18th century, with Josiah Spode I establishing his own works after training in the local ceramics trade. Location, Stoke-on-Trent really mattered, as it sat near clay supplies, coal, canals, and a dense network of skilled potters, painters, and printers. That setting let Spode move from small-scale pottery into patterned tableware’s sold across Britain and exported.