Alison Appleton

Appleton has a degree in printed textile design from Liverpool College of Art and established her studio in 1998.[3][4] Her work went on to retail in Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Debenhams, Zara Home, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie and others.[5] She also worked with La Cafetiere, a British tea and coffee ware company, based in North Wales, where she designed a range of products, including the Lexi cafetiere and California teapots.[6][4]

Appleton has been retailing her collection of tea pots, tea cups, tea towels and specialty teas under her own brand since 2012.[7]

In 2013 she was awarded Woman of the Year for her work in establishing international trade.[8] She gave tea-making demonstrations at the Cake and Bake Show in Manchester in 2014.[9]

The blenders at English tea importer and retailer Twinings partnered with Alison Appleton for Single Origin tea blend.[10] In November 2014, Appleton was appointed an Export Champion[11] by UK Trade and Investment, and worked with the Government trade body to support British companies.

Appleton says that the practicalities of making a really good cup of tea are the key to her design philosophy.[12] Her stated view is: "A good cup of tea should be something to take time over and savour. Good tea and tea ware should be a gift, either to oneself or to others."[13] She once told an audience at the Women in Business awards that a lady's teapot should always match her dress.[14]

The Darcy tea set is inspired by the Regency fashion for chinoiserie and a time when drinking afternoon tea was an important social occasion. Its teapot was featured in the Independent's Ten Best Teapots in July 2013.[15] The Golden Carp set takes its inspiration from the carp and lotus flower, Chinese symbols of good fortune and purity. The two are featured as a relief design under a celadon glaze. The Camellia teapot is inspired by the flowers of Camellia Sinensis, the plant from China which gives us tea,[16] and the Woodland collection is evocative of fairy-tale forests. Her view is that: "Every day should include a tea ceremony. Life's too short for ugly mugs and dusty teabags,"[17] has resulted in all her teapots including stainless steel fine-mesh filters, so they can be used with fine and long leafed teas.[18]

Her products can be seen in shops and online retailers including Harrods, Whittards, Twinings, the British Museum and Not on the High Street.[19] They have also been featured in British newspapers such as the Sunday Express,[20] Sunday Times[21] and Yorkshire Post;[22] and in magazines including Ideal Home,[23] Good Homes,[24] Bella,[25] Shortlist,[26] The English Home,[27] House Beautiful,[28] Beautiful Kitchens[29] and Period Ideas.[30]

• Achica Living, May 2013: Make Yourself at Home with Aged-effect Homewares
• Burgess, Lloyd, Period Ideas, October 2013 At Home with Alison Appleton
• McDonagh, Tony, Liverpool Daily Post, 12 December 2013 Women in Business: Alison Appleton, founder of Alison Appleton Ltd
• Nicholls, Mark, Twinings Tea, 16 January 2014 Introducing Alison: a conversation with Mark NIcholls
• Leonard, Damian, Your Move magazine 356: 31 January 2014 Cup Winner
• Benedetti, Ginevra, Ideal Home, February 2014 High Street Heroes: Alison Appleton
• Curtis, Amy, Good Homes magazine, February 2014 At Home
• Ireland's Homes Interiors & Living magazine, March 2014 Designer Profile

• Official website
• Alison Appleton at La Cafetiere Archived 2 July 2014 at archive.today
• The Cake and Bake Show, Manchester
• Alison Appleton's collections at Twinings Tea
• Alison Appleton at Not On the High Street
• Alison Appleton at the British Museum Online Shop