Wedgwood: An author's tale

s@h: Even Jane Austen had Wedgwood?
TF: I once did a story on Jane Austen's home, and I remembered there was Wedgwood there. It's known that Jane was invited to join her brother and niece when they visited the London Wedgwood showroom in 1813 and ordered 167 pieces, including six dozen dinner plates. I contacted the curator of Jane Austen's House Museum and, sure enough, they still have some pieces. We were able to photograph them and parts of the house.

s@h: And what about you—do you have any favourite Wedgwood pieces or patterns?
TF: I have lots of Wedgwood collections that I've been building for many years, even before I worked with and for the company. My English grandmother collected pretty cups, saucers and trios—tea sets with dessert plates. When we went over to her house, we could pick our own teacup and saucer from her collection to have tea. At home, I have an old dollhouse that my nieces used to play with, and now it's all filled with china. I buy everywhere I go, but I'm just as likely to buy IKEA as I am a rare 18th-century piece. It's an uncontrollable passion. I collect Wedgwood Drabware, Wedgwood White, black basalt, Jasper Conran White and Jasper Conran Casual, and I also have a lot of unique pieces of antique creamware, from baskets to platters. My favourite piece is an old plate from 1790 that I found in a pile of china in a junk shop. It's creamware, with a tiny pinked edge, and is as light as a feather! I also love my black basalt tea set, which is from the 1920s, and I have 12 beautiful floral-embossed creamware dessert dishes that Thomas O'Brien gave me for Christmas one year.

s@h: This book is a showcase of entertaining styles. How do you entertain?
TF: When I entertain, I like to use many different rooms. It gives a sense of occasion when you move from place to place. Use the cocktail table or any folding table and put a cloth over it to set out some appetizers. I enjoy having Sunday night suppers in my kitchen with the fireplace going. I use the boathouse for lunches, dinners and drinks parties. I've even done over my basement and put in a fireplace to make it a large entertaining space.

s@h: Does that style of entertaining influence the menu?
TF: If you keep everything simple, you can manage it. Make dishes like pastas and salads to serve buffet-style. I prepare as much as possible ahead of time so there's no fuss during the party. And I'm a fanatic about trays. You can never have enough!

Images courtesy of Wedgwood.