(Image: CULLEN WORKS)
A North East restaurant is bringing back a "really special" historic pottery workshop.
Kiln, based in Newcastle and known for its blend of food and ceramics, is launching Cullen Works—a new pottery studio, workshop, and retail space near Ouseburn.
The site is part of Hoult’s Yard and was once home to the Maling Pottery factory, one of the UK’s most prominent ceramic producers until it closed in 1963.
Richard Cullen, founder of Kiln, 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.
"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."
Cullen began his career in ceramics, launching 1265 Degrees North, a pottery business that produced tableware for high-end restaurants across the UK—including Michelin-starred venues.
He later founded Kiln in 2017 as a small pottery studio and coffee shop in Ouseburn, which has since grown into a popular restaurant known for its flame-cooked dishes and handmade ceramics.
Cullen Works will bring pottery production back to Hoult’s Yard for the first time in more than 60 years.
Laura Goldstone, general manager at Hoult’s Yard, said: "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."
She added: "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."
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The new space will serve as both a working studio and a creative community hub, offering a production studio, workshop and teaching area, retail displays, and space for exhibitions and events.
Workshops and pottery classes will be available for all skill levels, alongside collaborative sessions with artists, chefs, and makers.
Cullen Works will also continue producing bespoke ceramics for the hospitality industry while launching a new collection of handmade pieces for the home.