In May of 2024 Josh called into McGlashen Pottery to buy Coral a gift. Unfortunately, the gallery was closed which left Josh sat in his car doing business emails, thinking no one was around. After about 10 minutes there was a knock at the car door window, it was Royce McGlashen in his well loved white overalls. He opened the gallery and Josh bought his gifts for Coral, one aqua Boulder Bank bowl and a small vase decorated in Royce's Back Country underglaze style.

However, that was not all that took place during the visit as the inquisitive nature that drives Josh's life led him and Royce into a coversation about the pottery shutting down, after 44 years of business, and they talked about retirement - something Royce had tried twice before, this was third time lucky...

Royce proceeded to show Josh around the studio workshop and factory sheds, and we believe it was love at first sight. Josh didn't know it at the time but there was a captivating energy about this place that was built from the ground up by one of New Zealand's most important potters - it couldn't just close down, or could it?

As Josh left the company of Royce that day, having never visited the gallery or factory before, he said to Royce, "I'll find you a buyer."

About 200 metres down the road in his car he pulled to the side of the road and rang his partner Coral.

Coral was at work, on-site at her civil engineering project lead job... the interruption was not what she expected:

"Do you want to buy a pottery factory in Nelson/Tasman?" Josh's exact words...

Coral said she'd have a look once back at the office, Josh waited patiently for her to review the crazy out-of-the-blue idea.

"OMG, what are you talking about?" Coral finally replied.

Well, Josh and Coral talked on the phone that evening for about an hour and discussed what a crazy life change might look like. They agreed they'd make an 'expression of interest' in pursuing the idea further and Josh met with Royce and Trudi McGlashen the next day on his way out of town. It was settled, Josh and Coral would return in about 6-weeks and spend a weekend with Royce and Trudi in the Pottery and discuss the opportunity further.

Josh left the pottery and to cut a long intro shorter, the rest is history but it was not an easy pathway to ownership. It took about 10 months of painstaking due diligence, the guts to give up careers, property, family, friends; and a commitment to working within the framework of Royce and Trudi's generosity and desire to see the pottery continue. This couldn't be a flash in the pan type of exercise - this was about jumping in with both feet and changing our lives in the process.

In the posts below, there are stories and learnings from our journey so far: of our pre-purchase experiences; the handover; and the continuation of the business with all the trials and tribulations that come along with packing up your life to become business owners who live and work together.

This is a story of how Josh and Coral turned a chance meeting into an opportunity and how they plan to build a long-term sustainable business in one of the world's oldest and pervasive industries, Pottery.

Follow along as we tell the full story and keep you updated with how it is going in real time. 18-months into owning and running McGlashen Pottery, we couldn't be prouder or more excited to ensure Royce & Trudi's legacy continues and that new legacies in craft and art are born through our hands.

Thanks for reading,

Josh & Coral