To mark the 250th anniversary of Wedgwood, the iconic china company hosted an intimate luncheon for 35 guests at the private home of the British Consul General Tuesday. "We didn't want to do a big splashy party. That's not the tone Wedgwood likes to set," said Martha McKee, marketing manager for Waterford, Wedgwood, and Royal Doulton Canada.
McKee, who worked closely with the Idea Workshop to plan the event, invited Lord Wedgwood—a direct descendant of company founder Josiah Wedgwood—to attend. His participation led to the choice in venue. "We'd known Lord Wedgwood was coming for some time, so we'd been in talks with the British Consulate because Wedgwood is a great British brand. They offered the home of the British Consul General in Forest Hill. It was the perfect environment," she said, noting that Ashley Prime, deputy British Consul General, agreed to host.
"A lot of our messaging about Wedgwood is about using your Wedgwood. This provided an opportunity to showcase the product in a home where it is used," McKee said. "We dressed the house with Wedgwood on the main floor and we had a short video about Wedgwood running in the foyer. We had floral arrangements stacked on plates, items on the mantle, and a tea set in front of the fireplace. We featured special archive pieces like the Black Basalt tea set, some new patterns from the Anthemion Blue Prestige Dinnerware collection, and new product from designers Vera Wang and Jasper Conran."
Guests were offered a Pimm's cup, a traditional English cocktail, when they arrived. The deputy British Consul General, Lord Wedgwood, and McKee spoke about the company, and guests dined on a buffet lunch—prepared by the Consul General's personal staff—with dishes like leek and potato pie and seafood pie. English trifle and pavlova were served for dessert.
The event also served as the launch of a book produced to mark the 250th anniversary, At Home With Wedgwood by Tricia Foley. The luncheon coincided with an announcement that the Royal Ontario Museum is extending an exhibit in honour of Wedgwood's 250th anniversary—"Wedgwood: Artistry and Innovation"—through 2009, McKee said.
