Belleek Pottery & Visitor Centre

Located off the beaten path, Belleek Pottery is well worth the detour, especially if you enjoy seeing true artisans at work. A short drive from Derry/Londonderry, the Belleek Pottery visitor center is located in the small town of, where else, Belleek. The factory and visitor center are unassuming from the outside but the tour was a real treat. Full disclosure, my wife has collected Belleek for years so this was a bucket list stop for her, but everyone would enjoy it. Most any tour can show you how pottery is made and the history of the brand. What sets this tour apart is the interaction you get with the potters and craftsman. You see every step of the process from design to sales. All along the way potters are working. All were more than happy to chat about their work, and just about anything else. You are right at the table as skilled craftsman, many of whom have worked most of their lives in the pottery, create one of a kind pieces. The gift shop staff where just as wonderful, helping to find the right pice and arranging for shipping. Even the reservation staff went above and beyond [we had a glitch with our online reservation and a short email resolved all problems with a friendly note to just stop in the shop a few minutes before the tour and they would have our tickets for us] 10 out of 10.

My 102 mother has had a very old and very heavy jelly mould which she says was given to her by her great,great aunt. There is a black stamp on it so i was asked to take it to Belleek for some idea of value WHICH BELLEEK DO NOT DO!! They did however date it for me at 18 87 or close. Comparing the heavy slab of clay with firing cracks but no chips it is hard to believe the difference in the magnificent pieces that are made now although I am not that keen on the new "LIVING" range. Well worth a visit and at 23 miles from Enniskillen nice for a picnic trip. Under the same banner now is Aynsley, Galway Crystal as well

A variance to the beautiful pottery is the very poor coffee shop.
The food is bland, mundane, unimaginative & in some cases stale.
The opposite of the pottery.
A huge disappointment. We were expecting something special, like the pottery. Instead we got a coffee shop that wouldn’t be out of place in a railway station.

It’s not often I’ve walked into an attraction and been totally ignored. No one was available in the reception area of the attraction so we wandered into the shop for a browse. Belleek Pottery is an acquired taste and some would say quite old-fashioned in style but there were a few more contemporary items that caught our eye. We had some questions so patiently waited at the counter. A member of staff who wasn’t serving customers walked past us three times and totally blanked us. So we left. Not a single member of staff engaged with us from the beginning to the end of our visit. Strange mid-pandemic when visitor attractions are suffering from reduced footfall and the associated income. Some customer engagement customer service training is wouldn’t go amiss.

I visited Belleek Pottery last May and did the tour.
It was amazing watching and talking to the artists making the pottery and the skill level was out of this world.
While there we picked up a few things.
Stacked off to the side were boxes of their Nativity and I asked to see one. It was beautiful and I got pricing on.
I love setting out a nativity each year and decided that the Irish Nativity would be mine. It was too big to take home and too expensive at the time with having money budgeted for the trip. But during the year I ordered the basic set, got the Angel and then the Wise men. My mom finished off the set with the livestock.
It looked great at Christmas but was special because it was my "Irish Nativity" and that made it more special!!
Imagine my shock when reading on Google that it was made in CHINA.
I argued with the person that I saw it at the pottery and they were mistaken.
So I contacted Belleek and got this reply "The Nativity Range is designed by Belleek but it is outsourced". Notice they skip saying Made in China.
I can't believe that a source as revered as Belleek would outsource work to China!
I am so disappointed to know this and wonder how much other stuff is made there. Nowhere on the boxes does it say made in China so again is misleading.
Just like Waterford Crystal is doing.
This is intended to be a family heirloom but now who wants something mass produced in China

We visited Belleek Pottery yesterday and pretty much enjoyed our visit there. We had visited on one previous occasion. We had a few things on our to-buy list. Luckily we got 3 of them, (one of these was the little star for my crib, which I dropped and broke last year!) I was thrilled to get this little star and thank you!! However we wanted to buy 2 of their Ripple Dinner Plates for our son, as 2 of his had become damaged. Alas this couldn't be done! A full set of 12 pieces was the alternative! Now my son lives in an apartment, where space is at a premium, and he only buys what he needs. So 12 pieces, when only two were required??? To us it just makes no sense. Here we were beside the factory where this stuff is being produced on a daily basis, and they couldn't run over, grab 2 dinner plates and sell them! This is N ot good customer service - in my opinion. Also on our last visit there was a small area of, I think seconds or discontinued items being sold off. I picked up several little items there, which proved invaluable. There was no area like this on this occasion. Anyway it's a lovely shop, the staff are really nice but perhaps a little thought could be given to my review, which might make for an even better experience for visitors like me. I am a huge fan of Belleek and I have quite a collection of it. May I just add that I bought the full Ripple set, plus the matching mugs and teapot set for my son as a gift last Christmas, and it's such a pity now to think two of the dinner plates cannot be replaced!

Welcome to Belleek, I have been coming here every year since I got married. I must say the artefacts for sale haven't changed much over the years. My recent visit not that long ago incurred minor issues which included I saw an item on a picture advertising Christmas tree decorations and I couldn't find the one I liked in the image, the young girl on the till wasn't very enthusiastic about going to see if there were any in stock and that is the first time I have experienced this in coming here for well over 20 years. My partner found that the Wi-Fi was not working much during our visit. I hope to return here again in the future if I am spared.

Our group enjoyed a fascinating guided tour of the Belleek Pottery factory. They still produce in much the same manner as they did at the time of their founding 160 years ago. You can also purchase Belleek Pottery in the gift shop and enjoy afternoon tea or a light lunch in the visitor center. If you are in to either Irish history or Pottery in general this is a must stop.

Went here with my aunt and uncle. The attraction was so-so. This isn't a sort of place for me but I still took a look around. It is clean around the museum and shop area but the gents were full of water with no wet floor sign. A staff member walked past me and she had a serious body odour problem.

Or tour bus stopped here on planned visit and guided tour. Found this tour to be very informative and interesting. One of those tours where you learn something and see how things are actually made that you don't think about !

Tour isn't long, about a half hour in groups of about 15 so easy o do. You're able to ask questions and interact with workers along the way. Gift shop is nice, able to buy anything and ship it anywhere.

All in al, we liked the tour and thought it was a great stop on our journey. Would recommend it for those traveling this way !