Creative businesses welcome Small Business Minister
December 16, 2025
Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, Blair McDougall MP has put the spotlight on Stoke-on-Trent, championing the city as a centre for creativity, innovation and small business growth.
The Minister toured a thriving hub for creative enterprise as well as an historic bone china manufacturer, accompanied by representatives from the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the wider business community.
Duchess China, one of the city’s most historically significant bone china manufacturers, has been operating from its Longton site since 1888 and offered the Minister a glimpse of the Potteries’ rich industrial and creative heritage.
The Roslyn Works Enterprise Centre, Longton, showcased local entrepreneurs operating from 16 creative and craft-led studio spaces in the restored Victorian ceramics factory which is Grade II Listed and dates back to 1841.
Roslyn Works also plays an important role in Stoke-on-Trent’s emerging creative-digital cluster, part of a long-term strategy to restore and repurpose heritage buildings and expand workspace for creative industries, small manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
Central to this development is the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Growth Hub, which plays a critical role.
Rachel Wood, Growth Hub Manager, said: “The Roslyn Works hub preserves and celebrates the city’s unique ceramic heritage while enabling modern commercial production and business growth.
“Shared on-site kilns and production facilities make this former factory an ideal home for a thriving mix of creative businesses, including makers, artists and ceramicists.
“It’s a perfect example of how an important industrial heritage asset has been transformed into a living enterprise centre and demonstrates Stoke-on-Trent’s expertise in supporting modern creative industries while preserving the character and fabric of our pottery past.”
By offering impartial, free, single-point-of-access support for businesses of any size and sector, the Growth Hub helps position Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire as one of the strongest-performing regions for business support.
Its business helpline is often the first port of call for firms across the region seeking advice, funding information or targeted guidance.
The ministerial visit provided an opportunity for the Stoke-on-Trent business community to celebrate the creative economy and highlight new opportunities for entrepreneurs across the region.
Blair McDougall, Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, said: “Small businesses, and especially those in high growth sectors like the creative industries, are key to the UK’s economic transformation.
“Roslyn Works is a great example of this, and through our modern Industrial Strategy and Plan for Small Business, we are unleashing the full potential of firms like it across the UK, including through the vital support offered by our network of Growth Hubs.”
Dr. Allison Gardner MP, Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South, added: “I was delighted to welcome Blair McDougall, to Stoke-on-Trent South to visit Roslyn Works Enterprise Centre and Duchess China.
“This engagement is crucial as we work to understand the specific needs and challenges faced by our local entrepreneurs.
“The Minister’s presence underscores the Government’s recognition of Stoke-on-Trent South’s potential as a centre for economic transformation and enterprise.
“I will continue to work closely with ministerial colleagues to ensure our small businesses have the support they need to drive job creation and prosperity across the city.”
Watch the full video here.
