The owners of Ginger and Pickles Tearooms (in Nantwich and Tarporley) set a live brief with year 10 Textile students at The Grange School to design and create a decorative embellished tea towel that could be celebrated within their tearooms and sold to customers.

The brief asked that the tea towel capture the essence of the tearooms, mirror its style and interiors and should appealing for its market audience.

Students could choose to focus their tea towel on numerous themes including Ginger and Pickles’ recent awards, its two locations, their fabulous afternoon tea, all day breakfasts, cakes, Art murals or its crockery.

All thirteen students created an exciting, unique, professional and attractive end product which showcased incredible skills in embroidery, digital print and pattern design.

On top of their magnificent tea towels students were asked to complete a sketchbook showing their visual journey and inspiration, which included visits to the Tearooms and to the Burleigh Pottery factory in Stoke–On-Trent, where Ginger and Pickles get their iconic blue and white crockery from.

Over 100 customers judged the tea towels on social media and in store over the course of two weeks. The owner of Ginger and Pickles, Beverley Ozard was asked to announce the ‘Best in Show’ and visited the Grange on the 26th April to experience first-hand all the hard work and meet the students and the Headmistress Debbie Leonard. Students and teachers celebrated the event with plenty of delicious treats generously provided by Ginger and Pickles.

‘All the designs received such high praise from so many customers, who were in awe of the incredible talent and the professionalism of each outcome - It took everyone a lot of deliberation as the standard was so high. All students created something so special, so skilled and so personal it made the decision incredibly hard’. Beverley Ozard

The ‘Best in Show’ Tea towel was awarded to Rebecca Walker for her beautiful and intricate design, featuring the three iconic Burleigh cup designs. Rebecca received an Afternoon Tea for herself and family as part of her award and is looking forward to indulging on all the yummy cake Ginger and Pickles offers!

Emily Collier also received an award and prize for the ‘Best Skill’, as customers believed her exceptional design and skill deserved extra recognition.

All the students found the experience incredibly rewarding, getting a sense of what the Textile design industry is like.

Miss Picken, the students Textiles teacher was also very proud of all her students, their magnificent tea towels and professionalism and work ethic throughout.

All thirteen tea towels will be exhibited at Ginger and Pickles in Tarporley until the 18th June and Rebecca’s winning design will be reprinted and sold to lots of eager and awaiting customers!