Generations of the family behind Robert Gordon Pottery and Kitchen celebrate the season with a festive spread

Christmas is a family affair at the Robert Gordon Pottery and Kitchen, as generations of the stoneware clan come together to celebrate the season with a festive spread

Family and food are twin passions for Sam Gordon, his brother Bobby and sisters Hannah and Kate. This combination makes for a very merry Christmas – especially once you add their partners and kids (ten in all, with another on the way) and their parents, Robert and Barbara, into the mix. It was actually Robert’s parents who first started a pottery business in the 1940s and the brand has been an Australian favourite since the 1980s, when the factory was established in Pakenham, outside of Melbourne.

All the siblings work in the business, along with a loyal and long-standing team. The latest development is a relaxed eatery onsite. “As well as being a store and a place you can hand-paint a pot, it’s now a place you can sit down for a lovely lunch,” says Sam.

The extended family gathers every year for Christmas, with English-born Barbara’s homemade bread and ham on the menu for breakfast, and her summer pudding making an appearance for a late lunch. The table is filled with a mix-and-match selection of plates and serving pieces. “None of us actually have a complete dinner set,” says Sam. “We all have a mix of samples and seconds collected over the years. I actually like this organic way of growing your tableware, because the collection itself tells a story and allows for different memories of different times.”

Memory-making is the key to Christmas, after all. “Since we’ve all had kids, we’ve learned to value getting them together, even though it can be a bit chaotic,” Sam says. “Watching the next generation laugh and play is just magic.” To find out more about Robert Gordon Australia and their range of products, visit robertgordonaustralia.com.