Pebbles, Puddles & Sea Glass: How Our Handmade Platters Are Made

There's something about a platter that gets people to sit down. Pop one in the middle of the table with cheese and crackers, a stack of summer fruit, or the good biscuits, and everyone leans in.

Ours are made by hand here in New Zealand, one slab at a time, then glazed with a brush. That shows in the finished piece: soft, wobbly edges, glaze that pools and breaks, and a raw speckled rim you can run your thumb along. No two come out the same, and that's the point.

Here's a look at how they come together, from a lump of clay to your table.

What is a slab-rolled platter?

Most of the plates and bowls you'll find in a shop are made on a potter's wheel or pressed in a factory mould. Slab building is different. Instead of spinning the clay, we roll it out flat like pastry, then cut and shape each piece by hand.

It's one of the oldest ways of working with clay, and it's perfect for platters. You get a wide, flat surface for serving, and the freedom to make shapes a wheel never could: pebbles, ovals, leaves, and the in-between shapes that look like they've washed up on a beach.

Step 1: Wedging the clay

Every platter starts with a block of speckled stoneware clay. Before we roll anything, the clay gets wedged, which means kneading it on the bench to push out air bubbles and even out the moisture.

It's not the glamorous part, but it matters. Trapped air can crack a piece in the kiln, and uneven clay is more likely to warp. Well-wedged clay is the foundation for a platter that stays flat.

The little dark flecks you see in the finished platters come from the clay itself. They're tiny bits of iron and minerals that bloom through the glaze during firing.

Step 2: Rolling the slab

The wedged clay is rolled out into a flat, even slab, usually around 6–8mm thick. Too thin and the platter will be fragile and prone to warping; too thick and it feels heavy and clunky at the table.

We roll in several directions and flip the slab as we go, which keeps the clay particles from all lining up one way. Then the slab is compressed with a smooth rib (a flat, hand-held tool) on both sides. It's an old potter's trick that tightens the surface and helps stop the platter curling up at the edges as it dries.

Step 3: Cutting & shaping

This is where each platter gets its personality. Shapes are cut freehand or from simple paper templates, so you'll see soft ovals, pebble rounds and asymmetrical sea-glass shapes rather than perfect circles.

Once the shape is cut, the edges are softened with a damp sponge and fingertips until they're smooth and rounded. Some pieces are left almost flat for boards and serving; others are gently lifted at the rim into a shallow dish, perfect for olives, dips or holding keys on the bench.

Because every edge is shaped by hand, you'll find tiny variations in each one: a slightly thicker rim here, a gentle wave there. Those are the marks of the hand, not flaws.

Step 4: Slow drying

Flat pieces are the trickiest things to dry. If the edges dry faster than the middle, the platter will warp or crack.

So we take it slowly. Platters dry under loose plastic over several days, and get flipped regularly so both sides dry at the same pace. Patience here is what keeps a platter sitting flat on your table instead of rocking like a seesaw.

Step 5: The first firing (bisque)

Once completely bone-dry, the platters go into the kiln for their first firing, called the bisque firing. This turns fragile raw clay into hard, porous ceramic that's ready to take glaze. At this stage they're a pale, chalky, speckled cream.

Step 6: Glazing by hand, with a brush

This is our favourite part, and where our platters differ from most.

Rather than dipping each piece into a bucket of glaze, we brush the glaze on by hand, using Mayco Stoneware brush-on glazes (the same range we stock in the shop). Each platter gets several coats, built up layer by layer. It's slower, but it gives us much more control over where the colour goes and how it behaves:

• Glaze pools and breaks. Where glaze sits thicker (in the dip of a dish, or where brush strokes overlap) it pools into deeper, richer colour. Where it thins over a curve or rim, it "breaks" lighter. That's what creates the watery, sea-glass depth in our greens.
• Colour blocking. On some platters we brush glaze across only part of the surface, leaving a section of bare clay or a second colour. The result looks a bit like a tide line across the sand.
• Layering. Brushing one glaze over another creates textures and effects neither glaze would make on its own, like the crystalline, frosted aqua you'll spot on some pieces.
• Raw rims. We often leave the very edge and the base unglazed. It frames the colour and shows off the speckled stoneware underneath. The foot is waxed before glazing so it sits cleanly on the kiln shelf.

Because it's all done by hand with a brush, you'll see brush movement, soft variations in tone and the odd drip or pooling spot. Every platter is its own.

Step 7: The final firing

Finally, the platters are fired again, this time to stoneware temperatures of more than 1200°C. In the heat, the glaze melts into glass and fuses to the clay. The iron speckles bloom through, colours deepen and the surface turns glossy (or satin, depending on the glaze).

We never know exactly how each piece will come out. Opening the kiln is like Christmas morning every time.

The glazes we used

Every platter in this batch was glazed with five glazes from the Mayco Stoneware range. They're all brush-on, all fire to stoneware temperatures, and all available in our glaze shop if you'd like to try them yourself.

• Mood Ring (SW-229): a deep, dark green gloss with an iridescent sheen that breaks brown over edges and texture. It moves a little in the kiln, which gives it that rich, pooled look. Decorative use only.
• Lily Pad (SW-225): a glossy, soft white scattered with green specks. It's the one behind our speckled platters. Decorative use only.
• Ivy (SW-193): a glossy, leafy green with shifting tones and a soft sheen, and one of our go-to colours for platters. Dinnerware safe.
• Smoke (SW-121): an opaque, moody grey-blue that breaks to a weathered brown where it's thin. Calm and earthy against the speckled clay. Dinnerware safe.
• Sand & Sea (SW-167): a glossy mix of pale green and gold that turns translucent where it's thin, like sand meeting water. Dinnerware safe.

Layer them, colour-block them against raw clay, or use one on its own. Stack a small dish on a large platter, or lay a few shapes down the middle of the table.

Why handmade & why New Zealand-made?

A factory can make a thousand identical plates in an afternoon. We make a handful of platters at a time. Every one is rolled, cut, shaped, dried, brushed and fired by hand, over the course of a couple of weeks.

Buying handmade and local means:

• You get a one-of-a-kind piece. The colour, shape and glaze movement on your platter won't be repeated exactly.
• It's made to last. High-fired stoneware is dense and durable, made to be used every day, not kept for best.
• You're supporting local makers. Your platter is made here in Aotearoa by people who love what they do.

Caring for your platter

• Serving food: Mayco rates Ivy, Smoke and Sand & Sea as dinnerware safe when each is used on its own. Pieces with Mood Ring or Lily Pad anywhere on them, or with glazes layered over each other, are made for display. They're perfect for jewellery, keys, candles, soap or styling a shelf, but not for serving food. Each listing tells you which glazes are on the piece.
• Washing: our platters are dishwasher and microwave safe. Gentle hand-washing in warm, soapy water will keep the glazes looking their best for longest.
• Avoid thermal shock: don't move a platter straight from the fridge into a hot oven, or pour boiling liquid onto a cold piece.
• Unglazed rims and bases are part of the design. A soft cloth is all they need.

Style ideas

• Grazing boards (Ivy, Smoke, Sand & Sea): cheese, crackers, fruit and honey, all piled on
• Dessert platters (Ivy, Smoke, Sand & Sea): berries, pavlova, or a stack of Afghans
• Bathroom or dresser: a small dish for rings, soaps or skincare
• Hallway catch-all: keys, sunglasses and loose change
• Gifting: wedding, housewarming, or just because

Find your platter

Each batch is small, and once a piece is gone, it's gone. Visit us in store at 7 Earl Street, Queenstown, to see the colours in person. Keen to glaze your own? Pick up Mood Ring, Lily Pad, Ivy, Smoke and Sand & Sea in our glaze shop.

Every platter is made by hand in New Zealand. Variations in shape, glaze and colour are part of what makes each one unique.