Background

Claire and Hugh are the team behind OMGTea's gorgeous matcha bowls. We loved working with them to design bowls that are both beautiful and highly functional, while also reflecting the origins of our premium matcha. They kindly agreed to take part in our Extraordinary Lives interview, which you will find below.

Alongside their pottery business, Hugh works in education with SEN students and Claire works at an opera house as well as freelancing as a scenic painter and arts workshop leader. They live in a small village near Lewes and share a pottery studio with other potters in Ditchling.

They say:

"Having started with pottery lessons in Ditchling years ago, we have loved playing with clay since and the first lockdown gave us time to focus on our pottery, exploring techniques and finding our own collaborative way of working (although there will always be more to learn!).

Working on this project with OMGTea has been great, we are really pleased with the final designs and enjoy drinking matcha from the prototypes at home!"

The OMGTea 60 Second Interview

1. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

We’d love to spend time exploring the potteries in Japan and learning about traditional ceramic techniques and designs.

2. Who’s the person you’d most like to share a cup of matcha with and why?

We’d share a cup with Simon Leach, the renown potter. Having learnt so much from his YouTube videos and books, it’d be great to thank him in person.

3. How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?

4. In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life?

Without a doubt, moving from a city to the countryside has been absolutely life changing. Claire is addicted to gardening and we are really excited about eating vegetables from the garden this summer.

5. What is the best piece of advice you could give someone?

When you’re doing something creative, it’s important to have fun and be playful with your work. And just go for it!

6. What would you sing at Karaoke night?

Hugh's jam is Breathe by Blu Cantrell and Sean Paul, and Claire
would choose Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush so that she could let
loose with Kate's dance moves