Pottery a welcome creative change for food writer Emma Galloway

Monday, 25 November 2024

This story is from the team at NZ House & Garden magazine.

Raglan-based Emma Galloway is a talented creative with many strings to her bow; you may know her food blog, photography, magazine columns and cookbooks as My Darling Lemon Thyme, and now the former chef has launched Tahu Ceramics – a stylish pottery range mostly made from New Zealand clay.

“I learnt how to throw on the wheel through a series of classes and quickly caught the pottery bug,” she explains. “I’m loving exploring both wheel-thrown functional pottery, larger hand-built vases and also decorative wall hangings.”

Emma says that success when working with clay, especially on the wheel, is dependent on your frame of mind. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed or scattered, the clay doesn’t play,” she says. “I love that this forces you to get out of your busy mind and drop fully into your body.”

Among her favourite pieces are the citrus juicers, vases in various styles and sizes, and works from her first wood firing. “And as a tea lover, I really appreciate drinking from my mugs and tea bowls.”

Emma’s love of food continues to inspire her work: “What we grow in our garden informs a lot of the recipes I develop, which in turn inspires many of the ceramic pieces I create.” You can see more of her work on Instagram, @tahu.ceramics, or at tahuceramics.bigcartel.com.

Emma Galloway’s favourite things

Herbal teas: I drink multiple cups of herbal tea a day, which is probably why I’m obsessed with creating vessels to drink from.

Growing my own food: This has been a constant in my life. Having a connection to the food that nourishes me and my little family is super important to me.

Homegrown flowers: These are something I’m loving more and more as I get older for the pure joy they bring.

Beach walks: Walking barefoot on Ngarunui Beach, Raglan, under the watchful eye of Karioi maunga is where some of my best ideas come to mind.