Pillivuyt has been producing fine culinary porcelain in the heart of France for nearly 200 years. Founded by the Pillivuyt family in the year 1818, the factory is now employee owned and operated near the town of Mehun-sur-Yèvre. With over 300 employees, the Pillivuyt factory plays an important role in the local economy.

At its start, founder Louis Charles Pillivuyt had been captivated by the "white gold" of porcelain for its many significant advantages over earthenware and other porous products of the time. In the pursuit of highest quality porcelain, he created his own combination of raw materials from the rich local natural resources. He built his first factory in the department of Cher, located in central France, a fertile land originally inhabited by the Turons, a Celtic tribe.

Once porcelain production began, Pillivuyt was on the leading edge of innovative design and production methods. Pillivuyt won its first international gold medal at the Philadelphia Exhibition in the year 1826. Pillivuyt went on to win numerous other awards at the internationally renowned London and Paris exhibitions throughout the 19th century, underpinning its reputation as an internationally respected porcelain producer.

In the year 1853, Pillivuyt relocated the factory a few miles to the small town of Mehun-sur-Yèvre, where it continues to operate. Today, Pillivuyt continues in its role as a leading international porcelain producer. Production is a complex process. Key raw materials, such as Kaolin, Feldspar, and Syenite, are sourced from all over Europe and mixed at the factory to create the unique clay used in the creation of each piece. Production includes hand craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations of local families. This, complemented by state of the art production methods and firing each piece at 2500ºF, result in porcelain perfection. Pillivuyt always has worked closely with the leading chefs from the world of French gastronomy. The design teams have used this source of inspirational ideas to create hundreds of unique pieces.

Pillivuyt culinary porcelain is recognized worldwide for:

• Incredible strength. Discerning chefs and restaurateurs favour Pillivuyt for its longevity and resistance to chipping.
• Classic and timeless designs inspired by generations of French gastronomes.
• Heat resistance. All pieces can be transferred from the freezer to the oven and from the oven to table while easily resisting the thermal shocks that shatter or crack other products.
• Microwave friendly. The nonporous nature of porcelain allows microwaves to focus energy on the food rather than the porcelain.
• Easy to clean and a safe surface for eating. The nonporous characteristic of porcelain prevents food absorption.
• Free from lead and cadmium.

What is Porcelain?

Limoges boxes are made of true porcelain. Porcelain is made from a distinctive very fine, pure, white clay (kaolin) mixed with pulverized feldspar (petuntse). The molded clay mixture is held at 1450°C (= 2,650°F) for 30 to 45 hours. The clay maintains the shape while the feldspar melts and fuses the piece into one homogenous, non-porous body.

The European definition of porcelain emphasizes that it is translucent if thin, the Chinese definition that it rings when struck.

Porcelain is a special type of pottery. Pottery is clay hardened by heat. Other types of pottery, such as faience or brick, require a glaze to protect the body. If the glaze gets cracked or chipped, the porous body will absorb water and can become discoloured and impossible to clean. In contrast, chipped porcelain will not absorb water because the glaze and body are fused to become homogenous and non-porous. Glazes added to porcelain are for decoration.

The Pillivuyt Trademark

Each piece of Pillivuyt ware carries the distinctive Pillivuyt Back stamp. The back stamp is a guarantee of quality and distinction. When you see the Pillivuyt mark you know you are buying the very best in French Porcelain. The company is the most important French industrial porcelain manufacturer and offers a wide range of manufacturing techniques, from the most recent to the most traditional ones.

Pillivuyt produces its own paste and moulds in order to produce high-quality porcelain. This total control over the manufacturing processes allows the company to explore new production techniques. The Vendome Collection of Dinnerware by Pillivuyt is very modern, and is made with a new porcelain compound twice as strong as traditional porcelain, so it can be made thinner, yet is more resistant to chipping and cracking, perfect for the hustle and bustle of serving and clean up when entertaining.

The wide spread use of Pillivuyt in Restaurants, Cafes and Bistros has meant that Pillivuyt has prioritised the need for strength, durability and practicality. The exacting standards of the French Dinning industry have also demanded style and design and the company have worked hard to produce a product that satisfies all these criteria. The ever growing interest in good food in the home has produced an army of armature cooks who are looking for the same qualities as the professional chef. With Pillivuyt now available to everyone its popularity and the demand for this unrivalled French Porcelain is growing throughout Europe.