Two fridays ago the Cockpit Arts studio in Deptford opened up for a weekend and I gamefully hit it first thing with a hangover and a friend. Very quickly we found ourselves eating comfort food in the cafeteria. I had my very first ever homity pie. I knew nothing of this pie before and it sounded all kinds of wrong – potato, onion and cheese mooshed together. Blergh. Think it was a post war creation, or maybe a during war thing, but either way it was totally delicious.

Yeh yeh, this is no food blog so let me swiftly cut to the chase with a new maker find, ceramicist Matthew Warner. A very sweet guy with a great eye for colour who runs a neat workshop space. He makes beautiful cups, mugs, bowls, vases, jugs and all in colours that look great together or alone.

Not that that stopped my friend and I from suggesting he introduces a musty blush pink to the collection – the same colour as her dress, we spent a good 20 minutes holding various cups next to it for simple kicks. I ended up buying a sweet little espresso mug in that nice storm colour for my other half’s birthday. There’s always the worry that this type of house-based gift will result in him thinking I’m buying for both of us – or ok, me – but he said just the other day that it was his favourite gift. Result.

Matthew was also nice enough to let me photograph his brilliant economical storage idea made using Ikea containers and a painted piece of MDF.

Who’s not now planning on stealing that for their home office/kitchen/bathroom/hallway/kids bedroom?