'I visited Leeds’ hidden ceramics outlet and discovered a clever way to shop for homeware'
A warehouse on the A58 near Holbeck is drawing crowds with its distinctive pricing model for high-quality Portuguese stoneware, where customers pay for ceramics based on their weight.
At Mondego Outlet, buying new crockery works much like shopping at a kilo sale: choose an item, place it on a scale and find out what it will cost.
The warehouse shop along the A58 sells most of its unused Portuguese ceramics for £5.50 per kg. Lighter items, including espresso cups, small mugs and egg cups, can cost as little as £1.
Its unusual approach to pricing has helped the outlet go viral online, so I visited last weekend to see whether the deals lived up to the attention.
Getting there proved to be the least straightforward part of the trip.
The red-brick building and its small car park are set back from the roadside near the Holbeck roundabout, making the turning easy to miss. After driving past it, I found street parking on Graingers Way instead.
Inside, the warehouse had high ceilings and an industrial appearance. Double Eleven Café sits to the left of the entrance hall, where the sound of diners accompanied customers arriving to shop. Although it closes at 4pm, the café was still busy when I visited at 3pm.
A line of trolleys stood beneath framed work by York-based artist Ufy, while a chalkboard introduced the store’s pricing system. With the exception of several individually priced pieces, shoppers are encouraged to “weigh as they go” using scales positioned around the outlet.
The shelves were filled with ceramics in bold reds, neutral creams, peach pinks and dusky blues. The range included curved vases, large cheeseboards and smaller pieces such as dainty egg cups.
There were also textiles sold by weight, including bath mats, kitchen towels and face towels. Elsewhere, an aisle displayed candles in domed-glass holders.
The shop was lively during my visit, with about 30 other customers moving between the aisles, examining pieces and checking their weight. The chain describes itself as the UK’s “first and only Portuguese stoneware ceramic outlet priced by weight.”
The process brought back memories of visiting clothing kilo sales as a teenager. Rather than simply filling a trolley, weighing each piece made me stop and consider what I actually wanted.
That was useful because, a year after buying my first home, I had yet to find the right plates and had been relying on temporary sets. Despite arriving with the possibility of buying far too much, I became more selective as I browsed.
The experience of sorting through the stock and weighing individual items was also unexpectedly therapeutic.
I would return - although next time I would leave enough time to try brunch at Double Eleven Café.