Churchill China Chelsea Blue Willow 45-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 8
by Churchill China
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Churchill ChinaBrand: Churchill China
Model: BW 45F 1
Color: Blue
Product features:
- 45-piece dinnerware collection with 8 place settings plus 5 serving pieces
- Each place setting includes dinner plate, salad plate, bowl, teacup, and saucer
- Also includes oval platter, round bowl, creamer, sugar bowl, and sugar bowl lid
- High-fired earthenware with imagery inspired by a legend of Chinese lovers
- Safe in the microwave and dishwasher
- Churchill China Chelsea Blue Willow 5-Piece Dinnerware Completer Set
- Churchill China Chelsea Blue Willow Tea Pot
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Churchill China Chelsea Blue Willow 45-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 8
Customer Review: Mixed review...Here's why
Summary: 3 Stars
First, let me state that my mother owns this pattern. She has multiple pieces she had accumulated over the years. Her pieces are Made in England by Churchill and are of the quality you would expect for formal dinnerware even though she uses them as everyday dinnerware and uses her Royal Doulton "Old Country Roses" pattern for formal settings.
I purchased this set from Amazon because I like the pattern and the price listed is pretty good. I had planned on using them as everyday dinnerware. Prior to ordering and having done my homework I realized that this set would not be made in England but rather would be made either in Columbia or Malaysia. Thus, my expectations were that they would not be of the same high quality of porcelain china made in England. Because the price is very reasonable and I did not need or expect highend dinnerware for everyday use I ordered the set.
The dinnerware arrived very quickly. It was very well packed. It didn't take too long for me to be disappointed by what I saw. I noticed that all plates and bowls had one spot on the edge where it was rough. It appears as though this is where the porcelain is injected into the mold. This is similar to plastic injected parts where you can expect a rough point where the injection tab is broken off the completed part. The vegetable bowl had major problems with the imprinted pattern. There was significant "bleeding" of the ink. On at least one soup bowl, the pattern was partially missing. Lastly, the overall quality of the printing on most pieces was not sharp nor crisp. All dishes in this set were marked "Churchill Made in Columbia".
I called Amazon customer service to inform them that the quality was not acceptable. The customer service person was friendly and apologetic. They informed me that they wanted to appease me with either a return/refund or an exchange of product. Since the price was good and I like the "Willow" pattern I decided to do an exchange. The customer service person immediately set up another shipment and let me know it was okay with Amazon if I held onto the original set so I could swap in/out pieces if the second set had any pieces with issues.
Again, the shipment was quick and the package was very well boxed. I noticed that the second box was configured differently from the first box. I pulled out a plate and flipped it over to see that the second set was Made in Malaysia rather than Columbia. I very quickly noticed that the second set was of much higher quality. The print was crisper and the plates and bowls did not have the rough tab areas like the Columbian set. The vegetable bowl and oval plate were perfect and very beautiful. The design is fancy. That is, the plates and bowls are all "scalloped" around the edges which makes them look very formal. The soup bowls are beautiful and elegant but they are designed such that they have very large rimmed "lips". The lip is about 1.5 inches all the way around the bowl which reduces the overall useable area. The actual useable area for soup or salad is only about 5.75 inches because of the rim. Keep that in mind if you plan on using them everyday as soup or cereal bowls. All in all the quality of the Malaysian manufactured set was very good. I would not consider this set to be the same caliber of the English made porcelain but for the price the Malaysian set very acceptable for everyday dinnerware. For those not snooty about every last detail this set could easily pull off a formal dinner party or holiday dinner occasion. Unfortunately, I did discover quickly one problem with this set. The creamer pattern was not properly screen onto the porcelain. The pattern appeared "wavy" as though it were distored. This is unfortunate as the rest of the set was very nice. I'm sure that this problem could be easily resolved by Amazon. One oddity about this box of dinnerware was noticed. Of the eight teacup saucers, four were marked "Churchill Made in Malaysia" while the other four were marked "Wessex Collection". While the quality of the differently marked pieces were the same and of very good quality I thought this to be the deal breaker on this set.
I decided to return both the Columbian made and the Malaysian made sets to Amazon. The return process was very easy the there wasn't any financial cost to me to go through this process. Amazon paid for both the original shipping and the return shipping. They scheduled UPS to pick up both boxes at my house.
In summary, I would say that most people would not be happy with the Columbian made set whereas they would with the Malaysian made set. Again, the Malaysian set may not be of the highest quality that the old English-made sets are but for the price they are very, very good. The Malaysian made set is far superior to regular everyday stoneware and inexpensive porcelain sets. It is however a slight notch below the very expensive English made formal porcelain. Last, I believe that the Willow pattern is no longer made in England like most formal porcelain dinnerware because the economics would mean this set would cost $600 instead of the $145 I paid here on Amazon.
Description of Churchill China Chelsea Blue Willow 45-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 8
For larger family occasions this Willow dinnerware set for 8 persons offers you not only the regular place setting but the matching completer items you normally would require when entertaining.Based on a legend of two star-crossed Chinese lovers, the Chelsea Blue Willow dinnerware from Churchill China has comfortable proportions and romantic imagery. Dark blue on white, the pattern features intricate double borders with a combination of geometric detailing for a fabric-like visual texture. The central imagery depicts a Chinese landscape complete with bridges, a river, trees, and houses. Two doves--reincarnations of the fugitive lovers--hover above the scene. Churchill China adds a slight sculptural waviness to the borders of plates and bowls and the bodies of the teacups for light-catching effects.
Designed for groups, this 45-piece collection includes eight place settings, each with a 10-inch dinner plate, an 8-inch salad plate, an 8-3/4-inch rimmed bowl, a 5-1/2-inch saucer, and an 8-ounce teacup. Rounding out the set, the five completer pieces include an oval platter, a vegetable bowl, a creamer, a sugar bowl, and a sugar bowl lid. Chelsea Blue Willow dishes are made from high-fired earthenware and have a chip-resistant glossy glaze over the transfer-printed pattern. Designed to stand up to frequent use, the line is safe in the microwave, freezer, and dishwasher. --Emily Bedard
What?s in the Box
8 place settings, 5 serving pieces. Each place setting consists of: 10-inch dinner plate; 8-inch salad plate; 8-3/4-inch rimmed bowl; 5-1/2-inch saucer; 8-ounce teacup. Service set consists of an oval platter, a vegetable bowl, a creamer, a sugar bowl, and a sugar bowl lid. 45 pieces total.
Tableware
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