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The Goicoechea family originate from the village of Ezkurra in the Navarre region of the Basque country, where their ancester Miguel Goicoechea, born in 1900, grew up with his 7 siblings. With the first born inheriting the family farm, Miguel and his remaining brothers and sisters emigrated to France and South America. Miguel himself settled in Banka near St Etienne de Bigorry on the French side of the Pyrennes in 1918 with his wife and 5 children. |
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It was here that he set up a sawmill with one of his sons, Jean Baptiste.
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Woodsmen by trade, father and son supplied the wood and charcoal required to fire the ovens and kilns of local brick makers and potteries in the Navarre region. Jean Baptiste was so fascinated by the work of his customers that he decided to import and sell their pots in France. And so was born Poterie Goicoechea, in 1960, managed by Jean Baptiste and his wife, Celine.
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La boutique Goicoechea dans les années 70. |
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The son of Jean Baptiste, Michel, and his wife Terexa, joined the company in 1982 and with a desire to keep the busines in the Basque country, they developed the manufacturing around constant aestheticism and quality. Bringing new energy to the company, they developed new collections inspired by divine lines and beautiful curves balanced perfectly between the classic and the contemporary |
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Today a third generation joins the company: Maitena and Inaki (daughter and son of Michel and Terexa). Maitena with her commercial background heads up the export department and Inaki, having studied in both France and Spain is responsible for production and the creation of new collections.
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With the family at its heart, Poterie Goicoechea also includes both of Michel's sisters: Babeth specialises in the decoration and glazing of the pots, and Dominique manages the shop in St Jean de Luz.
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The team at Poterie Goicechea is made up of 20 at the workshops in Osses and a further 10 in the workshops linked to the quarry in Navarre. It is the professionalism and the loyalty of this team, close to the hearts of Michel and Terexa, that lie behind the success of pots signed “Goicoechea”
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