This is the story of the artisan families who, following a 700-year-old ancestral tradition, make the satin-black ceramic cookware we know as Tierra Negra oven-to-tableware. Part of the cultural heritage of a few remote villages in the Colombian Andes, their skills have been handed down from generation to generation. Using only basic tools and locally-sourced clay, the pottery is crafted to designs unique to each family, and with each running their own small business.

These clay pots are widely used in restaurants and in homes throughout South America, where the rich flavours of slow cooking are highly cherished. The casseroles, cooking pots, saute dishes and tagines are typically seen in use on open fires, on other sources of direct heat and in ovens, before being brought to the dinner table.