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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

New Denby broke immediately - complain?

42 replies

AOwlAOwlAOwl · 20/04/2021 20:18

Lots of our cobalt blue Ikea dinner service (7 years old) has started to chip and look a bit scruffy so thought I'd treat ourselves a bit and replace the most used dishes with equivalent Imperial blue Denby. While I was on the website I bought some tiny sauce dishes as well as they were on sale.

They were delivered yesterday, tonight I went to give them all a rinse in the dishwasher. DH was loading the small dishes and one slipped out of his hand and dropped into the top drawer, didn't hit anything apart from the wire rack and immediately cracked in half.

Now I was under the impression Denby is supposed to be hard wearing and can take a little bit of bashing about - am I wrong? I'm now wondering whether I have wasted £100 on dishes that won't last. Should I complain? Return the whole lot? I'm not usually a moaner but we both feel a bit disappointed at something that was supposed to be a treat. What would you do?

YABU - why would you complain, accidents happen
YANBU - you haven't even eaten off it yet

OP posts:

covetingthepreciousthings · 20/04/2021 20:22

Think YABU to be honest, even the most hard wearing of plates will smash or crack if dropped.. I completely understand why you'd be frustrated and upset though!

LIZS · 20/04/2021 20:26

If it is a clean break and did not hit anything it might be thermal shock or a fault.

LubaLuca · 20/04/2021 20:26

It's a shame, but if you drop a plate from any height it could crack.

Having said that, I'm on my second Denby set (bought a couple of years ago) and it chips and marks far more easily than the set I bought 20 years ago did. I was hoping it too would last 18 years, but I'll be lucky to get 5 years from it at this rate.

SpringtimeSummertime · 20/04/2021 20:27

Your DH broke it and it’s just one of those really irritating things. Denby will break when dropped just like any other make.
I have 20 year old Denby plates that have stood the test of time and have been flung around by my careless DH but I also have newer Denby mugs - well I did have newer Denby mugs... I have 2/6 left. All the others chipped. Not as good as they used to be maybe? The style/range might make a difference too. Some are thin, some are thick and bullet proof.

SpringtimeSummertime · 20/04/2021 20:28

Xpost Luba - Not just me then!!

LubaLuca · 20/04/2021 20:29

@SpringtimeSummertime

Xpost Luba - Not just me then!!

There's a pattern emerging

Cipot · 20/04/2021 20:29

We have imperial blue and most of it is unchipped after 16 years. So yes, I find that odd.

DidgeDoolittle · 20/04/2021 20:35

I have imperial blue that has been used daily for 30 years. It's still going strong despite 3 sons flinging it in the dishwasher.
I live near the denby factory, so regularly buy newer bits and bobs. I don't think these are as robust.
I would complain.

Livpool · 20/04/2021 20:42

YABU -your DH broke it

JensonsAcolyte · 20/04/2021 20:45

I’m on my second set of Denby white, we had large plates and bowls from about 15yrs ago; about a year ago we added small plates and pasta dishes.

Almost all the new items have a chip.

The quality has definitely changed.

Acovic · 20/04/2021 20:47

I wouldn't complain for that. Sorry. My denby (storm, discontinued) is almost 20 years old. I've lost the odd thing and my ex-cleaner seemed to chip a lot of stuff during her tenure. Part of the reason we parted company.

i did however have a piece of denby cookware that shattered in the oven (I was making boulangerie potatoes and the first I knew about it was when the stock started running out from the bottom of the oven door!).

On closer inspection there was a giant air bubble in the clay that the dish had broken through.

They replaced it.

Candycane57 · 20/04/2021 20:48

I've had some denby dinner plates for about 4 months and I'm already looking for replacements due to crackling, chipping and easy breakage. I've got a tesco dinner set still pristine from my first flat 10 years ago!

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 20/04/2021 20:53

Yes return DH, glue the small dish back together and just use for trinkets e.g. old engagement ring, wedding ring etc.

dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby · 20/04/2021 20:56

@JensonsAcolyte

I’m on my second set of Denby white, we had large plates and bowls from about 15yrs ago; about a year ago we added small plates and pasta dishes.

Almost all the new items have a chip.

The quality has definitely changed.

It's probably just you being careless. I first got Denby White over 20 years ago and have always found it prone to chipping as it is relatively thin. You just have to treat it more like bone china, even though it can go in the oven, microwave and freezer and dishwasher. I have added to it many times over the years. TO OP: YABU accidents happen. Today I chipped a cereal bowl (Royal Doulton 1815 Brights) just by accidentally dropping a fork on it - the bowl was already on the lower rack of the dishwasher).

littlepeas · 20/04/2021 21:04

You want to complain because your dh dropped a dish a d it broke? Surely that’s the expected outcome .

EnglishRain · 20/04/2021 21:15

My Denby is six years old this year and we've got eight bowls, eight dinner plates and eight side plates. Actually only seven bowls because DH took one outside and dropped it on the patio

He breaks loads of stuff. So many glasses. And we have a butler sink which doesn't help. I do think they're pretty hardy but I guess mine are oldish now so perhaps they have changed?

Temp023 · 20/04/2021 21:17

Mine was a wedding present 20 years ago, it’s standing up fine.

pumpkintree · 20/04/2021 21:18

@littlepeas

You want to complain because your dh dropped a dish a d it broke? Surely that’s the expected outcome

I used to love reading and replying to these types of emails. why can't people accept they have broken some by doing something with the product they should have done. Dropping a plate. I would expect it to smash.

Viviennemary · 20/04/2021 21:20

It was dropped . It broke. That's what often happens if you drop china or pottery.

luxxlisbon · 20/04/2021 21:22

I don’t really understand what there is to complain about, it was dropped so no surprise that it broke. Hardly the company’s fault.

nocoolnamesleft · 20/04/2021 21:23

Crockery does tend to break when dropped.

RedToothBrush · 20/04/2021 21:24

The stuff isnt indestructible but its damn tough. The very few things weve broken we have broken have been because we've dropped it at a funny angle in just the wrong way and it gave a clean break.

We have seconds and factory seconds and boy do we abuse it.

We should have broken a lot more than we have.

Tomnooktoldmeto · 20/04/2021 21:24

My imperial blue has mostly survived for over 30 years without chipping, I’ve lost occasional pieces to butterfingered DH who has dropped things occasionally

Unfortunately it’s stone ware and doesn’t like being dropped, fortunately it’s often on offer at very good prices in the outlets and T K maxx

My white Denby is much more delicate, only used on special occasions and I don’t let DH near it as it’s noway near as robust

PurpleWh1teGreen · 20/04/2021 21:24

I just want to know how you got it in the dishwasher! Ours doesn't bloody fit. Otoh we have had most of it since 1992.

Ninkanink · 20/04/2021 21:27

It’s more likely than not going to break if you throw/drop/bash it - it’s not way more hardwearing just because you paid way more for it...

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