Celebrating One Year of Twenty Eight with Local Glass Artist Jen Barker
You may have spotted us recently on Channel 5’s Britain’s Most Scenic Counties: Cheshire, where part of the story followed local glass artist Jen Barker as she created a bespoke piece to mark a special milestone in 2024 — one year of Twenty Eight, ten years of Chef’s Table, and the next chapter for both restaurants on Pepper Street.
Jen’s work for us captures the spirit of our journey and the connection between our restaurants and our farm, Growing @ Field 28 in Daresbury. Drawing inspiration from the natural colours and textures of the fields — the soft golds of autumn harvests, the greens of new growth, and the subtle, earthy tones of the landscape — the piece reflects the harmony between land and table. The result is a stunning fusion of craftsmanship and storytelling: a glass artwork that celebrates both place and purpose.
Jen Barker
Jennifer Barker is an internationally renowned glass artist whose work spans more than three decades. With a BA and Master’s in Glass Design, she has built a reputation as a leading glass fuser, dividing her career between lecturing at universities, teaching from her Cheshire studio, and creating original glass artworks for galleries and private commissions.
Her work adorns the walls and ceilings of London’s Battersea Power Station redevelopment, Manchester Airport, superyachts, hotels, business foyers, swimming pool walls, and residences around the world — each piece reflecting her technical mastery and distinctive creative vision. Collectors, architects, interior designers, and lovers of the extraordinary are drawn to her work for its originality and emotional depth.
Jennifer is the Creative Director of Melt Designs, overseeing all aspects of design and production. Following her studies at Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Universities, she established her first studio in 1997 and founded Melt Designs in 2000. Alongside her design practice, she also runs the Cheshire School of Glass, where she leads a team of artists from her beautifully converted barn studio in Frodsham, offering workshops and courses for all levels of experience.
Jennifer’s work is expressionist and abstract at its core, yet deeply rooted in the natural world. Her designs draw inspiration from landscapes, natural formations, and the subtle shifts of light and weather.
Through her forms and textures, she encourages an emotional connection to the rhythms and patterns of nature — capturing the ever-changing seasons, the movement of clouds, and the play of light throughout the day.
It’s this sensitivity to her surroundings that made her collaboration with us so special — a celebration not only of artistry and craft, but of the enduring link between the land and the table.
You can visit Jen at Bradley Farm, Bradley Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 7EP,
or contact her at jen@cheshireschoolofglass.co.uk / 07950 004452.
Preview her available art below, or head here to view art and learn more about Jen.
