For most of the 20th century, Temuka was synonymous with one of New Zealand's most beloved domestic ceramic brands. The Temuka Pottery, founded in 1929 and operating in the town until 2003, produced the speckled earthenware dinner sets that grace kitchens up and down the country — to the point where "I had it served on Temuka" is a common turn of phrase.
The original factory has closed but the brand still operates. The town acknowledges its pottery heritage in displays at the Temuka Public Library and the visitor information centre, and a few of the historic kiln workers' cottages survive. Of mostly nostalgic interest to New Zealanders; the pottery itself can be bought (now produced elsewhere) in homewares shops around the country.