Tableware International July August 2019

TableWare www.tablewareinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL

Month: July/August 2019

Issue: 3

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Volume: 141

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NO FAKE JUST FASHION

ZERO WASTE PURE TASTE

Design: Lisa Keller Material: Hard paste porcelain with a patented Magic Grip application Made by : KAHLA in Germany • Sustainable • Hygienic • Ergonomic • Everlasting Our message for you: Do not litter our planet with another billion disposable mugs. Avoid fake bamboo cups. They release toxins and harm your health.

Use our anniversary offers up to 17,5% discount. www.kahlaporzellan.com mv@kahlaporzellan.com

RUSTIC CHARM MEETS MODERN STYLE THE NEW CERAMIC SERIES MATERA AND THE NEW HANDMADE GOBLET SERIES LUCENTE MAISON & OBJET - PARIS 6. – 10.09.2019 HALL 4 STAND C58-D57

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Tableware Team

TableWare

T

INTERNATIONAL

EDITOR KATE BIRCH kate@lemapublishing.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER PAUL YEOMANS pyeomans@lemapublishing.co.uk

PUBLISHER MARK NAISH mark@lemapublishing.co.uk

MANAGING DIRECTOR MALCOLM NAISH malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PAUL NAISH paul@lemapublishing.co.uk

DESIGNER MARIAN MCNAMARA marian@lemapublishing.co.uk

To subscribe to the magazine email: ROBERT THOMAS robert@lemapublishing.co.uk

Published by Lema Publishing Ltd. 1 Churchgates, The Wilderness Berkhamsted Herts HP4 2UB PUBLISHING

At the heart Tel: 00 44 (0) 1442 289930 of retail Fax: 00 44 (0) 1442 289950 Front cover illustration supplied by Nambe.

For more information see the website www.nambe.com

TableWare www.tablewareinternational.com

INTERNATIONAL

Month: July/August 2019

Issue: 3

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Volume: 141

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here’s no doubt that the hypercasual dining revolution has taken the world by storm over the last decade (see our casual stoneware spotlight on page 32). However, the tabletop tides may well be a-turning with fine dining on the return.

We had already got hold of this wind of change back in January when our good friends at Goodfellows (luxury distributors of tabletop to UK hospitality) hinted that after years of “handmade pottery a la Noma, which seems to have lasted forever”, there may well be a “shift at the top level”.

And now, trend forecaster Scarlet Opus has announced the return of fine dining, though reinvented, as a major trend for 2020, one that's already been spotted in hospitality (“new fine-dining restaurants have begun opening up worldwide, offering a refreshing sense of occasion,” says Phil Pond of Scarlet Opus), but that will, Phil predicts, start to influence home dining “especially once we get into 2020 and the economic impact of Brexit kicks in”.

Central to this trend is creation of an elegantly dressed table, with exquisite glassware, linen, statement cutlery and stylish tableware, and you can find mjore on this on page 28.

It’s not just stylistic and dining trends that are on the turn; retail trends continue to transition with storytelling, experiences and pampering increasingly important. From creating environments where consumers can relax, to solving customer problems with merchandised solutions, retail advice is up for grabs from four international retail experts on page 44.

One retailer already putting such advice into practice is Bahne, the largest concept store in Denmark with 20 stores, which, with its mission statement of ‘Let us pamper you’, delivers a concept of encouraging customers to browse and experience the store. Find out more on page 40.

One of the big problems in retail today is that of overstock, especially in the UK where there is a lot of uncertainty due to Brexit, but also globally, with a report suggesting there is currently £5bn surplus of overstock in the UK and US$1 trillion worldwide.

Will Jones, COO of BHETA, discusses the issue in his column on page 76; while on page 20, new online marketplace buyfair.global offers a solution: dubbed ‘ebay in premium B2B form’, this first B2B multi-lot auctionbased marketplace is set to offer a simple and immediate solution to selling overstock.

The challenges and opportunities of retail are further discussed in our interview with Lewis Wark (p48), distributors and agents of 12 luxury tableware brands in the UK, which outlines its retail plans for the Richard Ginori and MacKenzie-Childs brands, in particular, with Liberty, Amara, Fortnum and Mason and Harrods all covered. And discover how Lewis Wark has developed over the past few decades

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

2020

With entry for the Tableware International Awards of Excellence 2020, now open, discover our 19 categories, 26 judges, and how you can enter in our insert included in this issue.

and its plans for its 25th anniversary year.

Another anniversary year takes the spotlight this issue: we pay tribute to Royal Warrant Holder Grant Macdonald London (page 68), which is successfully using traditional silversmithing craftsmanship 50 years on, fused with the latest in 3D printing techniques.

And traditional craftsmanship takes centrestage both in this issue’s Trade Talk (page 64) with five brands discussing why handcrafting matters today; and on page 70, where Cumbria Crystal, the last producer of luxury handcrafted English lead crystal in the UK, discusses its starring role in the Downton Abbey film, screening in September.

Crystal is also shining bright on page 22 with Czech crystal glass manufacturer Moser, which has revolutionised sherry drinking with a new glass designed in collaboration with London-based Spanish chef Jose Pizarro.

On the category front, we’ve got metals and giftable tableware covered; while on the show scene, we’re previewing Maison, with its renewed focus on hospitality (p82); Top Drawer, which will co-locate with Pulse for the first time (p88); and Homi, which is debuting a show dedicated to the outdoor space (p80).

Finally, we have some exciting news to share – we are set to unveil a new publication, Tableware International HoReCa, in September. Read all about it on page 87.

Kate Birch Get social with

See our latest news: www.tablewareinternational.com ‘Like’ us: Facebook.com/tablewareintmag ‘Follow’ us on Twitter: @tablewareintmag ‘Love’ us on Instagram: tableware_international

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July/August 2019 • ISSUE 3

News & Trends

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12 News A round-up of international stories 16 Exhibition News The latest tradeshow news 18 Product News The latest launches 28 Industry Trend Dining trends for 2020 30 Category Trend Scented candles 32 Product Trend Stoneware collections 34 Product Spotlight Licensed collections

Retail & hospitality 20 Interview A marketplace for overstock 26

DNA Hospitality Spotlight on F2D

40

Retail Profile: Denmark Award-winning housewares retailer Bahne has 20 stores

42

Column: Retail On merchandising flatware

44

22 64

Trade Talk: Artisanal Five brands discuss why handcrafted tableware matters

Retail Feature: Four retail experts discuss global retailing trends

68

Profile: Grant Macdonald The British silverware brand celebrates its 50th anniversary

48

Interview: Lewis Wark Agents and distributors of tableware brands, Lewis Wark is 25 this year

70

Interview: Cumbria Crystal On Downton Abbey

54

Column: Hospitality G&G discusses its journey with The Goring Hotel

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Category: Giftable What makes good tabletop gifts, plus the latest giftable tableware

76

Column: BHETA Why consumer trends are key

Features 22

Profile: Moser Moser's latest collaboration gives sherry drinking a makeover

24

Shows 78

Show Review: Exclusively What happened

Collection Dissection: Royal Doulton The brand's Bowls of Plenty Collection

80

Show Preview: Homi The lifestyle fair launches its Homi Outdoor in Milan

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Profile: Pasabahce Speciality beverageware

82

Show Review: Maison & Objet The Paris show spotlights Hospitality this September

38

Profile: Pasabahce 2019 novelties

56

Interview: Bomshbee Tableware from Hong Kong

86

Show interview: gia Celebrating 20 years of retail excellence with the Global Innovation Awards

58

Category: Metals How innovative finishes are changing the metals market, plus latest launches

88

Show Preview: Top Drawer What to expect

90

Show Preview: Mega Show Sourcing in Asia

The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher or Lema Publishing Ltd. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

Bowls of Plenty

www.royaldoulton.co.uk

news

Portmeirion Group acquires Nambe Leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of homewares, Portmeirion Group, has acquired US-based premium homewares business, Nambé.

Portmeirion Group has agreed to purchase premium branded US homewares business Nambé for a cash consideration of $12m.

Nambé, founded in 1951, designs, sources, markets and retails Nambé branded products in homewares with its range including cutlery, glassware, dinnerware, kitchenware and home décor.

Nambé’s sales, which were US$18m in 2018, are largely concentrated in the US through wholesale channels, online and through eight retail stores across New Mexico and Arizona.

The acquisition provides Portmeirion Group with additional scale in its key US market and strategically complements its existing US subsidiary while continuing to diversify the company into new homeware product categories.

Portmeirion Group intends to leverage the Nambé product ranges through its existing US sales channels and global sales infrastructure and also expects to benefit from the expertise of Nambé’s contemporary design consultants across the Group’s brands and ranges.

Nambé’s key management team will continue in their roles, further strengthening its existing USbased team.

Lawrence Bryan, chief executive, says: “Having been working with Nambé for nearly a year on potential synergistic opportunities, we are delighted to acquire this historic US brand together with a strong management team.

“Nambé is synonymous with market-leading design in homewares and we are hugely excited to take the brand on the next part of its journey.

“Portmeirion Group has a great track record of adding value though acquiring quality brands that can then be leveraged through our global sales infrastructure. We are looking forward to working with the Nambé team on growing the business.”

Dick Steele, non-executive chairman, adds: “We are excited to have acquired Nambé, the acquisition is highly complementary to our existing business and provides further access to the key US market.

“We see the acquisition as an exciting milestone for Portmeirion. The Board expects the acquisition to be earnings enhancing in the first full year of consolidation through top line growth along with sales and cost-saving synergies.”

Stolzle Lausitz celebrates 130 years of glassmaking tradition In May, Stölzle Lausitz celebrated the 130th anniversary of glassmaking tradition at the company’s location in Weißwasser / Saxony, the traditional centre of the glass industry, with Stolzle the last glass manufacturer there with global standing. Today, Stolzle produces 40 million glasses annually, and active in 120 countries.

L-R: Owner Dr. Cornelius Grupp, his son Cornelius During the celebrations, Stolzle MD, Johann Grupp, Mayor Torsten Pötzsch, Councillor Bernd Nagl, stated: “Restaurants and hotel chains Lange, and managing director Johann Nagl appreciate the quality and advantages of our glassware. Our growing presence and trend towards functional and elegant wine glasses supports our positive development on the world market.” As part of the celebrations, Johann presented a new glass concept for the second half of the year. Featuring an integrated LED, it certainly lives up to its name – Highlight. www.stoelzle-lausitz.com/en

Did you know…?

Kiyasa Group expands retail partners in South America With retail partners now in Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, the Kiyasa Group is expanding its portfolio of luxury tabletop and home decor brands, including Prouna, Greggio, Dogale, Lehmann Glass and in-house brand, Kiyasa Signature, into Latin America. Kiyasa Group now has a permanent showroom in Mexico City, where most of its Latin business is managed from.

“We are very excited about our presence and expansion into Latin America," says Kiana Bahardozadeh. "We see a huge opportunity for our Luxury brands in this part of the world as there is still a lot appreciation for quality, craftsmanship and design, which are all the essence of what our products stand for. Lavish home entertaining, beautiful tablesettings, and exclusive weddings and events are a quintessential part of life here and we love it!

"This is an exciting moment for the company as we are receiving a tremendous positive response to our products and have been able to partner with the best of the best in each city, such as Casa Palacio in Mexico City."

www.kiyasa.com

Porcel is set to launch a new website this month. The new site has been designed to perfectly present Porcel’s elegant products and solutions, and better communicate Porcel as an exclusive international porcelain brand. porcel.com 12 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

TONGUE

www.rosenthal.de

BY BETHAN L AUR A WOOD

news

Wayfair reveals pop-up locations

Royal Crown Derby increases exports to China One of the few remaining British firms manufacturing all of its luxury fine bone china in the UK, Royal Crown Derby has seen its exports to China increase to nearly 20 per cent of its total export sales in the last year, thanks partly to support from the Department for International Trade (DIT), which helped fund its attendance at the Best of British tradeshow in Shanghai last November.

Royal Crown Derby capitalised on its heritage as one of the oldest manufacturers of luxury tableware in Britain to gain a foothold with China consumers, who are looking for outstanding quality, and the brand’s handcrafted tableware range is now stocked across major Chinese luxury retailers.

“Expanding our sales overseas is at the heart of our growth strategy,” says Kevin Oakes, chief executive at Royal Crown Derby. “Despite having little to no presence in China just two years ago, it is now one of our top five export markets. There is huge opportunity for British heritage products in the region," he continues.

Ian Harrison, DIT’s head of exports, adds: “Goods and services produced by British companies have a well-earned reputation for quality and UK business can tap into a rich market of global opportunity.

"Our job is to connect British businesses with the right contacts and know-how in order to reach their full potential. I’d encourage any business that is looking to enter overseas markets or increase their international footprint to get in touch."

DIT has a dedicated team of International Trade Advisers based in the East Midlands ready to offer support. Email: ditmidlands@mobile.trade.gov.uk

Following its first two pop-up stores, in Massachusetts and New Jersey last holiday season, Wayfair US has announced a bricks-andmortar store strategy and will open four pop-up stores (August 1 for three months).

Called Wayfair Décor & Inspiration Shops, the pop-ups will operate in Illinois, North Carolina, Pennslyvania and Virginia.

The pop-ups have been created to encourage consumers to explore affordable homeware essentials, Wayfair explains, with the retailer updating the product selection throughout its three months of operation.

“We are excited to open four new pop-up shop locations across the US this summer,” says Courtney Lawrie, Wayfair director of brand marketing.

“The Wayfair Decor & Inspiration Shop will provide our customers with a place to go for home ideas and inspiration, as well as the chance to shop over 250 budget-friendly and eclectic decor items to purchase in-shop for the first time ever.”

Captivate Brands partners with Mary Berry Recently-launched UK company Captivate Brands has partnered with TV baking star Mary Berry on a brand-new tableware collection, which was unveiled at Exclusively Shows in June and which is

set for an Autumn/Winter 2019 launch.

Covering dinnerware, serveware, glassware, cutlery, table linens and giftware, the launch includes two collections. Celebrating Mary’s classic English style, the Signature Collection combines understated elegance with practicality, delivering white fine bone china pieces along with acacia wood items and hand-blown glassware.

The second collection, The English Garden by Mary Berry (pictured), is inspired by Mary’s role as ambassador for the Royal Horticultural Society and as President of the National Garden Scheme.

The designs, which include mugs, coasters, jugs, serving bowls and kitchen storage, boast a warm and timeless appeal with clean and classic product shapes and feature beautiful hand-drawn illustrations of classic flowers and birds, making them very collectable and giftable.

www.captivatebrands.com 14 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Degrenne's Salam teapot

Duralex's Picardie Pastels

The Wedding Shop adds Duralex and Degrenne to its gift portfolio The UK and Ireland’s leading independent wedding gift list provider, The Wedding Shop, which has showrooms in Chelsea, Selfridges London, and The Wedding Gallery, Edinburgh and Dublin, has added Duralex Glassware and Degrenne to its extensive portfolio.

Pioneers of tempered glass, with each glass 2.5 times stronger than ordinary glass products, Duralex delivers timeless designs that are highly durable, versatile, stylish and convenient.

The Wedding Shop has selected Duralex’s most iconic glass, Picardie – a design classic that has featured in the National Gallery and Museum of Modern Art stores – to add to its gift lists and will include Picardie in multiple colours and finishes, including a classic clear, modern marine, popular pastel shades, velvet black touch and frosted.

The addition of leading tableware brand Degrenne to its gift list showcases The Wedding Shop’s pioneering entrepreneurship with regards to gifting in the UK retail market as previously the brand was only available at Fortnum & Mason.

The Wedding Shop has selected Degrenne’s flagship product, the Salam teapot, created in 1953. A blend of fine porcelain and stainless steel, Salam comes in multiple colours and finishes and is cleverly lined with a felt sleeve to keep tea at an optimum temperature, twice as long as a classic teapot. The teapot’s removable filter reveals all the subtlety of tea and prevents the bitter taste that comes from brewing tea for too long.

Degrenne and Duralex are both represented by GlassCo Ltd in the UK and Ireland retail sector. www.weddingshop.com

Villeroy & Boch announces Startup Pitch Day

When the chance to acquire Goviers of Sidmouth came up, following Alan’s decision to retire from the business, it was something we felt we were destined to pursue. Having worked closely with Alan on Royal Crown Derby for almost 20 years and seeing the other wonderful brands that are a key part of the business, it was an opportunity too good to miss. We very much want to carry on the business in the style that has made Goviers what it is today, but will try to inject new ranges where appropriate as well as developing the online business and would welcome discussions with new suppliers.

Driving the digital change and optimally utilising the opportunities of digitalisation, Villeroy & Boch has founded a company that invests in innovative startup companies Young companies whose products and solutions strategically fit with the core business in tableware and that are digitally expanding these areas are being sought.

In addition, the development of its own digital business models are being advanced by Villeroy & Boch Ventures GmbH, also newly formed under the Villeroy & Boch Innovations GmbH. “The digital transformation offers many opportunities for the division of Tableware: technological developments allow for completely new business models, products and services,” says Dr. Peter Domma, MD of Villeroy & Boch Innovations GmbH. “Rapid continued developments, which are mainly driven by startups, have tremendous potential. On the one hand, our goal is to offer customers more new and innovative products and services, but on the other, to continue to optimise internal processes as well”.

As a result, Villeroy & Boch Innovations GmbH has announced a Startup Pitch Day, August 26, 2019, in Mettlach, where young companies will have the chance to present their innovative business ideas and convince the jury to collaborate with them. Ten teams will be selected and will be invited to attend. Any cooperations will include financial investment as well as a collaboration on a sales basis.

Simon Willis, owner of Global Luxury Brands, on acquiring iconic mail order china and giftware business, Goviers of Sidmouth. www.globalluxurybrands.co.uk

To find out more and/or to apply, visit http://vb-pitch-day.com/en

Crate & Barrel acquires home decor brand

Home furnishings retailer Crate & Barrel has announced its acquisition of Hudson Grace, a boutique home decor, entertaining and gift brand that's based in San Francisco with five stores in California and one in Atlanta.

Founded in 2012, Hudson Grace is known for its perfectly edited modern tabletop and entertaining essentials, which evoke the coastal Californian lifestyle.

Fuelled by a shared passion for elevated design and experiential retail, the brands will create new customer experiences and an expanded presence in the home space. "We're excited to welcome Hudson Grace and we look forward to focusing our digital expertise on creating a wider audience for the brand," says Neela Montgomery, CEO of Crate and Barrel. "Hudson Grace has an entrepreneurial spirit, boutique feel and curated mix of new and vintage product that enhances our current brand portfolio.”

Crate & Barrel plans to grow the Hudson Grace brand through retail expansion into niche markets and an invigorated online presence to engage new and existing customers.

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exhibition news Messe Frankfurt unveils new content platform for retailers In response to the challenges of the fast-changing consumer goods market, Messe Frankfurt has launched a new content platform, Conzoom Solutions, dedicated to a diverse range of products and services, to help retailers think creatively and develop new strategies.

Clear, concise and easy to use, the Conzoom Solutions platform offers retailers exclusive and practical assistance for dealing with the challenges of today’s market – including a wide range of studies, trend presentations, workshops and guidelines for the point of sale.

“We are offering German and European retailers in the consumer goods sector a pathway to secure a knowledge advantage, benefit from best practices and actively invite customers to linger and buy,” says Stephan Kurzawski, board of management of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. The site features four sections: Fairs; Knowledge (studies, statistics and management reports); Learning (lectures and workshops from consumer goods fairs); and Point of Sale (suggestions, guidelines, presentations and complete packages). www.conzoom.solutions

Calling tableware design talent…

Up-and-coming designers, including tabletop talents working with ceramics, glass and metal, are invited to apply for Ambiente 2020’s Talents programme. Selected designers will have the chance to showcase their innovative products and designs at the world’s biggest trade fair for consumer goods in February 2020. Applications are open until October 22, 2019. For more info, visit: www.ambiente.messefrankfurt.com

Autumn Fair unveils International Sourcing sector With the global retail sourcing and procurement market expected to grow by nearly 12 per cent in the period up to 2024, Autumn Fair, taking place September 1-4, 2019, is set to launch a new International Sourcing zone, helping retailers to build relationships with leading international exporters and manufacturers.

Hall 10 will feature international manufacturers, including from Pakistan, Tunisia, China and India, who will present products in dining kitchen, gift, home and fashion; along with a trend installation that will explore trends that are impacting product development as well as presenting what consumers will be looking for in Autumn/Winter 2020/2021.

In addition, a dedicated Sourcing Theatre will host talks from well-known industry experts on supply chain management, partnerships, procurement and visual merchandising, among other subjects.

“Retailers who may not have the time to commit to costly foreign sourcing trips will now have international sourcing opportunities on their doorstep,” says Julie Driscoll, MD. Autumn Fair runs September 1-4, 2019, Birmingham, UK. To register: https://bit.ly/2Gfs65

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Zuchex 2019 set for success!

Turkey’s largest and most established housewares show, Zuchex, turns 30 this year and the 30th anniversary edition, set to take to the Istanbul stage from September 12-15, is expected to attract a record number of exhibitors – having already sold 70 per cent of its space four months prior to opening – according to organiser Tarsus Turkey.

“Stand sales are benefitting from the return of a positive mood to the domestic market and from the fair’s reputation for attracting major buyers from emerging export markets in the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa,” says Zekkriya Aytemur, MD, Tarsus Turkey.

Market-leading suppliers in the categories of tableware, ceramics, glassware, porcelain, home textiles and kitchenware have already signed up for the show, including Koleksiyon, Arda Cam, Gural Porselen, Cem Bialetti and Kutahya Porselen, among others.

The 2019 edition is expected to attract more than 500 exhibitors and 32,000 international and local buyers (up from 472 exhibitors and 30,000 visitors from 104 countries in 2018) and will unveil various new initiatives.

Zekkriya adds: “We are very excited to be offering the overseas hosted buyer programme, which is designed specifically for exhibitors and visitors to pre-arrange one-toone meetings.”

In addition to products for retail, Zuchex 2019 will host the top brands in the HoReCa sector, offering corporate solutions for tabletop presentation.

Zuchex 2019 will take place September 12-15 2019 at Tuyap Fair and Exhibition Center, Istanbul. www.zuchex.com

The number of new designs Beatriz Ball is set to debut at the upcoming summer shows, including Las Vegas Market and NY NOW. In addition to introducing a new product category (glassware) with New Orleans, a collection of gold-tone glass items (pictured), the brand will present exciting new textures and shapes in its signature handmade metal line: including additions to its bestselling Soho collection (think richly textured Sakko bowls and platters) and to its Vento Collection, with two Volare freeform bowls; as well as new serving pieces cast with a shimmering snakeskin texture. Further introductions will expand the brand’s successful luxury melamine collection with new range Charleston – think dappled surfaces, notched corners, raised borders.

16 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

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products news

Canvas home unveils AW19 collection Canvas home is set to unveil new collections and extensions as part of its AW19 launch. “With ceramics at the heart of what we do, we are thrilled to have expanded our range of table and serveware on such a scale,” says Simon Lee, MD Europe. Popular range Gerona is extended to include two new colours, fresh green and soft mud; while Tinware now comes in plum purple; and the Shell Bisque range includes a new smoked brown glaze.

“We've worked with the same maker to extend the shell bisque concept to include a rimmed version, which uses the same transparency glazes paired with a set of new shapes based around rimmed plates and straight-sided bowls and mugs,” says Simon. Brand-new collections include Montauk, seaside-inspired crockery, with each piece featuring painterly brushstrokes in indigo and blues, "all handmade by a small pottery in Spain,” adds Simon.

In glassware, the brand is introducing two new collections, Lima and Bastia, which come in a gorgeous array of colours; and colour has further been introduced into canvas home cutlery for the first time.

The brand has also introduced a new sub-category that focuses on ‘classics.’ “First, we have our new classic wine glasses that we are making in Eastern Europe – these have lovely proportions, hold just the right amount, and feel wonderful to hold, a timeless item as well as being well-priced,” says Simon. “With the same concept in mind, we have our Lille collection of cutlery, which comes in a beautiful gift box of eight 5-piece placesettings and is available in a vintage tumbled or brushed finishes.” See at Maison Paris and the New York Tabletop Show.

Hering Berlin in new partnership Porcelain specialist Stefanie Hering, founder of Hering Berlin, has collaborated with the Schwarzburger Werkstatten manufactory on a limited-edition collection of porcelain plateaus. Dipping into the manufactory’s classical archives of plateau forms (known historically as conversational pieces), Stefanie worked with the manufactory’s master craftsmen to create six plateau designs – modern re-interpretations of classical pieces.

Titled Sublime Conversation, these unique and modern re-interpretations of classical plateaus are entirely handcrafted of white bisque porcelain and, like their historical counterpoints, are designed to serve food in a dramatic and conversation-starting way.

"I deliberately maintained the character of each individual piece, respecting its origin, taking away a few details and adding a few new ones," says Stefanie Hering. www.heringberlin.com

Did you know…?

The Bugatti brand, which operates in more than 100 countries, can be found in the world’s most prestigious department stores, including La Rinascente in Italy, KaDeWe in Germany, Galeries Lafayette in France, Harrods in the UK, Stockmann in Finland, Jashanmal in Dubai, Sogo in Hong Kong, Rustan’s in the Philippines, Parkson in Malaysia and Blue Salon in Qatar, among others. Among its latest launches is the Vidal 24k gold-plated cutlery, designed by Elisabeth Vidal, which comes as a 24-piece set. www.casabugatti.it 18 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Gibson taps into Japanese dining In line with its presentation of globally-inspired designs, Gibson has tapped into the popularity of Japanese cuisine and served up a contemporary take on classic bento dining. Adachi by Laurie Gates is a dinnerware collection that combines Gibson’s unmatched ability to create beautiful reactive glaze dinnerware with traditional bento shapes. Adachi dinnerware is available in numerous configurations and includes 3-section plates, rice bowls, various sauce bowls and a wood/ceramic serving tray. www.gibsonusa.com

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

2020

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

Enter the Tableware International Awards 2020

For the third year, in celebration of excellence and innovation in the tableware industry, we are inviting tabletop suppliers, brands, companies and factories to enter their tableware collections and O F E X C E L L E N C E products into the Tableware International Awards of Excellence 2020.

We have 19 product categories covering the complete tabletop, including a new category for 2020 – Sustainable Tableware – along with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2020, launched last year.

Our prestigious panel of 25 global experts, (see right), will judge the entries and shortlist three finalists, including the final winner, in each category using the criteria of: Design, Innovation, Aesthetics, Storytelling.

The Finalists will all feature in our Awards Finalists Supplement in January 2020 and the final winners in our Awards Winners Supplement in March 2020, with the finalists acknowledged and the winners announced at our Awards Ceremony on Sunday, February 9, at Messe Frankfurt, during Ambiente 2020.

See the list of categories (right) along with our panel of 2020 Awards judges. See below to find out how you can enter the Tableware International Awards of Excellence 2020.

Join us in celebrating the best in tabletop!

AWARDS

2020

HOW TO ENTER...

Suppliers/brands should visit www.tablewareinternationalawards.com, select the Entry Form tab and fill in the required information for each entry, before uploading images.

Alternatively, you can send entries to the Tableware International team by emailing entries@tablewareinternationalawards.com and including the following information (please enter entries separately): • Full name of company/brand and name and contact details of person who entered it • Name and brief description of collection/product being entered (eg. Material, design inspiration, convenience factors) • Name of category you are entering it into • Approximate date of when product/collection launched into market • Product price • 250-300 word explanation of why the entry merits an Award – based on the following criteria: Innovation / Design / Aesthetics / Storytelling • Five hi-resolution images (300dpi) of the collection/product from different angles

RULES OF SUBMISSION

• Brands/suppliers can enter up to three (maximum) collections/products, but they must be in three different categories • The collections/products must have been launched no earlier than January 1, 2018 • The final deadline for submissions is September 1, 2019

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

2019

THE WINNERS

SPONSORED BY

WANT TO SPONSOR THE AWARDS? Join our international and prestigious lineup of sponsors and reap the benefits, including ad placements and editorial within our Finalists and Winners Supplements, as well as our main title Tableware International, along with brand presence at the Awards evening.

To be a Main Sponsor or Category Sponsor, contact Paul Yeomans, pyeomans@lemapublishing.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL JUDGING PANEL

Our prestigious panel of 25 judges are truly international and are made up of the best buyers, retailers and experts in the tabletop industry.

Hopson Grace

Dom Farfora

William Ashley

Parousiasi

Amara

The Studio of Tableware

Sam Hood, founder and creative director of Amara. com, a leader in the online luxury interiors market

Jocelyn Wilson, director, The Studio of Tableware, stockists of luxury tableware brands, located in Auckland, New Zealand

Dom Farfora Elena Sokolova, commercial director and buyer, Dom Farfora, which has eight multi-brand luxury tableware and gift retail stores across Russia

John Lewis Nicola Hattersley, buyer tabletop, John Lewis, which represents the UK’s largest market share within the China category

Rustan’s Department Store Cecilia P. Hermoso, home division manager, Rustan’s, the leading luxury department store in the Philippines

Debenhams Claire Brown, manager of Cook & Dine, Debenhams, a UK and international department store

Wayfair Europe Franziska Lichtwardt, Tabletop Category EU, Wayfair Europe, the global leading online retailer in homeware

Parousiasi Mary Sarafidis, managing director, Parousiasi, a chain of 45 luxury tabletop and giftware stores across Greece

Hutter Group

The Corning Museum of Glass Meghan D. Burnell, buyer for tabletop, luxury brands and art glass products, The Shops, The Corning Museum of Glass, eight museum boutiques offering glassware and home décor

Goodfellow & Goodfellow Valda Goodfellow, owner and managing director, G&G, distributors and manufacturers of tableware to the UK hospitality sector

Glancy Fawcett Kevin Glancy, business development director, Glancy Fawcett, supplying the finest tableware to the world’s most luxurious superyachts and private aircrafts

Lewis Wark Martyn Lewis, co-owner, Lewis Wark, UK agents and distributors for 12 global luxury tableware and home décor brands

Jorge Perez Jorge Perez, Cuban American designer, on-air TV personality and wedding industry icon

Hugh Biber Design Hugh Biber, design consultant, who has spent four decades designing tabletop

Hermann Hutter, owner, Hutter Group, eight gift/ housewares stores in southern Germany and two online stores for glass/porcelain

Studio Levien

William Ashley

Donna Ferrari

Jackie Chiesa, president, William Ashley, a luxury tabletop boutique in Toronto, Canada

Donna Ferrari, leading journalist and photo stylist, reporting on tabletop for 35 years

TableArt

Billy Lloyd

Walter Lowry, owner, TableArt, a luxury tabletop boutique in Los Angeles, US

Billy Lloyd, British designer of ceramics and creative director of Monno Design

William & Son

Nick Holland Design

Lucy Asprey, director of homeware, William & Son, a London emporium of glass and porcelain

Nick Holland, creative director of product design consultancy, Nick Holland Design, UK

Hopson Grace

Queensberry Hunt

Martha Grace McKimm and Andrea Hopson, co-founders, Hopson Grace, a design boutique and lifestyle concept centred around dining and entertaining, based in Toronto, Canada

David Queensberry, Queensberry Hunt, awardwinning specialists in the design of ceramics, tableware and household products

T is for Table Michele Trzuskowski, owner, T is for Table, a luxury independent tabletop boutique in Florida and in Colorado, US

Robin Levien, co-owner, Studio Levien, specialising in tableware, cutlery and glass

Brigitte Moulinier Brigitte Moulinier, freelance tabletop designer with expertise in free-hand drawing

TABLEWARE AWARDS CATEGORIES 2020 For 2020, we have extended the categories to 19, including new product category Sustainable Tableware.

Discover the categories below with some descriptors to help guide you when entering…

FINE DINNERWARE (bridal, formal, premium, luxury) CASUAL DINNERWARE (everyday, informal) SERVEWARE (serving pieces, platters, bowls) BARWARE (tools, drinkware, serveware – collection or specific pieces) LICENSED COLLABORATION (licences, collaborations with brands, designers, artists) FLATWARE/CUTLERY (collections or individual items) FINE GLASSWARE (premium, crystal, mouthblown) CASUAL GLASSWARE (everyday, machine-made) DECORATIVE (vases, bowls, candlesticks, figurines, photo-frames) GIFTABLE TABLEWARE (designed/curated for gifting, including packaging) COFFEEWARE / TEAWARE (full set and/or individual coffee/ tea pieces) METALS (must be made of metal) ARTISANAL (handmade, mouthblown, maker’s movement) TABLETOP ACCESSORIES (napkin rings, tablecloths, napkins, salt/ pepper, placemats) OUTDOOR TABLEWARE (melamine, acrylic, outdoorfriendly) SUSTAINABLE TABLEWARE (made of eco-friendly/ sustainable materials) HOSPITALITY DINNERWARE (for the HoReCa segment) HOSPITALITY GLASSWARE (for the HoReCa segment) LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the tableware industry)

Dunoon Splosh!

Sieger by Fuerstenberg Drips & Drops

Did you know…?

Spotlight on…

abstract splashes Launched earlier this year, the Splosh! design from Dunoon's designer Caroline Bessey features Caroline’s bright, fun, abstract patterns (bestsellers for Dunoon) in six vibrant watercolour designs on the brand’s bestselling fine bone china Cairngorm shape of mug.

Sieger by Fuerstenberg has extended its successful wafer-thin porcelain Sip of Gold Collection to include two new champagne goblets (Drips & Drops), which feature a cobalt blue splash decor, one drips, one drops, that is applied by hand so each is unique. The vibrant décor contrasts with the 24k gold interior gilding, which, when filled, creates the impression of liquid gold.

Rosanna unveils AW19 range From formal dinnerware to giftable pieces in unique forms, each look in the Rosanna AW19 collection has been designed to help customers create or tell a story, with four ranges unveiled.

Spotlighting millennials, Elemental (pictured), which consists of plates, serving pieces, and mugs in semi-matte fawn and sage, works as a universal base for layering in bolder patterns, shapes, and colours.

This season’s largest collection, Lithographie, is premised on the ideas that everything old is new again.

The design re-mixes ornate Victorian-style fonts and flourishes with a semi-matte glaze and gold accents. Certain pieces, like mugs and trays, emphasise pride in all types of identity, both professional and personal.

Woodland Botanical shines a spotlight on nature. Each signature gift box includes an insert on five ways to live closer to the natural world; while each item in the new festive collection Santaland comes packaged with a box insert that tells the story of Santaland.

“We’ve always been different in that we create our own forms,” says Rosanna. “We don’t buy them off the shelf at our factories; we design everything from start to finish. All of our concepts are fresh and new, and we’re very proud of that.”

The Fall and Winter 2019 collection will be introduced at upcoming shows, including Atlanta (Daniel Richards Showroom), Seattle (Bettencourt Showroom), Los Angeles (Stephen Young Showroom), NY NOW and Denver (Montage Showroom). www.rosannainc.com

Monsoon by Denby’s new Mandala fine china “ tableware collection perfectly aligns with a 2020

interior trend, which centres on old cultures and aims to create a sense of cultural continuity that we can take with us into our hi-tech future, binding us to the past. The aesthetics of the trend includes richly detailed, often spiritual patterns such as arabesques, ogee, paisley and the mandala motif, often with a woodblock printed look. This is in line with the interest in Arabic food that’s growing in the western diet. With its eclectic application of mandala motifs, Monsoon's Mandala tableware range is the perfect platform on which to serve Arabic dishes. ...

“

Mandala, Monsoon by Denby Inspired by Monsoon's fashion archive and influenced by wood block printing, this delicate pattern comes in a rich palette of deep teal, green, amber and warm metallics on Denby fine china.

Twists Glass Studio made the Jacobite-style air twists for the Starz production of Outlander seen in series 2.

Twists’s uniquely and finely handmade product, which includes drinkware, decanters, candleholders, bowls and vases, is all handcrafted using the lost skills of the 18th century, with pieces incorporating air twists and colour twist details. Set up

by Michael James Hunter, a master in the British Cut Crystal Industry two decades ago, Michael blows, shapes and finishes his designs at the furnace, a challenging and skilful process that “allows us to offer small runs and one-off works”, says Michael.

Phil Pond, trend agency Scarlet Opus, on choosing Monsoon TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

by Denby’s Mandala collection as an On Trend range at 17 Exclusively Housewares in June.

Interview Buyfair

Dominic Speelman CEO of buyfair.global

“Overstock has become a problem”

With the issue of overstock a major one for suppliers worldwide, new concept buyfair.global is the first B2B multi-lot auction-based marketplace for overstock. We find out more...

What current retail challenges motivated you to set up buyfair?

Since the Brexit referendum, the problem of overstock has become so acute that people have had to start finding solutions.

A combination of a massive reduction in demand due to uncertainty and the fact a lot of retailers have been resetting their strategies, putting much on hold, has led to a real necessity to free up capital tied up in excess stock.

There is currently £5bn surplus of overstock in the UK alone and an estimated $1trn worldwide.

20 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

When you have an influx of stock, a fall in demand and uncertainty, it’s almost the perfect storm. With retailers generally holding more than 80 per cent of working capital in stock in any one season, excess stock quickly become a liquidity problem as it’s not converted back to cash unless margins are reduced via discounts and promotions or, even worse, when it accumulates and is sent to channels like outlets.

It was a Eureka moment – eBay in premium B2B form. The buyfair name came about because we wanted to offer the fairest price for brands and buyers. It’s also fairest for the environment as it will dramatically reduce wastage and help achieve a more sustainable future for manufacturing.

Ultimately, it means we as sellers or as a brand can find other routes to market for overstock which then lets us put money back into the business to fund new ideas, new projects and new products.

How did it come about?

It came about a couple of years ago when my tableware brand Make International was For years overstock has been having overstock problems. a taboo subject which premium I’d been in the industry for 10 years and everybody brands especially have been loath said the same: ‘We deal with to discuss. But it feels as if a tipping TK Maxx and if they don’t point has been reached and people take it, we have a problem’. are searching for a solution.

I spoke to a friend who worked for an ad company So, how did you build the team? doing the outdoor billboards In order to deliver, we needed an around London. They were going industry heavyweight to develop through the digitalisation of their the site and the multi-lot auction asset base. In the past, if you algorithm. It’s a complex process wanted to advertise on a billboard, when you have multiple brands you’d ask for a price and then with multiple products and negotiate – it was a manual process. billions of different permutations.

They were digitalising it so they Our CTO Oliver Pluckrose was could create a database of all their an expert in building such online assets and allow you to bid for them auction systems. Our system is set on a case-by-case basis. I thought to calculate the best total return ‘that’s the solution!’. However, I to the Seller, so that in any of their knew it would only work in our auctions, buyfair will find the best industry if there was a multi-lot solution to selling all their stock for auction. You couldn’t just sell each the highest achievable total value mug like on eBay.

”

b

uyfair.global is the first B2B multi-lot auctionbased marketplace for overstock, sample and end-of-line product, helping buyers and sellers maximise return in today’s global market.

Founded by a group of leading experts in manufacturing, design, retail and technology, buyfair.global gives brands a new route to market for overstock product – achieving fairer prices and offering the best possible return on stock.

Dominic Speelman, CEO of buyfair.global and founder of Make International says: “For years overstock has been a taboo subject which premium brands especially have been loath to discuss. But it feels as if a tipping point has been reached and people are searching for a solution to the problem.”

We find out more from Dominic.

”

based on those buyers bidding and the unit quantities they require.

We also wanted someone with expert design industry knowledge and strong homeware connections and recruited Deborah Spencer, founder of designjunction.

How does buyfair.global work?

Buyfair is a solution to selling overstock. Trade shows traditionally focus on new product launches and can often be an expensive exercise. The buyfair platform allows brands to clear stock immediately and in multiple quantities to vetted and rated buyers. The auction system and complex algorithms give buyers a fast, immediate and simple way to purchase product. Moreover, they are able to sell their product in a safe and protected environment giving the brands control over who sees and buys the brand.

Currently, brands on board include LSA, Make International, Bliss Home, Tala, Modus, Case Furniture, Plumen, Innermost and Christopher Farr, to name but a few.

We are targeting decisionmakers with purchasing power in various sectors: hospitality (hotel groups, chains and boutiques), retail buyers, interior designers, architects, developers, specifiers.

We currently have more than 200 live auctions. It’s just online now, but there’s no reason why we couldn’t have a show format in future. www.buyfair.global

Profile Moser

A new

glass is born

T

Petr Larva, creative director at Moser

ake a London-based Spanish chef, add a world-renowned crystal glass designer and 35 pairs of artisan hands from the Czech Republic, pour in some quality sherry and you have the best sherry-sipping experience ever produced – and that’s official!

Enter the new Pizarro sherryspecific glass, a collaboration between chef José Pizarro, who has four restaurants and bars in the UK (José Tapas Bar, Pizarro and José Pizarro in London, and the Swan Inn in Esher) and the world’s only lead-free eco-friendly handmade luxury crystal glass producer, Moser.

Sherry drinking has just been given an entirely new makeover following a collaboration between London-based Spanish chef José Pizarro and worldrenowned crystal glass manufacturer Moser Crystal It all began when José met Petr Larva, creative director at Moser, in London, where the two discussed fortified wine (a famed and quality controlled drink in Spain) and drinking glasses; in particular, discussing why traditional sherry glasses are so small.

This resulted in an invitation by José to visit the Moser Glassworks in Karlovy Vary, where work began on a new project that would breathe new life into sherry and encourage more enjoyment of the wine.

“I have a vivid memory of first meeting José,” says Petr, “I was in London visiting our business partner, the luxury retailer Thomas Goode, when José arrived

Did you know…?

“Although he is a modest man, he was very determined when it came to his desire for the new glass “From the beginning, I felt a strong synergy and a great openness to ideas.”

José felt that traditionally sherry wasn’t served in a good glass – often in a liqueur glass that he felt concealed the nuances of a fino or a manzanilla rather than enhancing it. He wanted “a new concept that would respect the integrity of a fine sherry, not conceal it”, says Petr; and most importantly, he wanted the glass “to be bigger in order to allow the wine to breathe”.

José further demanded that the shape of the glass should be unique and “almost a part of

Moser has a long tradition of creating unique glass masterpieces. “It is in our very DNA,” says Petr Larva. “Our founder, Ludwig Moser, created beverage sets for royalty, aristocrats and dignitaries around the world and that tradition has been followed for 160 years and is one of the things that makes Moser unique.” Moser creates the finest handcrafted lead-free crystal in the world and delivers unique pieces.

22 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

himself”, which is exactly what it became, and not just in name.

Excited by the project, Petr, who is well-known as an innovative designer and Moser glassmaster, says he became obsessed with José’s hands. “As a chef, he uses his hands all the time to create amazing food and I wanted to use his hands as part of the design.”

And that’s exactly what he did.

At the Moser Glassworks, Petr put moulding clay into Jose’s hands and asked him to shape it as he would like his glass to be.

“José moved it around for a few minutes until it became usable, then he closed his eyes and created a unique shape,” remembers Petr, “handed it to me and said, ‘here it is’.

And that was it, I had my inspiration”.

Then, Petr divided the glass into meridians dividing the globe, a complex shape with many different but complementary aspects.

As well as using José’s own cupped hands for the volume and shape of the glass, Petr took inspiration from Moser’s Royal Collection, one that was created for the English King Edward VII in 1907,

and one that José fell in love with on his trip to Moser.

“We used the same cross cut on the José glass,” explains Petr, adding that José chose the final shape from 11 variants, as well as the size of the final glass, insisting on an exact volume.

Having never before created a sherry glass, this was all certainly a challenge, both for Petr and for Moser.

“It’s revolutionary,” says Petr, “we had to create something original to enhance enjoyment of what is a centuries-old traditional drink”.

There are many factors that make the glass revolutionary; that it has a man’s imprint, José’s imprint, makes it totally authentic; that it was created in Petr’s mind, not on a computer; and that it is a lot larger than a

traditional sherry glass.

“This means that the wine can be swirled to enhance aroma and flavour,” explains Petr, something that “is just not possible in a normal sherry glass that is usually filled to the brim”.

Also, the glass is unusual in being closed at the top, “which encourages the drinker to enjoy the captured aroma before drinking”.

He adds: “It creates a total experience, a new ritual, a million miles away from the rather dreary experience with a traditional and tiny sherry glass.”

Of course, when you create a revolution, there’s always a chance those in authority may question it, but for José and Moser, an endorsement by the Consejo Regulador in Spain, which controls sherry all over the world, was the icing on the cake.

“We are delighted with this glass designed by José Pizarro and Moser, which positions Sherry in the very high standards this wine deserves,” says Consejo Regulador de Jerez. “We do believe that the drinking experience of Sherry will be enhanced with this special glass and, as the Sherry Regulatory Council, we are happy to endorse it.”

Hand-blown, cut and crafted – made exclusively by hand in Moser’s 160-year-old glassworks – only 300 Pizarro glasses have been produced, all of which have been signed by Chef José Pizarro himself. www.moser.com

Chef José Pizarro says…

“

Now there is a revolutionary new glass to really enjoy sherry.

The shape enables the sherry to breathe and for the drinker to really enjoy the aroma of the wine. The experience with this glass is totally different to drinking from the traditional shape and size.

”

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 23

Product Spotlight

Collection Dissection Royal Doulton

Bowls of Plenty Who is Royal Doulton?

Established in 1815, Royal Doulton remains at the forefront of contemporary lifestyle design, setting trends in tableware and interiors and delivering everything from casual dinnerware and wedding gifts to decorative collectables and urban wall art.

The brand, which is distributed through premium department stores and independent retailers around the world, boasts a host of designer collaborations including with Gordon Ramsay, Barber & Osgerby and HemingwayDesign, among others.

Royal Doulton is the proud holder of the Royal Warrants by Appointment for tableware and giftware to both Her Majesty The Queen and His INTERNATIONAL Royal Highness 62 TABLEWARE The Prince of Wales.

What is Bowls of Plenty?

A stylish and contemporary bowl-based collection delivering a variety of bowl shapes and sizes, from nesting bowls to low-serving bowls, designed to suit the various requirements of the user, from the simple stacking of ingredients to the arrangement of fruit.

Designed without a lip and to frame the food, the collection is visual, tactile and practical and features perfectly imperfect ceramic shapes that have been hand-dipped with warm, rich translucent glazes in smart, contemporary colours.

The collection consists of four types/sizes of bowls, plus a lowserving bowl, two sizes of plates and a set of nesting jugs. The collection comes in sets of four in mixed colours, including blue, purple, dark grey and light grey.

What’s unique?

The pieces feature a hand-applied clay impress and are double-dipped in warm and rich transcluent glazes, which are inspired by the brand’s heritage half-dipped salt glaze pieces.

This delivers a unique, natural and versatile aesthetic and a craftsmanship that is coveted over manufactured pieces.

Why a bowl collection?

The bowl has become the tableware item of choice, a reflection of new dining habits, including a focus on global cuisine, and fast-paced lifestyles. Diets and wellness further influence the bowl takeover, with bowls enabling easy portion control and recipes, which typically consist of a well-balanced mix of ingredients.

The bowl and the recipes associated with it – hearty, healthy, nourishing and full of colours, textures

and flavours – are trending on social media – think colourful photo-ready and Instagrammable meals, perfectly arranged in a bowl.

Royal Doulton says… “Royal Doulton is embracing the Hygge movement of making time to create peaceful moments, with friends or alone, and to create a sense of contentment, with its Bowls of Plenty collection.

Connection and comfort being at the forefront of more casual lifestyles and food now needs to look photogenic for sharing on social media.”

Did you know…? According to a 2017 Retail Report, there has been a shift in consumer spending, with sales of bowls increasing by 5 per cent compared to a 12 per cent decline in plate purchases.

Contact… www.royaldoulton.co.uk

Hospitality DNA

Product Hospitality

F2D Usko What is Fine to Dine (F2D)?

With the aim of responding to the latest creative trends and innovations in the market, Belgian company founded Fine to Dine (F2D) in December 2016. F2D supplies highquality tableware in trend colours and materials to the professional foodservice industry.

All F2D collections are created by a Belgian product team in close collaboration with a global team of product designers, before being handed over to specialised production units, located around the world. Once design and craftsmanship flow together and quality standards are fulfilled, all products are carefully crafted in close connection with the design team.

Fine to Dine says…

“The fundamental goal of F2D is to respond to all the current requirements of the market, providing professionals with the opportunity to be creative and to easily mix and match food, ambiance and presentation. The chef should be able to switch his set-up whenever he wants, according to his culinary creations, the corresponding season or the atmosphere of the restaurant.

And this, most importantly, at affordable prices.

“This makes F2D a trend- and time-based brand that quickly evolves and responds to the latest innovations in the market. Therefore, it's key that every single collection has a feature that distinguishes it from similar products."

26 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Where is F2D found?

Fine to Dine is frequently used by professionals in the creative foodservice industry, through a network of hospitality dealers around the world.

High-quality restaurants and hotels, as well as smaller creative businesses are using the F2D trendbased collections to present their culinary creations.

F2D products are found at The Jane in Antwerp, Belgium; Le Grand Reflectoire in Lyon, France; Boccaccio in Nice, France; VIP Roland Garros in Paris, France; ME Ibiza in Ibiza; and the SBG Group in the Dominican Republic, among many others.

What is the Usko Collection?

F2D’s latest collection, Usko Tableware, has been designed to add a Mediterranean touch to the table. Thanks to a special finish utilising a reactive glaze, each piece is slightly different and is characterised by different shades of grey and soft olive green.

Made of strong durable porcelain, the collection is highly chipresistant and dishwasher-proof.

The robust design with soft curves lends itself well to hearty dishes such as a warm or a tasty pumpkin soup; while fresh salads and healthy poke bowls blend well with the soft olive shades.

Contact information… info@ aertsnv.be | +32 (0)14 24 29 00 | www.fine2dine.com

Precious old-fashioned yet glamorous collection sporting a diamond-look base. Satisfyingly weighty and therefore perfect for both bourbon or any fruit based cocktails.

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Trend 2020

Studio Grey Collection, Denby

Deco Dream Dinnerware, The Wentworth Tableware Company

Dining reinvented From the reinvention of fine dining to the minimalist Japanese aesthetic, trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus explores the tableware trends for 2020

R

enowned for predicting trends in interiors two to three years in advance, trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus, which works with Exclusively Shows, has predicted its four interiors trends for 2020; and at Exclusively Shows 2019, in June, identified a number of tableware exhibitors – Denby, The Wentworth Tableware Company and My Gifts Trade – they felt perfectly represented the 2020 trends with their latest introductions.

Here, we highlight two of the 2020 trends impacting tableware: Satori and The Traveller.

Fine dining reinvented Taking its aesthetic cues from a mature luxury, The Traveller Trend, identified by Scarlet Opus for 2020, is about products that are sophisticated, robust, longlasting and precisely crafted.

“Dark woods and marbles, inky blues, brass, statement

28 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

serveware and beautifully laid tables set the tone of this trend, which re-imagines fine dining for a modern era with Art Deco influences as we enter the roaring 2020s,” says Phil Pond of Scarlet Opus.

“The popularity of the hypercasual dining revolution, with its sharing plates, communal tables and mis-matched tableware, over the last few years, meant that fine dining went out of fashion,” explains Phil, “but recently, new fine-dining restaurants have begun opening up worldwide, offering a refreshing sense of occasion and creating the feeling that these are special dining experiences that make eating out feel like an event again”.

Phil explains that the motivation for the reinvention of fine dining links to the Experience Economy, “essentially, fine dining is new and novel to many Millennials for whom casual dining is the norm and they are now craving new dining experiences as a form of

escapism and adventures”.

Phil believes that this restaurant trend will begin to influence home dining trends, “especially once we get into 2020 and the economic impact of Brexit kicks in, potentially affecting the cost of living and leading Brits to eat out less”.

Phil adds: “Instead, they may opt to create at-home events that deliver a special experience and provide a welcome touch of luxury during tough times.”

Central to this trend is the creation of an elegantly dressed dinner table, including exquisite glassware, table linen, statement cutlery and stylish tableware; and it was The Wentworth Tableware Company, which made its debut at Exclusively Shows 2019, “that set the perfect tone in this regard with its Deco Dream collection”, says Phil.

Combining soft blush and high-shine gold, it “features a balanced mix of complementary repeating geometric patterns, a fan motif and classic fish scale/

wave patterns, making it immediately recognisable as being Art Decoinspired, which is perfect timing as we enter the 2020s next year”.

Phil predicts more gold detailing, which will bring high shine back to table schemes after years of matte surface finishes dominating.

“This tableware trend does not advocate keeping a dinner service ‘for best’,” explains Phil.

“It is not overly formal, partly tahnks to the mixing of patterns across the collection; essentially, the trend direction moves towards creating special moments every day, finding simple ways in which we can reward and comfort ourselves and our loved ones.”

Japanese dining spotlighted Looking ahead to the Tokyo Olympics 2020, The Satori Trend for 2020, identified by Scarlet Opus, references Japanese traditions that teach us to slow down, exercise

2020 Trends The four interiors trends for 2020 identified by trend forecasting agency, Scarlet Opus, explained.

Satori A Japanese word that refers to the experience of seeing into one’s true nature, this trend encourages consumers to find a natural balance, to cope with the distractions of the online world. It’s about slowing down, exercising restraint and with a focus on Japanese arts, crafts, design and food.

Cutlery, Notos, My Gifts Trade

Latitude Tableware, Notos, My Gifts Trade

Crane Mugs, I Like BIrds, My Gifts Trade

restraint and live in the moment and focuses on Japanese arts, crafts, design and food.

Scarlet Opus spotlights Denby’s Studio Grey Collection (a deeply textural, earthy and artisanal collection of tableware) as a frontrunner of the Satori trend as the pieces “are informed by, and in tune with, how people aspire to eat at home”, says Phil.

“The collection therefore includes lots of bowls for the enjoyment of an array of global cuisines, including Japanese food.”

The range includes rice bowls, ramen bowls, nesting bowls and tactile Ridged Bowls, “which are reminiscent of the raked dry landscape gardens of Japan and which will be a key texture for products in 2020”, explains Phil.

Add to this, the handleless mugs of Studio Grey, which “feel lovely to hold, as well as being a nod to eastern drinking vessels that physically connect you to the form of the product”.

With the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Scarlet Opus expects consumers to become more curious about, and confident with, Japanese ingredients, flavours and dishes, and will therefore “be looking for serveware and tableware that enables them to present this attractive food to the best effect”, says Phil, pointing to platters, long plate shapes and bento box-inspired tableware shapes, all of which “will be in demand next year”.

Phil highlights the Latitude tableware collection from Notos (My Gifts Trade), which offers an excellent solution for serving

Japanese food.

“These versatile pieces epitomise the Satori trend’s sense of order, balance and stylish restraint,” says Phil.

While the metal risers elevate the oval trays to create space, the square pieces look strong and minimalist, the straight lines a pleasing contrast to the rounded trays, plates and bowls.

Phil also points to Notos’ Mito cutlery with its slim, elegant chopstick-esque shape “that is surprisingly comfortable and pleasing to hold, as well as being beautifully weighted”.

And, from I Like Birds (My Gifts Trade), Phil spotlights the Crane mugs. “In Japanese culture, crane birds represent longevity and good fortune and, along with motifs such as Koi fish and Sakura blossom, we expect Crane patterns to trend-up in 2020.”

The Traveller With a focus on understated glamour, products are controlled, precise, sophisticated and long-lasting, demonstrating our attempts to bring order, stability and control into our lives. Think dark woods and marbles, inky blues, brass, exquisite glassware, statement serveware and beautifully laid tables with high shine and Art Deco influences prominent.

Fellowship Promoting the power of the collective, this trend has a global outlook that celebrates diversity and pinpoints ethics.

Collaboration and community are important and products are experimental and colourful, with a mix of patterns, materials and products relating to prepping and serving world cuisines.

The Game Changer As consumers become more concerned with environmental damage and climate change, and their awareness grows regarding how their choices can have a positive or negative impact, this trend highlights products that re-use waste or recycled materials and that address pollution.

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 29

Trend Candles

Lighting up giftable tableware With gifting a focus for tableware brands, scented candles in reusable porcelain, stoneware, bone china and crystal vessels are trending Nambe

Alessi

Juliska Melissen

W

hile candlesticks (and more recently, votives and hurricanes) have long been part of tableware supplier's portfolios, scented candles are a newer addition, with more and more companies now getting in on the candle action.

In the last few years, Portmeirion Group, which now owns Wax Lyrical, has developed scented candles across its key Portmeirion ranges; while Wedgwood launched its Wonderlust Candle Collection – think floral patterns on bone china, filled with corresponding aromas.

And scented candles took centrestage at the recently-held Spring Shows, with brands such as Meissen, Nambe, Juliska and Orrefors Kosta Boda utilising their ceramic and glass specialisations to realise a product that is currently doing well in gifting.

“Giftables have become an important category for Nambe and in looking to expand our offering of items under US$50, candles were a natural fit,” says Lou Scala, CMO at Nambe. “We saw an opportunity to incorporate the Nambe aesthetic, mixing wood and stoneware to create beautiful, giftable candles.”

Enter Nambe’s new Pop Candle collection, which utilises its Pop dinnerware collection, designed by Robin Levien. Small stoneware Pop bowls, in four colourways, are filled with four different soy wax scents; each comes with an acacia wooden lid, which doubles as a base. And once the candle is finished, the bowl can be re-used.

Orrefors Kosta Boda has unveiled its first Home Fragrance Collection; taking some of its bestsellers – Orrefors’ DOF crystal glasses (Peak, City, Eric and Street) and Kosta Boda’s Contrast Bowls – and filling them with soy-blend scented formulas. Again, the DOFs and bowls can be re-used.

Porcelain specialist Meissen has entered the candle category for the

first time, delivering four scented candles, featuring Meissen’s handcrafted porcelain holders with detailed reliefs. Created in collaboration with Atelier Oblique, the candles are hand-poured using natural ingredients, each composed of top, middle and bottom notes that unfold.

“With this range, Meissen offers the illustrious tradition of perfumemaking from Atelier Oblique together with Meissen’s own legacy of excellence,” says Bianca Bianca Herbst, PR manager.

“This cooperation is an important extension of the Home Deco range to introduce Meissen to a new audience as well as to delight the existing Meissen lovers.”

Furthermore, Rosenthal meets Versace has unveiled a series of scented candles, delivering the most iconic Versace motifs, including Medusa Gala, on one-ofa-kind porcelain vessels, which are filled with fine natural wax candles with luxury fragrances that burn for more than 60 hours.

And design-led home décor brand Juliska recently unveiled its brand-new custom Family Candle with a charitable component.

A partnership with global charity SOS Children’s Villages USA, the stoneware vessel features the word Family prominently in the brand’s Forest Walk iconography. Available from late August to December 31, Juliska will donate US$20 from each candle sale to SOS – a full day of meals for two families in need.

Finally, in collaboration with multi-talented designer Marcel Wanders, Alessi has launched The Five Seasons, a collection of scented candles, in two sizes, which are elegantly packaged in a porcelain bowl (four white, one black) with ash wood lid, which also doubles as a candle stand.

The vegetable-based wax comes in five unique scents, including the fresh and delicate Ahhh and the glacial and sparkling Brrr.

Rosenthal meets Versace 30 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

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Trend Products

Junto Rosenthal Providing a vibrant and earthy contrast to the fine porcelain of the Junto range, Rosenthal offers organic-shaped stoneware plates, platters and bowls that feature a special reactive glaze, making each piece unique. The unusual glaze delivers edges that show up through a thinner layer of glaze with a semi-gloss dark sheen and speckled structures. The new aquamarine colour is applied to cream-coloured stoneware delivering circular flowing blue shades that reflect water’s diversity – interspersed with pastel dots in beige and cream.

www.rosenthal.de

Orbit Nambe New stoneware dinnerware launch, Orbit, delivers a 4-piece placesetting (dinner, accent, soup/ cereal bowl, mug), designed by Robin Levien, in three colourways: Aurora Blue, Starry White and Celestial Black. Inspired by space, the dinnerware boasts an asymmetrical look – featuring one side that is raised slightly higher.

Additional pieces include a serving bowl and a serving platter, as well as a sugar bowl and a cream pitcher.

www.nambe.com

Studio Grey Denby New from the iconic British Pottery brand is premium stoneware collection Studio Grey, which is Made in England and utilises Denby’s renowned glaze effects.

Studio Grey features a speckled glaze finish with deep rich charcoal edging and contrasting soft muted white tones. Delivering bowls in many shapes and sizes, including tactile ridged bowls, along with platters and coupe-shaped plates, the collection is super-versatile.

www.denbypottery.com

Lave Villeroy & Boch Making a statement with its pottery-like design and unique colourways, Lave Bleu and Lave Gris is a new stoneware series that features hand-applied glazes and unique shapes. Lave Bleu delivers a deep cerulean blue hue on the inside, while Lave Gris features a soft sage green interior, both contrasting beautifully with a matte black exterior. Includes a salad plate, dinner plate, bowl, mug and flat bowls in two sizes.

www.villeroy-boch.com

Nature Collection Sagaform Sagaform’s organic-shaped stoneware collection has been so successful that it was expanded last autumn to include reactive glazes; and this summer, it is being further extended to include side plates, in both grey and crema colourways.

With their rich reactive glazes, each piece is unique. Sold in sets of two, same colour, or in a four-colour retail box.

www.sagaform.com

Elemental Rosanna Inc. Award-winning brand Rosanna returns to what is essential with new stoneware tableware range, Elemental – think semi-matte hues of the softest green and mildest driftwood, offering an elegant natural foundation for bolder patterns, shapes and colours. Pieces include a stone plate, various bowls, a dipping dish and mug, as well as a pitcher and trays.

ww.rosannainc.com

Spotlight on… stoneware

Whether with reactive glazes or matte, or featuring organic, coupe or asymmetrical shapes, stoneware collections continue to reign tabletop supreme and even traditional porcelain brands are getting in on the action

Thorsen Dansk Continuing its casual dinnerware reign, Dansk delivers Thorsen, a stoneware collection that stands out due to its tactile textural and ribbed design, accentuated by a striking reactive glaze. Add to this the generously proportioned coupe shape and, all in all, it’s a very contemporary collection.

Thorsen comes in two colourways (Denim and Sand) and is both dishwasher and microwave-safe.

www.dansk.com

spotlight products

VERA WANG PERFECT WHITE GEESE CHRISTMAS

Sara Miller London by Portmeirion

Portmeirion Group’s collaboration with award-winning artist Sara Miller London continues with the extension of its stunning Geese Christmas collection, a range of porcelain pieces featuring colour, movement and charming illustrations of playful geese, along with rich deep blue borders and sparkling gold accents. The new extensions include mug and tray sets, a trinket box and trays, dipping bowls and a selection of baubles. All pieces are presented in striking gift packaging.

www.portmeirion.co.uk

Wedgwood

Vera Wang Perfect White continues Wedgwood’s partnership with international designer Vera Wang, who has designed tableware, crystal, stemware, barware, flatware and giftware for Wedgwood since 2002.

The Vera Wang Perfect White Dinnerware comprises Vera’s signature coupe shapes in fine white bone china that has an incredible translucency and superior strength.

Four new tableware configurations are introduced – bowls, plates, small plates and dipping bowls – that reflect the modern trend for sharing food. Sets are presented in a signature Vera Wang Wedgwood gift box .

wedgwood.co.uk / www.fiskars.com

Cool collaborations From fashion designers and book characters to artists and illustrators, the latest partnerships in tableware are in the spotlight this issue

ARABIA X MOOMIN Arabia

Finnish ceramic specialist Arabia created the very first Moomin licensed products in the 1950s and has continued to represent the Moomin characters ever since by creating tableware and lifestyle pieces, many of which are highly collectable. This April saw the launch of Moominvalley, a 3D animated reinterpretation of Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories on Sky TV, and with it, the Moominvalley mug collection, a new range that depicts scenes from the TV series, launching this summer.

www.fiskars.com / www.arabia.fi

ALL ABOUT YOU Kosta Boda

At the recently-held New York Tabletop Show, Kosta Boda presented its new All About You collection of glass tumblers, wine glasses and beer glasses by fashion illustrator Sarah Woodrow. The glasses, which come in sets of two, feature fun, whimsical and colourful designs of women and girls, including five different designs on tumblers (Love You in Pink, Miss You in Blue, Want You in Red, Need You in White and Love Him in Black).

“For this collection, I wanted to come up with girls that were little parts of my personality, while also drawing lots of inspiration from the fashion world,” says Sarah. New accessory items complement the glasses, including a bird veneer round serving tray, square serving tray and a cutting board.

www.kostaboda.us 34 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

Image Credits: Seletti | Studio William | Halcyon Days

A/W 19

BREAKING BOUNDARIES, DEFINING TRENDS We search the globe for an extraordinary and distinctive edit so you can create a look that is out of the ordinary.

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8â&#x20AC;&#x201D;10 SEPTEMBER 2019 OLYMPIA LONDON

Profile Pasabahce

About Pasabahce With a heritage of more than 80 years, Pasabahce is renowned for being one of the top three glassware manufacturers worldwide, boasting six production facilities across four countries, including in Turkey.

Pasabahce delivers a comprehensive product range that includes more than 10,000 handmade and batch-produced glass products for retail and hospitality across 140 countries.

From hot beverage drinkware to barware, stemware, bakeware, storage and decorative pieces, its glassware includes fully tempered and rim tempered items ensuring increased durability; and are made from various types of glass, including borosilicate glass for coffee glasses and bakeware, ensuring heat-resistance; and crystalline for stemware, delivering brightness and superior sonority.

To achieve the perfect drinking experience – whether for beer or coffee – various techniques are applied to the rims of the glasses, including laser technology, enabling an enhanced drinking experience and extending the life cycle of glasses exposed to intensive use. www.pasabahce.com

36 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Putting the special Renowned for its durable, functional and comprehensive collections of glassware, exported to more than 140 countries worldwide, leading glassware producer Pasabahce is tapping into the growing speciality beverageware category with its coffee and beer glass portfolio

S

peciality beverageware is a category that continues to grow, both for the retail and hospitality segments, and in both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic sub-categories, due to an increased consumer appetite for speciality and craft beverages, from wine and beer to coffee and tea.

And leading glass producer Pasabahce, which exports its extensive portfolio of glass products to more than 140 countries worldwide, is ahead of the speciality trend, delivering an expansive portfolio of specialist drinkware shapes to cater to every type of coffee, beer, wine, tea and cocktail.

The company’s comprehensive range of coffee and craft beer glasses, in particular, speak directly to the growing number of coffee connoisseurs and craft beer aficionados around the globe, with its five types of coffee cup allowing for some 15 coffee specialities and its five craft beer glasses catering to more than 50 types of craft beer.

Spotlight on coffee Pasabahce believes that each coffee bean has a distinct taste and a varying level of strength depending on the roasting process and brewing method, which can be adjusted with the amount of water used, which is why the volume and form of the coffee cup is key for the smell and taste of the coffee.

Among Pasabahce’s coffeeware offering are: Small Cups, Double Cups, Medium-Sized Cups, Long Cups and Mugs.

While the Small Cups are designed for thick coffees with less water – espresso, Turkish coffee or ristretto; the Double Cups allow coffee aficionados to enjoy thick coffee, but in a double size.

The Medium-Sized Cups cater to lots of water, delivering a thinner and smoother coffee, such as Cappuccino and Caffe Crema; and the handle-less Long Cups are designed for those who prefer more milk-based coffees (Frappe, Café Latte, Irish Coffee and Iced Coffee).

Finally, the handled Mugs are a universal and versatile option,

featuring a size and shape that works for both thin coffee types and those with added water or milk – from Americano and Filter Coffee, to Cold Brew, French Press and Café Au Lait.

Spotlight on craft beer glasses Early on, Pasabahce recognised the growth of the craft beer movement, in retail and hospitality, with increasing numbers of microbreweries opening worldwide and more and more craft beers being sold in retail for at-home drinking and in bars.

“As the make-your-own-beerat-home trend rises, demand for equipment and materials has also increased,” states the brand, adding that it expects to see “the number of half-industrial, half-retro bars where craft beers are produced and consumed increase in the future”.

According to Pasabahce, there are five elements that affect the taste, flavour and appearance of beer, four of which are in the beer – malt, water, hops and yeast – and a fifth element being the glass.

England DU: 05.07.2019

in speciality “Drinking a beer in a glass suitable to its particular characteristics increases its taste and further reveals the unique flavours that come from its unique hop, malt or yeast, which means that the benefit of drinking a beer in the right glass is as important as the benefits provided by its ingredients,” adds Pasabahce.

So, while beers with thick heads suit glasses that become narrower at the rim in order to hold the foam vertically; beers with intense aromas suit glasses that become narrower and then larger at the rim to ensure the aroma easily reaches the nose.

Pasabahce offers five types of craft beer glass to cater to different specialities and their individual characteristics helping consumers get the most flavour and taste from beer.

The Stout & Porter Glass delivers a curved body, to gather the characteristic roasted aromas and bitterness of this beer, and a narrowing rim, to gather and steepen the creamy head; while the stem prevents body heat affecting the beer.

A thin, long form, the Wheat Beer Glass narrows at the rim, to hold the dense and thick foam vertically and collect the fruity flavours; and is given a Pasabahce design twist with a design in the glass that evokes an ear of wheat.

Designed for Ales, Pale Ales and IPAs, the Blonde Ale Glass is like a traditional English pint glass, but with an inward-curve – the concave indents, located a couple of inches from the rim, are designed to facilitate the grip of the glass.

Similarly, Pasabahce’s Lager Glass (lager beers, IPA-style beers with high bitterness) has also been designed ergonomically.

The curved body not only provides a superior gripping experience, but the two curves at the glass bottom aid in removing the aroma coming from the hops; while the thick base ensures the beer stays colder for longer.

Finally, the Belgian Ale Glass, ideal for bottle conditioned ales or ale beers with high alcohol content, features a tulip shape with a large and rounded body, to both carry the intense and thick head of bottle-conditioned beers and to accumulate the special aromas of Belgian beers. www.pasabahce.com

2. .

1 1 — O 7. — 2O2S K O LO OD GO Hospitality unfolds in space. Limitless opportunities open up. HoReCa at the world’s most important consumer goods trade fair is expanding. What’s more, from 2020 Hall 6.0 will offer a showcase for international innovations, a venue for a discourse of inventive gastronomy concepts and an exchange of trends.

More information at ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/horeca Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83 info@uk.messefrankfurt.com

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 37

70146-003_AM_HoReCa_vorab_ Tableware_International_85x267 • 85x267 mm mm • FOGRA 39 • CMYK • bs: 18.06.2019

the show

Profile Pasabahce

Amber Wavy Beer

Patisserie

Amore

Linden tumbler

Elysia

Timeless 38 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Amber

In with the new

A

For 2019, leading global glass producer Pasabahce has extended its most successful and award-winning collections and introduced some exciting new series s a leading glassware producer worldwide, exporting its comprehensive product ranges to retailers and hospitality in more than 140 countries, Pasabahce adds plenty of new novelties to its extensive portfolio every year.

And this year was no different, with the glassware giant presenting a wide product range – from barware and stemware to serveware, ovenware and kitchen accessories – for both the household and catering industries in 2019, all of which were unveiled at Ambiente 2019.

The retro theme takes centerstage with Pasabahce’s introductions this year, delivering vintage-inspired designs that tap into consumer demand for nostalgia.

Following the success of Pasabahce’s retro-inspired Timeless and Elysia collections, both of which feature a crystal-cut look that recalls an era of elegance and glamour; for 2019, the company has extended both collections.

Timeless now comes in new sizes and forms, including a flute, shortstemmed wine glass and three sizes of stackable stemless glasses, which

will prove to be indispensable to the hospitality segment, both for its stackability and versatility in covering a wide range of drinks.

There’s also a new whisky set in Timeless, consisting of two whisky glasses and one appetiser dish.

A further retro-inspired line, Elysia, which is already highly successful and which recently secured the German Design Award 2019, has also been extended this year.

New additions to the elegant and polished Elysia series include cocktail and wine glasses and a whisky set.

And with the retro vibe set to continue, these two successful collections, Timeless and Elysia, have also expanded beyond drinkware, with their in-demand retro aesthetics now available across appetiser dishes, bowls, jugs and ice-cream bowls.

Also, already in the portfolio, the Amber stemware collection, which is characterised by its rounded and sleek shape, has this year been extended to include two new stemless sizes for white and red wines, as well as flute champagne and beer glasses.

There is also a brand-new stemware series in the portfolio for 2019: the Amore line, which consists

of champagne and wine glasses, and which is set to be one of the most indispensable collections of 2019.

Designed for special occasions and celebrations, the body of the glass delivers an elegant line and stem that also features a stylish ring on which to hang name tags.

But it’s not just drinkware introduced this year, Pasabahce has also focused on extending its serveware collections.

The award-winning Linden tableware collection, which has secured both the European Product Design Award and the German Design Award, has also been extended for 2019 with new bowls and glasses.

Linden features a mesmerising swirl design which takes its inspiration from tree rings.

And last but not least, Pasabahce’s family of glass serveware, Patisserie, has been extended.

Designed for the serving of cakes, pastries and afternoon tea, and therefore attracting great interest from both household users and the catering industry, Patisserie now includes the Mini, Midi, Maxi Patisserie models. www.pasabahce.com

Contemporary and Classic Design Made in France

www.capdeco-france.com

Retail Denmark

An exceptional environment where the decor and architecture have a wow factor

Decidedly Creating an exceptional experience for the customer rather than simply selling a range of exceptional products is how Danish housewares retailer Bahne has managed to thrive, not just survive, and grow to an incredible successful 20 stores throughout Denmark

W

An internal wooden house delivers different rooms for changing exhitibts or themes

40 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

hen Bahne was established in 1965 in Denmark, they were already ahead of the game and vastly different from other retail outlets.

The business was not just focused on offering customers a store filled with products that they could purchase, but rather, in creating an experience for shoppers. This might be a typical approach in retail now, but it certainly wasn’t back then.

“My father was engaged as a consultant in the business, visiting many stores in the country at the time, and he saw an opportunity to do something else. Something different,” explains Jacob Sorensen, owner of Bahne.

“The idea was to present more gift and decoration articles and less hardware, while also adopting the motto: ‘Take a walk in Bahne’.

Meaning, he wanted to encourage customers to browse and experience the store. Back in those days, this was an entirely new, innovative concept, as in most stores customers were

expected to go to the counter, ask for something specific and buy it.”

Fast forward 54 years and Bahne has a new mission statement of ‘Let us pamper you’, however, the store still focuses on creating an exceptional experience for the customer rather than simply selling a range of exceptional products.

And part of that experience is the creation of an exceptional environment where the décor and architecture have a wow factor.

Today, Bahne has 20 stores, and the latest 1,300 m2 one that opened in 2018 has four entries, a soaring ceiling up to 18 metres in height and the piece de resistance – a 130-sqm wall decorated with a stunning wall painting by acclaimed Danish artist Rene Holm.

Visiting Bahne is to step into a world of luxury and fine taste.

Four different types of wood have been used in the striking architecture and décor, and the 240sqm window on the first floor gives the business a perfect place to show off its 10m-wide logo. It’s physical branding at its most impressive.

The space is one thing, but Bahne also places much emphasis on atmosphere, and although the building enhances the luxurious, calming atmosphere, the staff are pivotal to creating an environment that customers love to be in and love to return to.

“We have a set of values – chosen, embraced and nurtured by our staff – and these are based on being honest, trustworthy, hardworking and fun at the same time,” says Jacob. “We believe that a good social climate among staff is the key to good service. The customers can feel it, and the sales people perform better when they are happy with their workplace and are properly educated and trained.

Our staff are key to our success.”

Bahne’s staff also embrace technology and innovation, and the centrally located internet browsing and online purchase + click and collect facility means that customers can purchase on the run, or simply spend time perusing the goods online and in a physical sense at the same time.

Bahne has 20 stores in Denmark

The Bahne team won a Global Honoree Award at IHA’s gia awards

Danish “

When the basics of running a retail operation are all in order, especially having a good presence on mobile devices, as everyone uses them now, it is all about being on top of the website 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. And just like in the physical store, it is essential that we show the right products at the right time, at the right price.

Jacob Sorensen, owner, Bahne

Being at the forefront of technology is something that the company strives to perfect.

“When the basics of running a retail operation are all in order, especially having a good presence on mobile devices, as everyone uses them now, it is all about being on top of the website 365 days a year, 24 hours a day,” says Jacob.

“And just like in the physical store, it is essential that we show the right products at the right time, at the right price.”

As all great retailers today know, keeping customers engaged and excited through social media is an imperative element of keeping a business thriving.

“We are constantly working with our social media approach, and we have discovered through experience that it is important that our social channels work on their own terms – meaning that our social media approach is not necessarily based on the same strategy as the rest of the business.

“We have found that it is important to allow a different

”

approach to evolve through stories and a human touch. So we see social media as a sales channel and tool, but not as a direct one.”

Regular events are also an important element of Bahne’s marketing plan that assists with building up its social media and online presence.

The store hosts things such as skincare-focused evenings run by a famous TV host, a girl’s night with special offers, treats and bubbles.

This generates free media for Bahne, via its customers.

“We find that when a young person’s attention is captured, their enthusiasm is really high and the word of a product or offering is spread faster across their multiple networks,” explains Jacob.

Becoming a Global Honoree at the IHA’s gia awards in March has been a major highlight in the company’s long history, and the application process helped Jacob’s team analyse the business from a different perspective.

“When you are forced to present what you do – and have done in

the past – it’s an interesting exercise that you learn a lot from, as it’s rare that you sit back and look at every single aspect of your business and then think about how what you are doing stacks up with what others in the industry are doing,” Jacob says.

“We were very impressed by the International Home + Housewares Show (now The Inspired Home Show) as well, and also the fact that so many people in the industry gathered for the social events.

“This is increasingly harder, we find, as people are more busy these days, but when you do it in ‘Oscar’ dimensions, people do show up!”

There is no doubt that Bahne will continue to evolve yet always focus on the experience that it delivers to customers. “Retail is a tough business, and you must make sure that you have something different to offer people when you create a concept,” says Jacob.

“We don’t believe in ‘correct demographics’. We believe in being something special for a number of people (enough to ensure a good business), while acknowledging

that we cannot be something special for everyone. It’s all about remaining relevant.”

To learn more about Bahne, visit www.bahne.dk.

About IHA and gia Sponsored and organised by The Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), gia (IHA Global Innovation Awards) is the world’s leading awards programme honouring overall excellence, business innovation and creative merchandising in homegoods retailing. For more information about the gia retail programme, the co-sponsors, or participating in 2019-2020, contact Piritta Törrö at piritta.torro@inspiredconnection.fi.

Additional information on gia is also available online at Housewares.org/ Show/gia-Retail For more information about The Inspired Home Show and to preregister for the 2020 Show, taking place in Chicago on 14-17 March 2020, please visit TheInspiredHomeShow. com or Housewares.org TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 41

Retail Column

About T is for Table

Bugatti

Now 17 years old, T is for Table is a luxury independent boutique, with a focus on tabletop, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, that offers an experiential and inspirational space dedicated to helping customers tell stories, create traditions and celebrate life. The boutique offers everything from fine pottery, china, glass, serveware and table accessories, to home décor, jewellery and body products, and delivers a custom service with its custom engraving, home visits and gift registries. www.tisfortable.com

Sambonet

Merchandising flatware

T

With so many choices in flatware today, it can be difficult for retailers to know what to select, especially as merchandising it can take up valued space. But, don’t dismiss selling it, says Michele Trzuskowski, as it can be very profitable if done right hirty years ago, when I was getting married and registered for flatware, there were very few choices. It was pretty much stainless or sterling, traditional handles and no colours.

Today, the choices seem endless; cutlery can even be customised in terms of the handles, colour, and finish.

In the world of tableware, many people often focus on new patterns in dinnerware, linens, or barware, leaving little to be discussed on flatware, despite the incredible changes that have been happening in this industry over the last few years. Thanks to technology (finishes and materials) flatware isn’t just flatware any more.

Firstly, in my stores, I only carry 18/10 stainless; it’s the highest quality metal for flatware. As a refresher, the numbers 18/0, 18/8 and 18/10 refer to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the stainless-steel alloy.

The 18 refers to the chromium content, which gives flatware its rustresistant properties, and the 8 or 10 refers to the nickel content, which gives it its silver-like shine and some rust-resistance. I find 18/8 or less feels tinny, too light and not just right.

Luckily, most quality manufacturers 42 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

only produce 18/10 flatware.

Then, there’s the handles. Today, they are manufactured in wood, acrylic, brass, and stainless. (I’m leaving silver plate and sterling for a different conversation as I find there is more demand for the others currently, primarily due to price.)

Companies like Bugatti and Capdeco have a wide variety of coloured acrylic handles, and patterns, to match anyone’s dinner décor.

When it comes to metal handles there has been great innovation thanks to PVD technology (a technique for coating flatware). Joining the standard silver, there are now several rich hues that flatware is available in, such as black, copper, gold, champagne, twotoned, and even chocolate brown.

This list doesn’t even include the rich finishes available which can be matte, shiny, antiqued, or brushed. There has never been a time before now to purchase as unique of a pattern as you want.... literally fitting anyone’s taste.

The icing on the cake for me came when Sambonet introduced its custom engraved flatware programme: this takes personalisation to the nth degree. Its Tailor Made programme is perfect for anyone who wants to design their own flatware.

They have five simple steps: one: choose your pattern; two: choose your finish; three: choose your colour; four: add a personal touch such as a motif or your monogram; five: determine how many placesettings.

What’s great for brides is that they will even engrave a special date on the handle. Imagine a monogram on the handle front and a date on the back.

Now, with all those choices, the question becomes, what should you carry in your store, or do you even need to carry it at all? My answer is a resounding yes - but be smart about it.

Many flatware companies offering the coloured acrylic-handled flatware have it available on sample rings. In those cases, I would bring in one or two of the most popular colours in different patterns. Then allow your customer to choose a different colour if they want, based on the sample ring.

It’s important when someone buys flatware to be able to pick it up and see how they like the feel, especially with some of the modern patterns that have very thin handles. I find the weight of the handle also plays a big part in the buying decision.

Other companies that don’t supply rings usually have a very cost-effective buy-in programme for samples. Most

tabletop stores have a point of view – determine which patterns match that point of view and complement the dinnerware lines you carry. In this case, I try to have several patterns that reflect different finishes and colours.

Merchandising flatware in your store can be tough as it takes up valued space. I usually take the dinner fork and dinner knife from each pattern and put it on display (it takes up much less space then a five-piece placesetting); then, if a customer is interested, I will show them the entire placesetting.

I also try to pick a couple of patterns from different vendors and bring in some of the serving pieces that match the flatware. It’s rare that I don’t sell a salad serving set or serving fork and spoon with an order of flatware when they can see what they look like.

Whatever you do, don’t dismiss selling flatware, it can be very profitable as most consumers purchase it in quantity, but it does take finesse in terms of selling as it involves special ordering of the inventory.

They say an average person buys three sets of flatware in their lifetime – with so many choices, they will need assistance, and this is where the retailer can shine, close the sale, and as they say ‘put a fork in it’.

SECTOR

COOK&SHARE

STAND MAISON &OBJET

Paris

A88-B87

RETAIL Advice Pollmann Sinds 1890 in the Netherlands, which encourages customers to photograph its inspirational layouts to post

The Bensimon concept store in France which delivers set-ups that help sell a bigger picture/solution to a customer as opposed to selling them individual items

The Chopping Block in Chicago allows customers to navigate through their store with Google Maps

Global trends in retail

We talk to the four expert jurors on the panel of the Global Innovation Awards (gia) – which recognises excellence in retailing – about the new emotionally charged and uber-connected world of retail

“Invest in light, sound and smell” Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen, an expert at utilising technology in retail, has noticed a massive trend in retail that is also reflected in everyday life: the pace at which people move and the speed at which they do things.

“Everything is going faster than ever,” Henrik explains.

“We get so much input that our brain needs to process and feel that we have little time. So as a retailer, you need get people’s attention by being personal. You need to slow them down and make them notice you.”

This leads to the trend of creating environments in which people want to stop and relax.

“Beyond making sure that your employees smile, you should invest in sound, light and smell, because neuro-marketing studies 44 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

suggest that the best way to create retention and loyalty is done by making your store and the products in your store, memorable,” he adds.

“If you can make watching, touching and feeling products in your store exciting, the dopamine in your customer’s brain will ensure you create a craving for revisiting.”

Citing Abercrombie & Fitch as a retailer utilising neuro-marketing, Henrik says he “took this approach in my own store, and sales increased dramatically after having installed sound zones and LED lights that I could control to set the perfect scene and theme for the seasons throughout the year”.

Another noticeable trend that’s developed is the creation of ambassadors for brands, which creates exciting activity in-store.

He suggests: “Invite vloggers to

your store to create videos of them using your product and make sure your events are on Instagram and Facebook. Invite national chefs to show your customers how to cook and give them food and wine.

“Have photo sessions with Santa. You want customers to use their smart phones to take photos of your store.”

Although Instagram is huge, Henrik also says that targeted marketing through Facebook is still one of the best ways to get a message out to your audience at a fairly low cost; and he suggests finding “a company that specialises in this, rather than trying to do it on your own”.

He also says retailers need to take customer reviews seriously.

“We know that people trust reviews more than advertising

these days, so you need to make sure that everything being written about you is good, or at least ensure negative posts are answered politely.”

Henrik cites one gia retail winner who opened their door after hours to a customer who needed assistance; the customer was so pleased, they posted a positive review, which Henrik describes as “priceless”.

He adds: “It’s also important to look at your online store as more than just an ordering machine.

“The Chopping Block in Chicago allows customers to navigate through their store with Google Maps, and another previous gia winner has tutorials for products created by passionate staff so customers can see the benefits of using the device.”

Providing themed displays with relevant signage to offer easy solutions

The KitchenShop offering solutions to consumer problems/issues

The Lakeside Homestore in Canada offers a relaxed lifestyle environment with casually set-up clusters of merchandise artfully arranged

Scott Kohno, an expert in retail fit-out and branding, sees one of the biggest retail trends as the telling of stories through branding, environment and spaces.

“Today, the story is arguably more important than the products being sold – with the POS element of retailing following on from the creation of a strong brand and the establishment of consumer loyalty,” explains Scott.

Apple is one example: its stores are filled with its products on display for people to use and buy; and now they have parklike environments with trees and chill-out areas, plus subtly placed products, enabling customers to fall in love with being in the space.

“People start to go there to hang out, and then one day they might buy an iPad because they love the sense of place, the environment in which the products sit.”

Just like Henrik, Scott believes things and people are moving faster in today’s society, with customer desires and needs changing more quickly than ever.

“There used to be a rule of thumb that a retail store needed

“Offer a story filled “You need with emotions” to offer Wolfgang Gruschwitz solutions” “Yes, robots and automation are increasingly popular everywhere you look,” Wolfgang Gruschwitz, an expert Scott Kohno in retail store fit-outs and concept retailing, says. “But humans, driven by to be updated and/or renovated and their emotions, will always need to be totally re-merchandised every seven to taken care of.” ten years,” says Scott. “Today, retailers This shift away from relying on have to update in a major fashion computers and robots is a strong every year based on the current speed trend in retail today – it’s almost as of the changing customer.” though we have over-dosed on Scott also mentions that technology over the last few years there was once a trend in cross and are now craving more and more merchandising and lifestyle human contact. merchandising, where retailers “Retailers need to take advantage could help sell a bigger picture/ of it,” Wolfgang says. “Robots and solution to a customer as opposed machines will continue to help, to selling them individual items. support and offer us convenience, “Today, that concept is even and they will give us information we more important as retailers need need. With more AI support we will to focus on solving customers’ learn faster, but we will also forget problems/needs and stay focused a lot of basic human skills, and will in this time of customers with become lazy and spoiled. limited time.

“However, one thing will never “The best retailers have a change – we will always look for knack for exceeding customer intuitive real emotions, and so retailers expectations, and that goal is need to offer a story filled with even more important today when emotion, one that customers believe customers have so many options. in and want to be a part of.”

“Through an exceptional human Wolfgang also points out that interaction, professional one-of-aalthough retailers are thinking kind advice on products, or special that the new generation of buyers ‘feel good’ gifts and/or bonuses to is completely different to that of customers, retailers can wow the decades ago, at their core, humans customer more than ever and give are the same. an experience they just cannot get “They will still be curious, want to online or from other competitors.” hide some things, sometimes not

be truthful, and sometimes will be schizophrenic in their purchasing decisions. Their individual spirit and level of education will lead them to strange behaviour, and this is what makes them different from computers. We, as humans, have an endless spectrum of idiosyncrasies, which means we all have different preferences. And we are still very emotional.”

In this sense, the new trend Wolfgang points out is data gathering. Data is king, and through data, you can get to know your customer and their idiosyncrasies.

If you know how your customers think, and their preferences, then you have a better chance of sharing the right stories and selling something to them. Most of this data these days comes from social media.

The other trend Wolfgang emphasises is linked to emotions.

Retailers can no longer expect to sell as many products as they once did by arranging them in rows – the environment in which products sit is what sells a product.

“As a retailer, you have to spoil your clients – give them a cosy feeling during the time you are in contact.

“Make an adventure out of your contact and do something which surprises and affects your client deeply; if it is positive and sustainable, they will come back.”

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RETAIL Advice

Hudson’s Bay department store in Canada delivers merchandising methods that are easy to navigate, convenient and easy to locate, with intuitive merchandising by colour, style and size

As a retailer, you have to spoil your clients – give them a cosy feeling during the time you are in contact

“Create a community centre” Anne Kong “Retail today is a shifting target and customers are finicky with their loyalty – they’re always searching for what’s new and next,” Anne Kong says. “The customer expects great window displays, an exciting journey, theatrical elements, cool materials, engagement, social experiences, great navigation and an inspiring store identity.

“And, importantly, the next generation want to get personal with you. So, say something about yourself. Be personal. Make the shopping experience dimensional.

Give it a hashtag.”

Due to platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram, Anne believes that the new shopper is not necessarily rooted to a singular style or market.

“Pinterest has heightened their appreciation for a variety of looks and styles,” she says. “So think about things such as: does your store project an image, a personality, and is that image authentic?

“Because the next generation of shoppers is not just buying your product, they are making a statement about themselves when

they are shopping.”

And as social media experts are now saying, these statements made online are often linked to ratings for that person, and ultimately, their sense of popularity.

Our choices today, in the things that we purchase, are more visible than ever before, and they are an indication of who we are as people.

“This generation of shopper wants to take home more than just products,” Anne says.

“The reward for shopping includes new concepts, ideas, inspirational colour stories, in-store and social experiences, and an array of unique product offerings.”

“These inspirations are then shared online, so this creates free marketing for retailers.”

Think of your physical store’s front as the homepage of your website – both are just as important as the other.

Referring to a physical store, Anne explains that the store exterior is always the first impression. “Long after you’ve gone home, the store exterior will continue to speak to your clients

and potential customers,” she says. “The store front and glass are a canvas and stage and they translate messages – your brand identity, promotions, sales.”

One of the biggest questions in retail today is, ‘how do online shopping experiences influence the new generation of shopper?

“It has a lot to do with navigation,” explains Anne. “The simple action of scrolling has conditioned consumers to visually absorb merchandise in a new way.

“Consumers favour merchandising methods that are easy to navigate, convenient and easy to locate. Intuitive merchandising by colour, style and size is important, as are instantly recognisable visible price points. This new shopper needs navigational cues, and signage should be easy to read. Product information should be clear.”

Anne points out that the more information retailers offer about products in-store, the less time a shopper will spend looking things up on their phone.

Anne is also a big advocate for

not overdoing things in the pursuit of cementing your store identity – it’s all about the experience that shopping offers because products can be bought online anywhere.

“Instead of space filled with racks and shelves that are loaded down with products, stores today are more like community centres,” explains Anne.

“They are places to meet friends, relax in a Wi-Fi-enriched environment on couches, maybe with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, with casually set-up clusters of merchandise artfully arranged for perusal.

“There may be a lecture or musical recital going on in the space, or a yoga class in session.

Walls may be enhanced with changing exhibits of artwork produced by young, local talent interspersed with areas of hung garments.

“Today’s shopper wants more than a store, they want a place to relax, learn and stay for a while.”

And, as anyone in retail or in business knows, someone staying a while is often the trigger to a sale.

Sponsored and organised by The Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association (IHA), gia (IHA Global Innovation Awards) is the world’s leading awards programme honouring excellence, innovation and creative merchandising in homegoods retailing. To find out more or participate in 2019-2020, contact piritta.torro@ inspiredconnection.fi or visit Housewares.org/Show/gia-Retail For more about The Inspired Home Show and to pre-register for the 2020 Show (14-17 March 2020) visit TheInspiredHomeShow.com or Housewares.org 46 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

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WWW.ZIEHER.COM

Jill Wark and Martyn Lewis

Interview Lewis Wark

Forge de Laguiole craftsmanship

Lewis Wark celebrates 25 years of luxury tabletop

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With 12 luxury tableware and giftware brands in its portfolio, Lewis Wark continues to take the UK retail, hospitality and private client market by storm – some 25 years after launching elebrating 25 years this year, Lewis Wark continues to grow: its portfolio of premium brands is now at 12; and the company employs 15 team members and boasts a sales office in Fitzrovia in London and a 5,500sqft warehouse in Bedfordshire, UK. An incredible achievement considering the company was set up during a recession 25 years ago and for the first five years, co-founders Martyn Lewis and Jill Wark worked from a small study with just a telephone and a fax.

Lewis Wark’s first-ever brand, New York-based Lynn Chase Designs, which focuses on colour and humour, was followed by Californian bronze designer, Loet Vanderveen, which Lewis Wark still has in its portfolio today, and by Martyn’s own family company,

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Connoisseur of Malvern.

For the first 15 years, Lewis Wark acted as agents in the UK, working exclusively for high-end brands, but 10 years ago, the company began to dabble in the world of distribution, taking on its first distribution brand, Agraria (room fragrance from the US), followed by tableware and lifestyle brand MacKenzieChilds and then LA-based Pigeon and Poodle – the latter, now a major player in its home market with high-end bathroom accessories.

“The world had changed so much and to cope with these changes, sometimes it’s easier to take the full service into the company in order to create the market for the brand,” says Martyn of moving into the distribution space.

And 15 years ago, the company also started a separate arm, Luxury Living, delivering

a one-stop multi-brand buy for the interior designer, a concept born in order to “work with the emerging interior design market”, says Martyn.

“We felt we needed a dedicated team to run it and now it’s slightly larger than the Lewis Wark business.”

While Lewis Wark’s portfolio of brands has certainly grown over the past few decades – now totalling 12 luxury brand: seven agency brands (Lalique, Daum Crystal, Haviland Limoges, Robbe and Berking, Richard Ginori, Forge de Laguiole and Mario Luca Giusti); and five distribution brands (MacKenzie-Childs, Anna New York, Agraria, Loet Vanderveen and Pigeon and Poodle) – the company’s original concept of curating brands that are exclusive, unusual, handmade and luxury remains.

We talk to Martyn about how the company has grown.

What is the philosophy behind Lewis Wark’s curation of brands?

The brands we curate are handmade, as often as possible, with the majority of production in the country of their origin, and with an exclusive view on the market.

Quality, exclusivity and exceptional delivery times are also critical for us. The brands we have are mainly privately-owned – this is a huge asset to our business growth as family-owned brands have a totally different communication pattern and access to the owners is key.

We’ve also tried to create a portfolio that enables us to complete an entire sale across a diverse cross-section of categories in homes/interiors. It’s important the brands complement each other and appeal to the diverse customer base that we’ve built.

Once we are working with a client, we like to try and make it as easy as possible to buy across the portfolio.

Richard Ginori master painter

Handcrafting at Robbe & Berking

Do you cover the complete tabletop?

For porcelain, crystal and silver, we are very well-covered: our bestselling collection of stem and barware comes from Lalique; our porcelain from both the Haviland and Richard Ginori factories; the ultimate silver company with Robbe & Berking; and special-commission knives from Forge de Laguiole. We don’t have a linen brand in the portfolio yet, but it’s definitely a consideration for the future.

And who are you catering to?

We used to be 99 per cent retail, but that world no longer exists.

Now, we are about 40 per cent projects, 20 per cent hospitality and 40 per cent retail.

Both projects, via our second company Luxury Living, and the hospitality sector, are showing good signs of growth.

Have you seen gifting become a bigger part of your offer?

Seasonal gifting is definitely growing. Our business with MacKenzie-Childs for its seasonal collections is showing major signs of growth. Since we started distributing it to the UK market, the Christmas collection has doubled in size each year for five years. We dabbled last year with Easter and Autumn/Thanksgivingstyle gifting – both sold out in half the time we expected, and both are expected to double in size over the next 12 months.

In high-end gifting, with Lalique and Daum, we are finding the seasonal trends growing. Vases and

bowls during Ramadan and Eid, with our Middle East customers, can be met with large orders, especially filled with chocolates and flowers respectively. This style of gifting was pioneered for us by Thomas Goode in Mayfair, so much so they now have a resident florist.

And, are you seeing increased demand for bespoke?

Bespoke is definitely on the rise, approximately 45 per cent of our high-end orders have a bespoke element as the high-end luxury client loves a product that’s exclusive to them.

All of our brands now have the ability to work with bespoke products, whether it’s a bespoke element to a product that already exists, or a product designed exclusively for the customer.

Lalique, for example, now has a division that is 100 per cent focused on its interiors, creating bespoke works for design customers.

And are you seeing demand for bespoke in hospitality?

Hospitality is a new area for us, but it’s a growing sector, which we feel has unlimited potential.

The trend for hotels and restaurants to now use fine-dining patterns from the porcelain and silver companies is on the rise and most patterns we create in porcelain for hospitality have a bespoke element.

Our business with Forge de Laguiole is heavily focused on major restaurants as chefs love the cutting edge of the Forge knife, which is hand-forged in its factory in France. We’ve created bespoke

versions of current designs for some of the top hotels in the UK and we have a large amount of bespoke work on some of the finest yachts.

Craftsmanship is so central to your brands. How do you communicate this to customers?

As well as frequent staff training, we visit the factories as often as possible and take clients when we can – a hands-on trip around production is the best way to learn. We are in a romantic industry and the theatre of the brands needs to be explained.

In fact, most end consumers are interested in how their products are made, not only to justify the price, but because they’re interested in the process, the origin and the reason for design.

A few years ago, we set up our Masterclass brand, a series of boutique events designed to show the teams with whom we work how our products are made and to reach those clients that don’t attend tradeshows or can’t get to the factories.

So, we brought the factories to the customer in London, and the reaction has been amazing.

We also do the Masterclasses to tell stories of the brands, many of which have more than 150 years of history. We undertake them once every few years and we will use Lewis Wark’s 25th anniversary in 2019 and Luxury Living’s 15th anniversary in 2020 to deliver Masterclass 3.0 in May 2020. We have many brands not in our portfolio, who are also interested in joining.

What are the current market challenges?

Retail is becoming tougher and the market is shrinking. This is being partially replaced by the emergence of the designers and special business, but also the internet specialists like Matches Fashion and Amara.

The other challenges are political, and we are busy preparing the company for the potential of slower deliveries and duty if Brexit doesn’t run smoothly. We are a very international market in the UK and this needs to be preserved.

Finally, what is your strategy for growth in 2019 and beyond?

In the last four months, we’ve recruited two very experienced people to help us structure the future: Karol Sales, previously a buyer for Harrods for many years, is now in charge of our buying for the distribution part of the business; and Yasmin Rudnicka has joined us as our new business manager.

Yasmin was one of our buyers for many years and is bringing her unique industry knowledge to help us find the customer of the future.

We are still a small company and one of the luxuries we have is the ability to pick the company up and change direction when needed.

With this team on board, we are in the best possible shape to be able to develop this next chapter.

Find out more about Masterclass 3.0 in May 2020 at www. masterclass.london. For more on Lewis Wark, visit www.lewiswark. com and on Luxury Living London, visit www.luxuryliving.london

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 49

il Viaggio di Nettuno collection

Interview Lewis Wark

LEWIS WARK BRANDS

Oriente Italiano in pastels

iI Viaggio di Nettuno collection

Richard Ginori Born from the creativity of Marquis Carlo Andrea Ginori in 1735, the Richard Ginori manufactory continues to deliver pure porcelain products that symbolise the finest quality more than 280 years on.

Joining the Lewis Wark portfolio 11 years ago, Martyn says: “Richard Ginori’s history in the UK has been long and the UK market has grown up knowing the name of the brand.

“It’s the brand history coupled with new designs that make Richard Ginori unique. The brand has a hugely refreshing design concept, frequently taking past designs and updating them.

“After 32 years in this business, I still find Richard Ginori to be the most exciting porcelain designers that are currently in the market.”

Richard Ginori is currently work on a new direction in the luxury market, focused not just on retail, but targeting interior designers and the hospitality sector too.

“Richard Ginori delivers a very strong porcelain body, making the brand a durable but high-end option for hospitality,” says Martyn.

“The domestic body is strong enough to be used commercially 50 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

and this makes them exceptional.”

As for retail, the brand’s Oriente Italiano collection, which is the representation of a garden with carnations derived from Oriental culture, is one that particularly resonates with the UK market, explains Martyn. “Oriente Italiano now comes in 10 colours; Richard Ginori added cashmere colours to the collection to bring this ancient design right up to date.”

The other big Richard Ginori retail launch is a collaboration with London-based designer and artist Luke Edward Hall, who has worked in brands such as Burberry and Christie’s, while Vogue.com describes him as ‘the interior design world’s wunderkind’.

Titled Il Viaggio di Nettuno, the collaborative collection of porcelain tableware and home décor pieces, which blends creativity and craftsmanship, is inspired by Luke’s love of Greco-Roman mythology, delivering a kaleidoscope of intense and contrasting colours along with unique designs, from motifs of busts and head adorned with crowns, to the handles of

a Mediceo vase that recalls a mermaid’s tail.

Enchanting and maximalist and featuring Richard Ginori’s signature gold rims, the collection “adds a younger and more highlydesigned flair to the collection”, says Martyn.

“Luke’s designs are young, colourful and so different from anything else in the collection. We have already had significant orders for the opening on September 14, so much so that we’ve had to limit the launch in the UK to Harrods, Liberty, Amara.com and Matchesfashion.com.”

Richard Ginori has just opened its own concession in Harrods and recently, Lewis Wark added further UK retail specialists for the brand, including Amara.com and Liberty.

“We are at an exciting stage with retail,” states Martyn, “the bespoke and hospitality sectors are also areas where we are seeing particular growth, working with some exciting projects – not only with high-end dining clubs, but also with our good clients at Goodfellows, specialists in this area”.

Anna by Rablabs Launched Designer Anna Rabinowicz’s objects, which are inspired by nature, fuse ancient, precious materials with cutting-edge designs. Anna uses a luxurious palette of materials, layering semi-precious gems, including agate and crystal, with the finishing touches of pure gold and sterling silver. Anna works with skilled artisans in the US and Brazil and handcrafts all of her designs.

Daum Since 1878, Daum has called on the world’s most prestigious artists, from Salvador Dali to Paloma Picasso, to express themselves freely via the exclusive medium of its dazzling crystal.

The most artistic of luxury brands, Daum offers precious, rare and colourful pieces to collectors all over the world.

Forge de Laguiole Opening its doors in the village of Laguiole, France, in 1987, Forge de Laguiole was set up by a group of enthusiastics who wished to reinstate the manufacture of Laguiole knives. Now a cult object – a design reference synonymous with French gastronomy – Laguiole knives are handmade using traditional and ancestral know-how.

Haviland One of the only porcelain manufacturers today that makes 100 per cent of its product in Limoges, from production to decoration, Haviland handmakes artfully designed shapes that are fired up to 1400C, before enameling gives each piece its exceptional brilliance and translucency. Gold and colour is then hand-applied, delivering true works of art.

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Rebecca Proctor, creative director, MacKenzie-Childs

Interview Lewis Wark

LEWIS WARK BRANDS Loet Vanderveen Using a medium of cast and patinated bronze, and inspiration taken from the abundance of wildlife around him, Loet Vanderveen creates sculptures that are inspired by nature’s elegance and the form and beauty of animals.

Mario Luca Giusti Born in Florence in 2005, the Mario Luca Giusti brand delivers practical yet elegant tableware and decoration pieces that are made of synthetic materials, ranging from acrylic to melamine, but that look just like crystal and glass. Using a style between fusion and pop, the products are designed to offer sophisticated collections for the pool or on mega yachts.

The objects are fantastically shaped with colours ranging from black, white and transparent to bold shades.

Mackenzie-Childs Born 36 years ago and based on a Victorian farm overlooking Cayuga Lake, in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region, MacKenzieChilds produces world-renowned majolica tableware and home furnishings, including handmade ceramics, enamelware, glassware and furniture, all of which is known for its colour, whimsy and originality.

For Lewis Wark, American lifestyle brand MacKenzie-Childs, which it took into its portfolio a decade ago, is a totally different project to anything else the company does.

“It is run very differently to a European brand, with over 300 launches in the Spring Collection and another 300 in Fall, as well as being heavily seasonal with large collections for Easter, Fall and Christmas,” explains Martyn.

“This was a brand we had contact with for more than 30 years and watched grow and we were really interested to see if the UK would fall in love with it, and so far, it seems the love affair has begun.”

The brand, which is renowned for being fun, eclectic and whimsical, is “a totally different brand from anything else on the market”, explains Martyn, adding that “the original designs were all inspired

by UK designs from the mid-1900s – Stoke-on-Trent and the diverse patterns during this time were a particular influence”.

This means that the brand really does resonate in the UK, with sales growing here, including from visitors to the UK, especially from the Middle and Far East.

52 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Royal Check enamelware

MacKenzie-Child’s enamel offering across tableware and kitchen particularly does well in the UK market, though Lewis Wark is also seeing an increase in demand for the brand’s larger hand-painted furniture items too.

“Each of these is painted by one artist from beginning to end and all are unique,” explains Martyn.

“We have a corner in Fortnum and Mason, which is dedicated to MacKenzie-Childs over the summer, as well as a large display in Harrods, and we are now gradually working our way out into the market exploring potentials for the brand,” says Martyn.

With the MacKenzie-Childs brand, Lewis Wark now has two

new companies added to the stable. “MacKenzie now owns candle company Et Al Designs, which has become MacKenzieChilds Glow, and which will launch in Harrods, Amara and Fortnum and Mason in September,” says Martyn. “And Patience Brewster has also joined the group, a brand that is even more whimsical than MacKenzie with all her characters designed into seasonal collections, and that sits perfectly in the MacKenzie portfolio.”

Martyn concludes: “We will begin with Christmas 2019 and expand into Easter 2020, coupled with the ongoing expansion of the MacKenzie’s signature Royal Check enamel collection.”

Robbe & Berking Dating from the Flensburg silversmiths in 1897, and run by the Berking family since 1925, Robbe & Berking is renowned for its handmade production of luxury cutlery and table accessories and is known as one of northern Germany’s most well-respected silversmiths.

Lalique Built on the five pillars of decorative object, interior design, art pieces, crystal jewellery and perfume, Lalique is especially known for the incomparable beauty of its crystal designs. To focus on interior design and architecture, the brand has created a dedicated service to the trade, with the expertise to Lalique’s glassmasters available to assist in the creating of custom designs – be it lighting, tables, mirrors, panels or door handles.

mackenzie-childs.com

Column Hospitality

About G & G

Un voyage extraordinaire

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Valda Goodfellow charts G & G’s incredible journey with The Goring Hotel, from concept to delivery of the most exquisite tableware es, I know you are a bit confused, but bear with me as this tale is about a glorious exploration of the unexpected.

As I have said many times, our clients are a constant source of not only endless creativity but also, they like to spring a few surprises. None more so than our latest project, which takes inspiration from the novels of Jules Verne and combines it with the quirky elegance of one of London’s grandest hotels.

Let our story begin. The Goring Hotel is really a London institution (in the very best meaning of the term), greeting royalty and the most discerning guests alike.

Otto R Goring opened the hotel more than 100 years ago and since then the keys have been passed – first to Otto’s son George, then on to his son Jeremy; and Otto didn’t look back as he knew he had left his family’s treasure in good hands.

The hotel, like all great hotels, has its own distinct aura. As soon as you walk through the doors, you know it will be special, mainly because it’s truly loved by the people who own and run it.

You can expect discreet service of the highest standards and there is a calm self-confidence about it that seems to make everything glide effortlessly to satisfy its client’s needs.

It does not run manically after one

54 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

fad or another to impress its loyal clientele. It just knows how to evolve in its own way.

When they came to us with a new restaurant project involving renowned 2 Michelin Star chef Nathan Outlaw (actually 3 in total), we sort of thought we could visualise what it would look like; what the style would be and where their tableware choices would lie.

Boy, were we wrong. But then again, we had never met Jeremy Goring until that moment.

When I say ‘we’, I really mean my darling husband Paul, who handled the whole project from its initial concept to its delivery.

From the very first meeting, Paul was blown away by Jeremy’s vision for the concept as he unfurled his carefully thought-out plan for the restaurant, much like a historical sea captain charting the course of his ship through this most extraordinary of journeys.

From mystical sea creatures, to the newly created oasis of a garden sitting temptingly beyond the restaurant’s glass wall, the idea is to lure diners into an almost otherworld experience far away from the hustle and bustle of the London streets; hence the reason why the restaurant is called Siren.

Mermaids gleefully frolic in the plasterwork frieze on the wall, while a glass Lobster hangs out of the lobster pot on the ceiling.

Where Paul expected the call for elegant crisp white Bone China, Jeremy laid out his already deeply researched desire to add character, colour and intrigue with a quirky mix of sea green stoneware plates mixed with shell-shaped bowls; but the piece de resistance is definitely his idea for the cover-plates.

With illustrations inspired

by Jules Verne, the milky white stoneware plates have a cheeky nautical curl at their edges, like gently lapping waves.

This is not a designer’s take on a theme; this is a very personal passion. You get the impression without knowing him, that Jeremy wants you to have fun, relax and enjoy yourself.

Sticking very closely to Jeremy’s vision, there was only one producer who could offer all of the required elements; and that was Grestel from Portugal, whose Costa Nova brand is one of our bestsellers.

Even down to being able to take these illustrations, use a different glaze (the glaze and decoration were bespoke) and marry the more quirky bowls into the mix without the overall effect looking disjointed on the one hand, or too coordinated on the other.

Grestel has such breadth to its ranges that this was never going to be a problem for them.

Founded by Paul and Valda Goodfellow, G & G Goodfellows is a highly creative design & Distribution Company with an amazing showroom in Little Portland Street. Offering a truly hands-on service, Goodfellows passion is to bring new and exciting, bespoke food presentation concepts to the UK’s culinary scene. As well as offering a wide variety of the world’s best branded tableware, kitchen equipment, clothing and machines, Goodfellows also collaborates closely with UK craft producers for totally unique products. It works with all sizes of restaurant and catering projects, happy to supply anything from an individual plate to a full restaurant concept.

Although we would normally love to add our own extensive experience in being able to offer support and advice on design, finish and coordination; in this instance, it simply wasn’t necessary and it was a complete delight to work with a man who had such a clear vision.

We were lucky enough to see the results of that vision and our hard work as we were invited to the soft opening. This was a truly memorable experience. Each element and detail marry together to create something totally original, from the waiters’ uniforms to the seaweed butter, there is more than a touch of genius in this pearl of a restaurant.

If you want to see this totally joyous result for yourself, I advise you to book now. This Siren is calling loud and clear.

It’s a matter of taste Ę ĹŁĸĿ

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Interview Bomshbee

Bomshbee brothers With their tableware brand and designs, the Lau brothers, William and Anthony, are keen to put Hong Kong design on the map

Mixed materials Bomshbee provides tableware designs that are mimalistic and modern, with a focus on texture and feel, delivering details that make users connect while enjoying the dining experience.

Hong Kong comes to the table

F

With the aim of embodying everyday objects with beauty and quality, three brothers are bringing Hong Kong design to the global stage with new tableware brand Bomshbee ollowing decades of work and leadership in the tableware industry, three Hong Kongbased brothers – the Lau brothers – have set up their own tableware brand, Bomshbee.

Created to bring contemporary tableware design to urban homes and to put Hong Kong on the design map, Bomshbee is the result of the brothers belief that both beauty and quality can be embodied in the objects we use every day.

They have created a line of tableware across all categories, including glassware, dinnerware, serveware, cutlery, table decorations and home fragrances, which they are bringing to the international stage.

We talk to William Lau, co-founder of Bomshbee to find out more.

How did Bomshbee come about?

Bomshbee is the embodiment of aspirations for a tableware design company that has been supporting industry-leading brands and 56 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

companies for 20-plus years. I was with that company for a decade and I received great feedback for my ideas, designs and developments for other brands. My brother, Anthony, and I wanted to show our design capabilities by branding our own development and designs and turning them into products.

Our mother began in the industry three decades ago, and In a way, Bomshbee is also about honouring her – even the name of our company is a combination of her pet names for us when we were children.

What gap did you spot in the tableware market?

In tableware, there are too many big brands and a lack of smaller ones.

We decided to harness the market trend – where consumers are looking for small-scale production and unique products. Consumers today are looking for something different from the mainstream market and there’s a willingness by consumers to try smaller brands that provide

meaningful and interesting stories.

In line with the evolution of the market, consumers today want to feel products across all senses and our aim, with our designs, is to feed our customers across multiple channels – the experience, texture, look, feel and story behind the products.

Also, Hong Kong’s position as a global design leader is growing and we want to be a part of that movement. We are dedicated to pushing Hong Kong design forward and we want to highlight Hong Kong design in the international market and share its beauty with the world.

What is the brand philosophy?

Our goal is to bring customers’ attention to the beautiful objects they use every day. Our philosophy is ‘The Little Matters’ – this is all about re-imagining everyday essentials and inspiring customers to appreciate the simple moments in life, showing them how the little things on the table matter.

Our mother got her start in this

industry 30 years ago – and growing up, my brothers and I didn’t realise how much the little things in our home made our world work.

The line of tableware my brothers and I have created goes to the heart of our childhood. Our aim is to elevate tableware through intelligent design, exquisite aesthetics and elegant form and function and to give everyone access to high quality and high design.

We provide designs that are minimalistic and modern, with a focus on texture and feel, delivering details that make users connect while enjoying the dining experience.

Our designs are based in minimalism, but with full attention to overall aesthetics, form, colour, texture, materials and usage.

Where are they produced?

Our products are all designed in Hong Kong, with inspirations hailing from the patterns and shapes we see around the city, as well as from non-tableware objects. These designs

Hong Kong-inspired Products are all inspired by the patterns and shapes of the city of Hong Kong

are then executed and produced in China. However, we don’t use the typical mass production, but a smaller-scale manufacturer with highly skilled workers, who are able to produce our designs with sincere dedication to the design details.

Which retailers are you targeting?

Small-scale and independent retailers who support smaller brands, the concept of local designs and the stories behind the brands.

We are currently in One Mercantile Goods and Gifts, Maison-Midi and Hidden Gem NY Southampton.

As a tableware brand in the current retail market, we believe it’s key to get our brand across to consumers across different channels. Our online store is a way for consumers to take advantage of purchasing high-quality tableware direct from the producers and we will also plan to enter the hospitality segment.

Tell us more…? While we are currently focused on wholesale and retail, we are planning to expand into the hospitality sector. We would first like to hear how our customers perceive the brand and designs

The Little Matters Bomshbee’s philosophy ‘The Little Matters’ is about reimagining everyday essentials

before reaching out to hotels and restaurants.

You have exhibited at NY NOW and Maison. How was this?

Both the aesthetic and products were well-received by visitors at both shows, with some orders placed straightaway.

Retailers loved the idea of giftable tableware and our story of ‘The Little Matters’ really resonated.

We found the right audiences at both shows, as they were filled with visitors who appreciate the little things and objects at home.

We will be exhibiting once

more at both shows – NY NOW in New York in August and Maison in Paris in September.

At both shows, we will present our new Marlin Cup and Saucer, Silo Salt & Pepper Shakers, Chime Flatware, Barrel Glass Cup and Chandelier Cocktail Glasses.

Bomshbee will release its new line of tableware products in July 2019 and will present at NY NOW in August (11-14) and at Maison & Objet, Paris, in September (6-10). www.bomshbee.com

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 57

CATEGORY Metals

Mix & Play, Sambonet Cutlery sets with new finishes, from Black to Gold

Metals makeover

Madame, Sambonet Platters and bowls in various finishes on resin stands

Sphera, Sambonet This serveware collection has been updated with new finishes via PVD

Sambonet

Combining its expertise in PVD innovation with its ongoing research into the aesthetics of the modern table, Sambonet has launched a variety of collections with brand-new finishes.

Mix&Play is a collection of cutlery sets (dessert fork and moka coffee spoon sets) that reinterprets the brand’s bestsellers (Taste, Frame Linear) with new ambiences, including Black, Copper, Gold, Coganc and Champagne. Sambonet’s existing serveware and decorative collections Twist, Sphera and LineaQ, in mirror and silver-plated, have all been extended with captivating new finishes (colours) via PVD technology. While the Twist bowls take on a high-gloss appearance in warm Cognac, Rum and Gold hues; the Sphera presentation plates, bowls, trays and napkin rings now come in polished Cognac, Parfait Amour, Rum, Gold, Black and Champagne versions.

And the tray and presentation plates of LineaQ are enhanced with the shimmering shades of Gold and Rum.

www.sambonet.it

In response to consumer demand for unique, personal and stand-out products, metal tableware – from cutlery to serving bowls – is being given a host of exciting new finishes and colours, injecting a breath of fresh air into the metals category

W

hen it comes to the materials used in tabletop today, metals offer many advantages: higher perceived value, endless design possibilities (due to its malleability) and creativity, as well as practical benefits, such as heat resistance, high stability, endurance and high recycling potential.

One of the biggest advantages, however, is the great variety of finishes that can now be achieved – thanks to advances in technology and metal coatings – and which creares different looks across cutlery and serveware.

Thanks to the great advances in metal coatings, especially PVD technology, many brands now have the opportunity to deliver

new, different and exciting finishes, and can take existing designs and collections – iconic collections or bestsellers, for example – and inject them with newness, giving the consumer something fresh.

It’s a clever and easy way for brands to celebrate anniversary collections (to celebrate 30 years of Girotondo, Alessi gave it a 24k gold plated finish); extend bestselling collections (Arthur Price has given its bestselling Monsoon cutlery an update with a Champagne Gold finish); and tap into the trends with existing collections (Mikasa recently gave its stainless-steel barware pieces an elevated update with a champagne finish).

Lenox, which believes “dramatic finishes work both in casual and dressy environments”, says marketing manager, Jim Mylonas,

has taken its bestselling Colebrook cutlery collection and given it a variety of finishes – black, champagne gold and cognac; while Italian metals brand Mepra recently unveiled a new metal serveware collection, Atmosphera, which comes in three different finishes – gold, bronze and the stunning Vulcan grey.

Sambonet, which has been investing in special finishes like Vintage, Antique and PVD over the last few years, recently unveiled its Tailor Made cutlery concept, where consumers can choose their own finish – from glossy to vintage to antique – and colour coating, from gold to black to copper.

“We definitely see a strong trend towards special finishes,” says Sambonet, “and we are going beyond stainless steel and creating

What the retailer says…

“

Cutlery with different and colourful finishes, including gold, copper and black, is doing well for our tableware stores in Greece. Sambonet and Mikasa are among the cutlery suppliers we stock that offer such finishes and these are doing really well.

Mary Sarafidis, managing director, Parousiasi, a chain of over 40 luxury tabletop stores across Greece

58 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

”

new nuances of colours and new visual and tactile experiences”.

And certainly the retailers are responding, with many believing such finishes have injected new energy and vibrancy into the metals/cutlery categories.

“We are finding cutlery with colourful finishes, including gold, copper and black, are especially popular with our customers,” says Mary Sarafidis, managing director, Parousiasi, a chain of over 40 luxury tabletop stores across Greece.

Amara.com is finding its cutlery category doing well thanks to the many fashion-led finishes on cutlery.

“Many consumers like to style their table with bold and trend-led choices when it comes to accessorising their placesettings,” says Sam Hood, creative director, Amara.

Lifestyle and cutlery brands like Sambonet, Alessi, Mepra, Zieher, Studio William and Arthur Price, which have been creating finishes for many years, are seeing increased demand in this direction – not as a fad, but as a way for consumers and hospitality operators to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

“We’ve seen a large increase in demand for special finishes in both retail and hospitality,” says Carlo Gasparini, design manager, Alessi, which has worked with a range of metals and finishes since the brand’s inception in 1921, and more recently, has been working with PVD coatings.

“The finishes offer consumers an almost customised product, which is popular because they are seen as more distinctive and precious, elevating the table,” adds Carlo, pointing to Alessi’s recent introduction of Golden Pink PVD, which the brand introduced across its Objetsbijoux collection; and to a brass and copper PVD coating across two of its bestselling cutlery collections, Dry and Colombina.

Cutlery specialist Studio William, which offers bespoke finishes to meet all kinds of hospitality demands and can also personalise cutlery, believes consumer demand for unique is driving sales.

“In this world of Instagrammable moments,

consumers are always looking for something unique and exciting,” says William Welch, owner, Studio William.

“Consumers want products that say something about who they are or who they aspire to be; while hospitality venues are trying to create a point of difference, often by adding something new and interesting to the tabletop.”

William believes that “certain satin and textured finishes can change the table styling to something more contemporary, as well as to help hide fine surface scuffing that can occur over years of excessive use”; while “a touch of silver or 24k gold brings opulence”, he explains.

Arthur Price, which has also been producing special finishes for many years – offering everything from polished stainless steel to silver plate, hammered to coloured – is seeing particular demand from consumers “for fashion, retro and coloured cutlery" and metal tableware.

“Finishes can elevate a collection or design,” says Arthur Price’s CEO, Simon Price. ”Different finishes create moods, personalities and fashions on a tabletop,” he adds, pointing to the company's recent extension of Monsoon cutlery, which features a Champagne Gold finish, and which is currently “going down a storm”, says Simon.

Beatriz Ball

Juliska

Zieher

Mepra

Spotlight on…

Textured Metals From cutlery to barware, the hammering technique is very in demand, aligned with demand for textured tableware, and a number of brands have got in on the hammering action.

Juliska, a tableware company that is upping its metal offering, recently unveiled a new textured stainless-steel barware collection.

The handmade Graham line delivers elevated barware – tray and stand, cocktail picks set, wine coaster, wine cooler – featuring a softly hammered surface with textured braiding on the rims.

Beatriz Ball, whose metal surface effects include hammered and richly textured, is launching some exciting new textures in its signature handmade metal line for Summer 2019, including the richly textured Sakko bowls and platters (additions to the Soho range) and new serving pieces cast with a shimmering snakeskin texture (pictured). Its bestselling Organic Pearl collection, a favourite with brides, features tactile surfaces with a slight hammering effect that “delivers an on-trend organic feel”, says Beatriz, paired with pearl braiding around the borders.

Zieher recently unveiled its Flower Power Fruit Bowl, an organic-shaped handmade bowl featuring gently hammered stainless steel.

Mepra’s new Fashion collection of stainless-steel placemats, coasters and trays, feature a textured hammered effect – applied during the rolling of the sheet before the moulding – delivering a unique and tactile design as well as being practical, stable and ergonomic.

Elia International

The new cafetiere design from Elia features an innovative and stylish 12-sided body. Crafted in highly polished 18/10 Stainless Steel for a practical and elegant finish, the cafetiere incorporates a double filter inside the plunger allowing for the perfect brew to release the natural flavours of coffee or leaf teas; while the double wall insulation ensures that beverages are served hot. Available in 3, 6 and 8 cup sizes.

www.elia.co.uk

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 59

CATEGORY Metals

Alessi Alessi has been working with a range of different metals, from pewter and nickel silver to brass and copper, since its inception in 1921. Today, Alessi works mainly with stainless steel, but offers a range of finishes, including polished, satin and coloured, and has recently been working a lot with PVD coatings.

Recently, the brand introduced a Golden Pink PVD coating, which it applied to its Objets-Bijoux collection, whereby “the preciousness of these pieces were enhanced with the new finishing”, says Carlo Gasparini, design manager, Alessi.

Alessi has also introduced a brass and copper PVD coated version across two of its most popular cutlery collections: Colombina and Dry; given its iconic Girotondo collection a special finish of 24k gold to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

And its popular Bark Collection has been extended with the Barket basket in stainless steel delivering black, white and red finishes.

“We continue to explore new definitions of metal surfaces, experimenting with innovative solutions by crossing historical references with industrial production techniques, thus past and present are linked synergistically.”

www.alessi.com

Georg Jensen For SS19, Georg Jensen has extended one of its most recognisable tabletop collections, Bernadotte (a collaboration with Swedish designer Sigvard Bernadott) with new pieces.

Beginning their collaboration in 1930, at the height of the Art Deco movement and during the early days of Scandinavian Functionalism, Sigvard Bernadotte introduced clean, geometric shapes into the Georg Jensen portfolio; think bold and simple silver designs – from cocktail sets to hollowware to cutlery – all of which found instant success. Overall, Sigvard contributed more than 150 designs to the Georg Jensen line.

With enduring appeal, many of these pieces were re-issued in stainless steel in 2002, “making them accessible to a new generation of customer”, says the brand.

Now, Georg Jensen introduces new pieces, including a series of vases, serving plates and platters, salt and pepper shakers, new cutlery pieces and assorted small dining items.

“Nearly a century after his initial collaboration with the brand, our design team continues to find inspiration in Sigvard's visionary sense of modernism and his unorthodox approach,” says the brand. “That Sigvard's products continue to be a defining and beloved mainstay of the Georg Jensen legacy is a testament to his unerring ability to create designs both timeless and true to themselves.”

www.georgjensen.com

Arthur Price

Arthur Price has been producing special finishes for many years and offers a wide portfolio, including polished 18/10 stainless steel, silver plate, hammered and coloured, but maintains that quality and longevity continue to reign supreme for the brand.

“Our amazing guarantees are what set us apart from many of our competitors in the eyes of the consumer,” says Simon Price, CEO. “Because of our portfolio balance of broad price points but uncompromising quality, we will also guarantee our longevity.”

Recently, the brand extended its successful Monsoon Collection, a licensed collection with fashion brand Monsoon, to include a Champagne Gold version, “which is going down a storm”, says Simon, “mainly because we took our time to get the colour right”.

www.arthurprice.com

“

What the retailer says…

When it comes to metals, there has been great innovation, thanks to PVD technology, in the last few years. Joining the standard silver, there are now several rich hues, including black, copper, gold, champagne, two-toned, and even chocolate brown; and then there are all the finishes, from matte to shiny, antiqued to brushed. There has never been a time before now to purchase as unique of a pattern as you want, literally fiting anyone’s personal tastes.ffffff

”

Michele Trzuskowski, owner, luxury independent boutique T is for Table, which has stores in Florida and Colorado

Royal Oak, Studio William Featuring 24k gold detail

Spotlight on…

Studio William Studio William’s extensive expertise in cutlery means it can offer bespoke finishes to meet hospitality demands, as well as offering a variety of finishes for retail, from satin and textured to a highly polished mirror finish.

“Certain satin and textured finishes can change the table styling to something more contemporary, as well as to help hide the fine surface scuffing that can occur over years of excessive use,” says William Welch, owner, “while a touch of silver or 24k gold brings a certain opulence that is popular with our most exclusive hotel, restaurant and landmark venue clients”.

Studio William is all about high-quality, high design, longevity and timelessness, so “while multi-coloured PVD may appeal to the consumer today”, says William, “we know trends change and often we will recommend designs that are enduring, sophisticated, functional, aspirational and cost-effective in the long-term”.

Known for its understated luxury, Studio William’s Royal Oak Gold range is one of its bestsellers “as the design is all about hidden opulence”, says William. “The 24k gold detail on the underside of the pieces provides a nice surprise for diners and becomes an instant talking point.”

A number of its ranges come in a silver-plate finish too, but should a client request a particular finish on any one of its ranges, “we would certainly do our best to accommodate them”.

William concludes: “We will always proactively respond to the demands for the retail and foodservice markets, so long as this does not compromise the quality of the product or the reputation of the Studio William brand.” As standard practice, every Studio William piece endures no less than 42 finishing processes before being hand-inspired in the UK. https://studiowilliam.com TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 61

CATEGORY Metals

Beatriz Ball

Zieher Renowned for its innovative use of mixed metals, from brass to stainless steel, Zieher has launched two new metal ranges, for hospitality and retail, designed to cater to stand-out and long-lasting serveware demands.

The Flower-Tower delivers organically-shaped plates, which are combined to create presentation levels of a floral character; the play of shapes combining with the gloss and reflections of hammered and polished stainless. Versatile, there’s a three-tier etagere for 21 delicacies on different levels, and a smaller version on one level featuring seven plates.

Inspired by the small platforms of Flower-Power comes a new stainless-steel Fruit Bowl – an organic shape, it features a gently hammered structure.

Beatriz Ball’s signature metal items are made of a special alloy that uses 100 per cent recycled metals resulting in a metal that’s both brilliant and durable – the pieces are sand-cast and hand-polished to a lustrous shine. Its metal items are created in its foundry in Mexico, where skilled artisans make each piece by hand, one at a time, with 12 pairs of hands involved in each piece.

Utilising the same sand-casting methods Greeks and Romans used centuries ago, the results of this intensely handmade process is a piece with character, personality and unique texture. The surface effects achieved by the polishing process are remarkably diverse and ranges from sleek to hammered to satin to richly textured.

At the Summer 2019 Markets Beatriz Ball is launching new textures and shapes in metal, including additions to the Soho collection: richly-textured Sakko bowls and platters and a trio of user-friendly Osaka bowls. The Vento collection is extended with the sculptural Claire oval bowl and with two Volare freeform bowls. Also new, the Antler bowls in the Western collection as well as a frame and serving pieces cast with a shimmering snakeskin texture.

www.zieher-selection.com

Nambe Nambe recently introduced two Pineappleshaped giftables, designed by Karim Rashid and made of Nambe Alloy. A symbol of hospitality and friendship, the Pineapple Catch All Tray and Pineapple Canister with lid are fun and whimsical interpretations of the fruit. While the tray offers the perfect resting place for precious keepsakes, the canister is both a lovely décor piece and an ideal storage vessel, the pineapple’s crown serving as a removable lid. Both make great housewarming or hostess gifts.

www.beatrizball.com

Robert Welch Renowned for its innovation with 18/10 stainless steel, Robert Welch has extended its Drift bowl collection to include beveragware. The Drift Beverage Collection, which recently scooped the Red Dot Award 2019, offers a range of theatrical presentation pieces for a table or bar setting, from champagne coolers and tea/coffee pots to water pitchers and an afternoon tea stand. Drift has already seen the launch of barware and a tea set and recently unveiled the new Drift Coffee Pots (pictured), which are “a beautiful addition to the Drift hollowware range”, says Alice Welch, joint managing director, Robert Welch. Further Drift items will follow later in 2019.

www.robertwelch.com

www.nambe.com

Did you know…?

Kiyasa Group, which distributes Greggio Silver in the US and South America has seen “increased interest in the bridal segment for silver-plated products with our Greggio Silver line, especially within bar and wine, such as shakers, cocktail sets, decanters and coasters", says Kiana Bahardozadeh, Kiyasa Group.

62 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Gastro Steak Board, James Martin for Denby

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Trade Artisanal GuideTalk Chinaware

Handmade highs In a world of mass-produced product, handmade is a luxury. From metals to glass to earthenware, we talk to five brands about handcrafting demand, processes, delivery and communication

“There’s growing demand for handmade”

Beatriz Ball Beatriz Ball, owner, Beatriz Ball Collection How important is the handcrafting philosophy to the Beatriz Ball brand?

Our company is founded on the beauty, integrity and unique qualities of handmade.

With our team of gifted artisans, we have explored and pushed the limits and the possibilities of what can be done. There are so few things today that are truly made by hand, and we are proud to be able to support a truly artisanal method of manufacturing.

What exactly are your handcrafted processes?

The items in our signature metal line are intensely handmade.

Using the same ancient method employed by Greeks and Romans to create masterpieces centuries ago, a molten metal alloy is poured into individual sand moulds, then hand-polished to a lustrous finish.

Made by hand, one at a time, more than twelve different sets of hands are involved in the creation of each item, resulting in a piece

64 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

with warmth and character.

Similarly, our sustainably forested wooden products originate in our woodworking facility in Mexico, and our glassware celebrates age-old glassblowing techniques. Each glass is a unique work of art; mouthblown and hand-etched by artisans.

What do these processes deliver that is so unique?

In our signature metal line, which is composed of a sustainable aluminum alloy, the ancient art of sandcasting produces a handsome piece, substantial in weight and texture, with subtle marks and surface irregularities that manifest their handmade story.

These marks are evidence of the artisan’s hands and add depth and character to a piece while attesting to its one-of-a-kind appeal.

How do you communicate your artisanal story?

We emphasise the value of the handmade in our company literature, and in our self-produced

video on the making of our pieces.

The process video is featured on our website and is shown on monitors at our showrooms and at tradeshows. The scenes of the labour-intensive process always attract an audience, and people who’ve watched the video often remark that they’ve gained a new and deeper appreciation of the product.

Are you seeing increased demand for handcrafted product today?

There is definitely a growing demand for handcrafted products as they become increasingly rare.

We have been delighted in how the marketplace is hungry for, and responds to, items that are truly, genuinely handmade, and that also delivers a story that honours craftsmen.

One of our mottoes is, ‘In a world of mass-production, handmade is the true luxury’; just as the concept of ‘the good life’ has evolved, so has society’s

perception of luxury.

Each handmade Beatriz Ball piece speaks to the things that people value the most: honesty, connectivity, and beauty.

Each design unfolds a story that is fulfilled when the piece is taken home to be shared for a lifetime of memories. That’s true luxury.

Finally, how do you combine handcrafted processes with the modern-day demands of today’s consumers?

Instead of accumulating many things, we are now more interested in ‘Fewer, Better Things’.

We seek objects of higherquality and timeless design; ones that honour artisans and craftsmanship. Consumers also want pieces that serve more than one purpose or occasion; our designs are multi-functional and equally at home in a spacious open-plan house, as in the most compact of small-space living quarters. https://beatrizball.com

“Unique design is key for us”

“Handcrafting is in our genes”

Glashutte Eisch Julia Eisch, product development and marketing manager, Eisch

Zieher Nikolan Dietz, marketing manager, Zieher “Since unique design and exclusivity are key factors in our range, we often rely on handcrafting to achieve this. We have various materials in our portfolio, so we rely on different crafts, including metalwork, woodwork, soldering and hand-blowing, as in the case of our Vision series of wine glasses.

Vision boasts a characteristic feature – the wave – in the bowl of every glass, delivering a highly recognisable look and fascinating effect on the wine.

With handcrafted, even if you

assemble many craftsmen, every piece will always have the characteristic mark of its creator – you might even say its soul. Since handcrafted takes longer to produce, we try and keep all items in stock to ensure deliverability.

We are seeing demand in the quality customers expect from handcrafted items – a good opportunity for us since we emphasise this. We communicate our handmade story via flyers, catalogue text, package description, online, in person at tradeshows, social media posts and via videos.” www.zieher.com

“The passion for handcrafted glass is in our genes. My cousin Eberhard Eisch and I are now third-generation owners of Glashutte Valentin Eisch, which dates back to 1946.

At Eisch, in 2019, handcrafting continues to be part of the entire production process, from drawing the designs and turning the wooden moulds to blowing the hot glass, even cutting and painting (our specialisms are in painting gold and platinum).

Each handcrafting process forms the soul of a piece, which radiates the skill and time of the craftsman.

Visitors to our factory in Frauenau, Germany, are fascinated by our

handcrafting processes and feel the passion behind the products and we communicate this to retailers and customers via our catalogues, packaging and POS materials.

With mindfulness and sustainability increasingly important, handcrafted products are a new form of luxury for modern consumers and are becoming important again.

And while they may be traditional, they are no longer old-fashioned; we deliver products that use traditional manufacturing processes, but they speak a contemporary design vocabulary.” https://eisch.de TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 65

Trade Artisanal GuideTalk Chinaware

“Burleigh uses unique skills”

Burleigh Jim Norman, commercial director, Burleigh How important is the handcrafting philosophy to Burleigh?

Craftsmanship is at the heart of what Burleigh is. We use skills that are passed down, inherited and shared, all of which imbue our ware with a sense of character and place.

At the centre of the factory is a group of decorators using skills that are unique to Burleigh, including the method of Tissue Transfer Decoration. This year, Burleigh celebrates 130 years of manufacture at Middleport Pottery; a place that represents all that’s good about British craft manufacture, demonstrating that craft skills are valued more than ever.

What exactly are your handcrafted processes at Burleigh?

Burleigh’s patterns are created from engraved copper rollers (which in themselves are true works of art), which are used daily to print Burleigh designs onto a fine tissue paper using a colour paste that’s made up fresh every day.

Each part of the process of making Burleigh requires skill, patience and plenty of experience Burleigh prepares clay using original 19th century machinery,

which is shaped using casting or pressing methods.

After Fettling and sponging to smooth, each piece goes into the kiln for its first firing to biscuit.

Using the tissue printed that day, decorated patterns are cut from the tissue and then skilfully wrapped around and then rubbed onto the pottery by using soft soap transferring the pattern.

After a second firing, the decorated pottery is dipped in glaze and fired in the kiln for a final time.

What do these processes deliver that is unique?

Tissue transfer decoration gives Burleigh a unique depth of colour, subtlety and individuality that is truly unique.

How do you communicate your handcrafted story?

Our brand communication is understated. Burleigh is a calm and confident brand, revealing its stories as a friend might. Trade customers are encouraged to visit Middleport Pottery, the home of Burleigh, to see the process and this often creates Burleigh ambassadors. Consumers

“

are also welcome to visit Middleport Pottery, which is now owned by the UK Historical Buildings Preservation Trust (previously owned by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust) who operate regular tours.

Are you seeing increased demand for handcrafted product?

There is an increased awareness that precious skills are being lost in the digital age and latterly there has been a clear desire among consumers to invest in products with provenance and authenticity Burleigh has both retail and catering customers who appreciate the skills that go into every piece of Burleigh-ware and these include Soho House, Ralph Lauren, Highgrove Enterprises, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods and Chiltern Fire House, This year, Burleigh collaborated with Ralph Lauren to create a new dining and entertaining collection of three bespoke patterns.

How are you combining handcrafted with the modern-day demands of consumers today?

Burleigh’s designs are based on quintessential classic patterns which

bring elegance to the table but are given a contemporary approach to meet today’s lifestyles.

Blue Asiatic Pheasants was first introduced in 1862 and has been cherished by lovers of pottery ever since. However, over the years, we’ve introduced pieces to meet changing lifestyle trends, such as Pasta Bowls and Rice Bowls. While afternoon tea pieces, such as Two and Three Tiered Cake Stands are enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

Sometimes, pieces are reintroduced, such as a Rectangular Tray, and re-purposed for modern uses. The biggest and boldest of these being a piece which was previously destined as a foot bath is now used for floral displays or as a champagne cooler!

Today, consumers are more confident in their interior design choices and often combine different Burleigh patterns to create a different look for each mealtime.

And, as tableware as gifts have become increasingly popular, Burleigh now offers the option of attractive gift boxes for Teapots and Teacup, Saucer and Teaplate trios. www.burleigh.co.uk

It is incredibly important to provide customers with a thorough understanding of the handcrafted nature of all pieces, as that directly affects price points, including that pieces are made of the finest bone china and precious metals used, guaranteeing a collection that’s durable as well as beautiful.

At Royal Crown Derbe, we offer our customers point of sale to reflect the handmade qualitieis of our product with staff training.

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“

Steve Rowley, sales and marketing director, Royal Crown Derby

THE LEADING HOME DECOR FAIR CONNECTING THE INTERNATIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN AND LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY

Profile Grant Macdonald

50 years of British Fusing the latest in 3D printing techniques with traditional silversmithing craftsmanship, Royal Warrant Holder Grant Macdonald London is celebrating 50 years of creating the finest workmanship – tableware and objets d’art – that’s steeped in heritage and designed by innovation

I

t’s a big year for Royal Warrant Holders, Grant Macdonald London, which handcrafts tableware and works of art for the home from its studios in the heart of London.

Not only is this quintessentially British brand celebrating 50 years of craftsmanship, but it is set to move from its Silversmithing studios in Bear Lane, Southwark – which the brand has called home for the last 40 years – to newer, bigger and more sustainable premises just 200 yards away.

Founded by Grant Macdonald half a century ago, the namesake company began life as a silversmiths, with a focus on silver and precious metal cutlery, candlesticks and other objets d’art; and with an expertise in electro texturing, creating shapes by building up layers of silver.

The brand became renowned for producing outstanding workmanship and innovative designs, both as bespoke works and luxury retail pieces for London’s famed Bond Street and Mayfair retailers.

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“Grant Macdonald London became the default choice for the manufacturing of fine silverware for the West End’s luxury retailers, and especially for custom-made masterworks for celebrities and royalty,” says George Macdonald, Grant’s son, who joined the business in 2003 to lead the workshop’s pioneering design experiments with 3D printing, and who subsequently became managing director in 2018.

The brand’s manufacturing expertise grew internationally throughout the 80s and 90s, with Grant Macdonald supplying silverware to luxury hotels in Hong Kong and Cartier’s boutique in New York, among others. But, it was the Middle East, in particular, that became big business for the brand, with commissions for large placesettings in sterling silver in continued demand.

Completing the tabletop offer It was in the late 90s when the company decided to expand beyond

its traditional silversmithing roots in order to complete the tableware offer “as we were receiving requests, from the Middle East especially, to match our cutlery to china and crystal,” says George.

With an in-depth understanding of design and finish, and specifically for the Middle East market, Grant sourced British crystal and china manufacturers who he felt could complete the Grant Macdonald tableware offer, delivering both branded collections and bespoke commissions, which ranged from 12 to 150 placesettings.

“Today, we have many partnerships with British companies, who understand exactly what we need and are able to turn around samples for demanding clients,” says George. “We often like to work with manufacturers who also hold Royal Warrants, and working with British craftsmen is important to us.

“For our most recent tableware collection, Paragon, we teamed up with a manufacturer in Stoke-on-

Trent for the fine bone china, while the crystal was hand-blown and engraved in Somerset by skilled craftspeople and the cutlery was made here at Bear Lane.”

Bespoke commissions, which are at the heart of the brand, can be completed in as little as six weeks, no matter how complex they are; and the company regularly welcomes to its workshops visitors who wish to collaborate with the design team to tailor every aspect of its masterwork to precise requirements.

“Our ongoing commitment to outstanding service has built lifetimelong client relationships,” says George.

Its long-term partnership with luxury brand Aston Martin on a contemporary silverware and tableware collection gave the brand “the opportunity to build a more clean, contemporary and international look”, adds George.

Its business is not just bespoke, however. The brand delivers its own collections, from tableware through to decorative items, candelabras and

Paragon Collection

craftsmanship even men’s accessories, in order to be visible to consumers and further establish the brand.

Grant Macdonald tableware collections have been housed in Harrods, where they did well, and its branded collections continue to grace specialist retailers worldwide, as well as being sought by owners of private jets, yachts and residences.

British craftsmanship What unites all of its creations, however, is that every product – whether a simple silver spoon or museum masterpiece, whether in silver or in fine bone china – features precious metals; is handcrafted; Made in Britain; and produced to the highest levels of craftsmanship and environmentally sustainable standards.

And it is such standards, especially those of sustainability, ethics and British craftsmanship (“We offer fairtrade gold and silver and all our gemstones are nonconflict,” says George) that led to Grant Macdonald London being awarded the Royal Warrant to HRH The Prince of Wales in 2016.

“This was the proudest moment in our company’s history,” says George.

“It’s not only a validation of our work

and craftsmanship, but an invaluable stamp of approval that is recognised throughout the world.”

But while the brand is proud of, and committed to, its traditional silversmithing skills and master craftsmanship, producing all objects by hand, it has also embraced the latest technologies, having utilised the latest 3D printing techniques since 2004.

“We can take any idea and, using traditional silversmithing talents of our craftsmen, realise it as a remarkable physical object,” explains George. “The blending of new technology and traditional craft skills enables Grant Macdonald London to create precious metal masterworks that would have been impossible to produce last century.”

It is this commitment to innovation that ensures the brand is able to deliver remarkable and award-winning pieces, many of which can be found in embassies, parliaments, museums and palaces the world over.

50 years and counting In this, its 50th year, and following an exhibition at Goldsmiths Hall last year, the brand has opened up its archives, both in order to showcase its crafting and silver expertise (the company will

hold an event to showcase its history and archives this year) and in order to inspire future collections; to tap into the current appreciation for fine craftsmanship and create collectable contemporary silver objects with a global perspective.

With 90 per cent of its business export – mainly the Middle East, as well as the US and Europe – the company has plans for further global reach with its sights set on China, Malaysia and Thailand, in particular, “where there is demand for larger placesettings, as well as for Made in Britain products”, says George.

“We recently took our tableware to the Best of British Show in Shanghai and received a great response.”

This year, the company has also taken its sustainable philosophy to even greater heights with a brandnew partnership – with ethical charity Tusk, a pioneering organisation with nearly 30 years’ experience in initiating and funding conservation programmes across some 20 countries, including Africa.

Supporting the work of Tusk, whose patron is HRH The Duke of Cambridge, Grant Macdonald has recently launched its stunning new limited-edition Tusk Collection of

Grand Macdonald London’s latest dinner service launch, Paragon, takes its inspiration from the largest flawless diamond in the world, aka The Paragon, delivering a design that features diamond shapes and precious metals.

While the English fine bone china is made in Stoke-on-Trent and decorated by hand with 24k gold; the crystal glassware – 24 per cent lead oxide – is handblown and engraved in Somerset by skilled craftspeople.

“The cuts have been applied by hand and then polished to make them shine and the glass has been frosted to give a modern take on a classic look,” says George.

Finally, the cutlery, made of Sterling Silver and with or without 24k gold plating, features an open lattice design that’s unique to Grant Macdonald and is made by Grant Macdonald’s own master craftsmen. life-like miniature and mediumsized silver animals and solid silver animal cufflinks, with 20 per cent of all proceeds going to Tusk.

The brand also created a stunning one-of-a-kind 1:4 scale sterling silver lion, Ruaha, auctioned at the Tusk ball at Kensington Palace in May, helping to raise more than £500,000 on the night.

“Inspired by the work that Tusk do, we wanted to get involved and make a contribution,” says George, “these animals have been made using the very latest technology, modelled using CAD software and grown in castable wax using stereolithography – after this, they are hand-finished in the traditional way”.

The year ahead will see the company create more pieces in collaboration with Tusk, as well as a brand-new tableware collection set to launch in the Autumn 2019.

George concludes: “Precious metals such as silver and gold, unlike other materials, go on forever and people appreciate fine craftsmanship today more than ever before.

“Our master craftsmen look forward to delivering timeless, unique luxury pieces to new generations – for the next half century and beyond.”

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Interview Cumbria Crystal

Starring role for Cumbria Crystal Luxury British manufacturer Cumbria Crystal’s handcrafted crystal is set to star in the highlyanticipated period drama Downton Abbey this September

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ritish luxury crystal manufacturer, Cumbria Crystal, is taking a starring role in the film version of Downton Abbey, due to hit screens this September.

This isn’t the first time the brand’s outstanding crystal products have graced the big screen, having featured in the TV version of Downton Abbey, as well as in films including Casino Royale, Bohemian Rhapsody and Darkest Hour.

Hardly surprising considering the brand’s delivery of sparkling designled crystal products, which are all hand-blown and hand-cut in its studios in the Lake District.

Cumbria Crystal is the last producer of completely luxury English lead crystal in the UK, boasting a team of 23 skilled artisans who are committed to using only traditional techniques and processes that have hardly changed for 2,000 years.

No wonder that it’s then become the crystal of choice for all the British Embassies, many Royal Families and luxury stores worldwide, as well as for historic films.

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“Our crystal has been used in the series since the start so we were really excited to hear the collection would be featured in the film too,” says managing director, Chris Blade.

“Britishness, craftsmanship, quality, success, heritage, collaboration, stability and history – perhaps, this is why Cumbria Crystal is used by British Embassies and Consulates worldwide for formal dining, and why Cumbria Crystal has been chosen for Downton Abbey.”

And the official movie posters for the Downton Abbey film have just been released, with one of the posters featuring a prominent image of a glass from Cumbria Crystal’s Grasmere Collection – with its crystal also appearing in the trailer.

We talk to MD Chris Blade to find out more.

How valuable is this sort of association for Cumbria Crystal?

Our ambition is to produce the highest quality, completely handmade crystal in the world and we specialise in using 2,000-year-old traditional glass-blowing processes and avoid automation, preferring to focus on artisan craftsmanship.

The strategic direction seems be working for the company. In today’s market it is not enough to offer the customer an excellent product, they need more – to buy into the story. And we certainly have that: he fact that it takes 15 years to train to be a glassblower good enough to work for the company; that every piece is unique; and that each piece is made specifically for the customer and the artisan can be named.

Understanding the story behind the brand is increasingly important and our selective association with product placement and luxury brands, including Bentley James Bond, Hamilton & Inches and David Linley, among others, plays an essential role in building customer confidence and trust.

How important is it for Cumbria Crystal to be in Downton Abbey?

Our ongoing association with Downton Abbey through our crystal is hugely important. Despite being one of the first collections launched by the company in 1976, Grasmere is by far our most popular.

Its sophisticated cutting and elegant form are more popular today than ever before and some 40 per cent of all sales across our 11 collections are from Grasmere.

There is no doubt that the phenomenal success of Downton Abbey has played a significant role in its success and the use of a large wine glass on an official poster was

a real highlight for us.

British craftsmanship celebrated alongside a great British export – what could be better?

Tell us more about Grasmere...

The Grasmere Collection has been used continuously throughout all the series and now in the film.

Designed by Lady Cavendish, an artist and one of the original founders of Cumbria Crystal, in 1976, it remains to this day one of the jewels in our crown.

Completely handmade in lead crystal, each glass takes around 10 days to complete and a team of four blowers are required to blow each piece, while the cutting requires seven different diamond and sandstone wheels for each glass.

Why was Grasmere the perfect fit?

Depending on the form and type of diamond cutting used on the crystal, light is refracted and reflected in different ways. The diamond cut, used extensively in Grasmere, sparkles well in all lighting conditions and from all viewing angles.

Combine this with set lighting and candles in a formal dining setting and it could hardly fail to look amazing on-screen. The real secret is that its opulence could not fail to communicate other lifestyle messages that directors may be looking for, those associated with owning the very best, including glamour, success and wealth. www.cumbriacrystal.com

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”

CATEGORY Giftable

Denby

Gift for life Delivering longevity, versatility and functionality, tableware makes a great gift, especially for today’s consumers. We talk category growth, distribution channels and packaging with two UK tableware companies

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n increasingly considered purchase, with functionality, versatility and longevity more important than ever, giftware is proving the perfect category for tableware companies to supply into, and more and more are putting gifting at the heart of their strategies, both in terms of product development and in terms of distribution.

Gifts with meaning “It’s certainly a growth category, allowing tableware product to be seen in a different environment and providing a new purchase opportunity,” says Zoe Turner, global development manager for Denby, which this year launched its Denby Is Not Just For… campaign (including a separate stand for gifting at Spring Fair), designed to make the purchase of giftable tableware as easy as possible.

The campaign is about showing how Denby can bring style to every room, presenting Denby products as gifts that can not only last a lifetime, but can be used in multiple ways, not just for dining purposes.

“It helps if giftable tableware is multi-functional and can be used around the home,” says Zoe, pointing to Denby’s artisan ridged 72 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Bowls and handleless mugs from the brand’s Studio Collections, which can be utilised in different ways. “Whether it’s a beautiful Denby jug filled with flowers or a Denby platter presented with delicious cheeses, Denby makes a thoughtful and functional gift.”

In fact, functionality and versatility are key criteria for gifting today with modern consumers increasingly searching out meaningful and sustainable gifting options.

“Consumer thinking has shifted and they are now looking for gifts with meaning and longevity. This has been impacted by the rise of sustainability and move away from disposable gifts,” adds Zoe. “Consumers are turning to Denby for timeless gifts that can be enjoyed every day – it’s beautiful and durable, crafted from locally sourced clay and promises to last a lifetime.”

In fact, Denby is proving to be a popular choice for quality sustainable retailers, who are looking for local designs, crafted in England, explains Zoe. “Online retailers such as Buy Me Once have highlighted Denby as a leader in producing the best quality longest lasting tableware, while our Cast Iron Casserole dishes are often purchased as practical gifts from Cookshops and our hand-decorated mugs are available boxed and

appeal to both gift and craft shops.”

Not to mention the fact that Denby’s gift-boxed tableware collections “are still high on wedding lists in stores and online bridal registries.

“With their 10-year guarantee on all stoneware collections, Denby is a firm favourite in bridal gifting.”

And when creating gifting ranges, Denby ensures every item is ‘styled by life’. “A gift must be versatile, durable and beautiful and Denby covers all this," says Zoe.

Mugs are big For Portmeirion Group, giftware is at the core of its business, with many of its recent collaborations and launches, such as with Sarah Miller London, centred around this.

“Every item of tableware we produce, be it a teapot, baking dish or plate, is giftable,” says Phil Atherton, sales and marketing director, Portmeirion Group.

“As entertaining at home continues to increase in popularity, consumers know that a gift of tableware will be well-received,” says Phil. “Homewares is currently a huge trend among younger consumers, with lifestyle influencers becoming very popular online – there has been a greater enthusiasm for tableware as people become more conscious of their interiors and

sharing this online.”

For Portmeirion Group, its bestselling giftable collections continue to be mugs, both because “they can be so personal”, says Phil, and due to “the recent increase in coffee drinking as a trend”, making mugs an everyday usable product and a go-to for gift-giving.

Phil points to Portmeirion Group's Royal Worcester Wrendale Designs collection, which “continues to impress with its ever-growing mug offering”; as well as to its Sara Miller London Portmeirion collaboration, which “offers on-trend gift options to impress, with a selection of table and homeware featuring exquisite designs and striking gift packaging”.

Packaging matters And packaging can really make all the difference and is an increasingly important consideration for tableware companies today.

“It’s important to make tableware feel like a special purchase,” says Phil.

“Those investing in our products want to feel like they are treating themselves or someone else and gift packaging is key to this."

Pointing to Portmeiron’s Sara Miller London collection, which all comes in striking packaging, Phill adds: “Striking packaging helps to make a cup, plate or bowl become more giftable, extending the look

Royal Albert 100 Years Casual Sets

Portmeirion Group

At the recently-held Home & Gift Show in Harrogate, UK, Portmeirion Group presented an extension to its Christmas collection from Sara Miller London, featuring giftable mug and tray sets, trinket box and trays, dipping bowls and a selection of baubles. The company extended its gift offer further with a beautiful line extension for Botanic Garden Harmony, including a new colourway (white), designed to create a perfect mix-and-match tablesetting with its existing heritage-inspired collection. And, building on the success of the Royal Worcester Wrendale Designs collection, the Portmeirion Group unveiled a new selection of fine bone china mugs, festive Christmas tree baubles, and an adorable pet collection featuring Hannah Dale’s charming watercolours (pictured).

www.portmeiriongroup.co.uk

Spotlight on…

Curation With brands increasingly wishing to tap into the gifting market, at the recently-held New York Tabletop Show, there were plenty of new giftable tableware curations.

and feel of the piece to create something special.”

Denby concurs and believes that while gift-boxing should communicate product attributes and aid portability, it is also important that the packaging “enables inspiration and aids impulse purchasing”, says Zoe at Denby.

And in line with increased consumer demand for gifts that are sustainable and eco-friendly, “Denby is continually working to improve its packaging and is the first UK tableware manufacturer to be able to claim ‘zero to landfill’ for all of its process waste,” says Zoe. This year, Denby has decreased the amount of plastic packaging used in its shipments and has switched its air-fill plastic packaging to recycled shredded cardboard in all of its online orders, meaning it is now recycling 90 per cent of its cardboard waste.

“Along with Denby’s attractive and informative gift packaging, the company's renowned quality and provenance of handcrafting and decorating skills all combine to make compelling gifts.”

Dunoon

With more than 1,000 different mug designs in its range at any one time and more than 350 patterns introduced each year, there really is a fine bone china mug for everyone and every occasion at Dunoon. This makes the brand’s design-led and highquality mugs, cups & saucers and teapots highly giftable.

Following great success with its informative mugs on the Glencoe shape (“its large size offers an excellent vehicle for designs,” says the brand), Dunoon is adding two new designs – Healthy Eating and Physics (pictured) – featuring bold colour and fun, educational information.

Also new, Dunoon presents a set of three designs, Moonbeam, on its large Cairngorm shape, with each mug featuring a black cat, a hare and a fox respectively, all set in mystical landscapes with silvery trees.

www. dunoonmugs. co.uk

Orrefors curated various three-piece Barware Sets – a decanter and two DOF glasses – from some of its most successful patterns, including Erik, On The Rocks and Excess – all of which are presented in stunning black-and-white packaging.

In the Fiskars’ showroom, curated gift sets dominated. Waterford presented its curated gift sets For Him and For Her, along with brand-new packaging, with the aim of “showing retailers clean and easy gifting options under the banners of Gift of Giving and Making Moments”, explains the brand; while Wedgwood unveiled giftable fourpiece curated sets in its bestselling patterns, including Aris and Hibiscus.

And new to Royal Albert this season are 100 Years Casual Sets, taking 10 bestselling and/or archive designs in the 100 Years series and curating/packaging them (giftboxed in soft pink packaging) into 2-piece or 10 piece sets, including five fine bone china mugs and matching plates, all handfinished in 22k gold.

Kitchencraft

Take innovative and inspiring products and mix them with stylish packaging and you have KitchenCraft’s BarCraft brand, which consistently comes up trumps in the gorgeous gifting solutions department. Brand-new additions, recently unveiled both at Exclusively Housewares and Home & Gift Harrogate (part of the AW19 launch), include a gin-making set, which consists of all the equipment and botanicals one needs to infuse your own gin at home.

Furthermore, there’s an exquisite brandy/cognac warmer gift set (pictured), comprising a brandy snifter, warmer stand and tealight holder, all wrapped up in beautiful gift packaging.

www.kitchencraft.co.uk / sales@kitchencraft.co.uk

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 48

CATEGORY Giftable

Riedel

Glassware innovator Riedel has introduced colour into its Amadeo Decanter for the first time since its launch in 2006, introducing three colours: Amadeo Menta, Amadeo Rose and Amadeo Grigio.

A hero of the Riedel portfolio, Amadeo has undergone various reinterpretations over the years (including a recent mini version), while continuing to retain its typical lyre-shaped design.

A new manufacturing technology introduced at Riedelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Austrian production facility has made it possible to apply the colour to large areas of the decanter, giving it a new and modern aesthetic.

Mouthblown from crystal glass and handmade in the Riedel factory in Kufstein, these decanters not only look stunning, but are the perfect instruments of wine enjoyment.

www.riedel.com

Haviland

Designed to reinvent the art of coffee, Haviland atelier has unveiled its Mini Mug Collection, creating a cup of an ideal size for everyday use for everything from espresso to hazelnut coffee to a longer coffee.

Decorated with two discs on either side, each mini mug creates the illusion of a magical eye where the pattern expands through an optical lens, in gold or platinum, with each motif encircled like a small skylight zooming in on the emblematic pattern of the Maison Haviland. The Maisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contemporary motifs of Belle Epoque, Duomo, Hollywood, Matignon and Plumes are revealed in a new form with consumers invited to compose their own assortment.

www.haviland.fr

Nude Glass

Designed by Sebastian Herkner, Nude Glass presents Ecrin, a trio of lidded glass vessels of different dimensions, the design of which is inspired by the Earth Pyramids that rise from the Ritten plateau in northern Italy. Like vast stalagmites, these natural monuments consist of boulders that balance atop spires of earth. The thick crystalline boxes are closed with blown glass orbs as smooth as river stones and in vibrant colours of petroleum green, caramel and red.

www.nudeglass.com

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Meissen

With its second extensive collection of mugs, Meissen presents a series of new bird illustrations inspired by neoclassical design: naturalistic, ornate painted images of birds that require the utmost skill and care, as well as graphic depictions of twigs and leaves. The designs from the Meissen Atelier are the result of a unique approach to the manufactory’s chosen theme for the year – birds. Each mug comes wrapped in specially designed packaging.

www.meissen.com

Waterford

In the Irish spirit of warmth and generosity, Waterford presents its ninth edition, the 2019 Holiday Collection.

First debuted in 2011, the 10-year Snowflake Wishes series celebrates 2019 with the wish for Prosperity, a seasonal theme with universal appeal that transcends geographical borders and embraces all cultures. This is brought to life with a clear champagne flute, DOF and Snowflake ornament.

A Prestige Edition Lime champagne flute and DOF (pictured) complete the assortment. The featured cutting pattern, Castlemaine, is the namesake of a town in Kerry, Ireland, whose verdant green Slieve Mish mountains are recalled in the lime green hue of this year’s flute.

www.waterford.com / www.fiskars.com

Kahla

It’s all about colour this year at German porcelain manufacturer Kahla with the launch of its Happy Cups, a collection of cups in a large array of coordinated colours, reflecting the season, along with hand-painted motifs, cheerful sayings or greetings in creative hand-lettering, providing a gift for everyone. Kahla can even provide retailers with special displays to showcase the Happy Cups and will switch the cup assortment in these displays seasonally, four times a year.

While the Summer collection delivers rich solid base colours in orange-yellow and pink on the inside and handwritten slogans like Lady Boss and Hotel Mama, the Autumn range offers motifs in a stylish black and white with inscriptions like Me Time and Tea and Harmony.

www.kahlaporzellan.com

Leonardo

Renowned worldwide as a trendsetter in modern glassware, German glass manufacturer has been making glass for more than 150 years and continues to deliver expertise in the gifting category, in particular.

Leonardo’s specialist portfolio now includes everything from drinkware and giftables to home accessories and decor.

Launched earlier this year at Ambiente, Leonardo’s Emozione concept (pictured) delivers modern yet timeless gifting ideas for all occasions. From glass cups featuring gold messages and motifs in gold, to decorative mini glass sculptures (of guardian angels and hearts), the items of Emozione carry messages full of emotion, positive feelings and best wishes.

www.leonardo-glass.com

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 48

Column Bheta

Know thy trends With difficult trading conditions continuing, the housewares industry’s infinitely positive resources – both suppliers and retailers – will be needed, and taking note of consumer trends is more important than ever, says Will Jones

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s ever, the Exclusively Shows, which took place in June in London, proved just how resilient and positive the housewares community can be. In the face of difficult trading conditions and unlooked for (and in my opinion, undeserved) challenges, such as the issue around the retailing of kitchen knives, to which suppliers and the industry is responding with typical innovation and determination, the sector showed its mettle.

With 151 exhibitors, 32 new to the show, representing a total of 275 brands, Exclusively Housewares is now the largest exhibition in the UK solely dedicated to housewares and small domestic electricals.

Overall, visitor numbers were up by just over 5 per cent with more retailers than ever attending, as well as increasing numbers of consumer media and influencers, eager for a preview of the latest products and trends.

The most important long-term positive for me was the insight delivered on future trends and I urge all suppliers and retailers to take serious note of what trend forecasters have to say.

A commercially successful future may depend upon it for we have some choppy waters ahead.

While retail sales overall are up and employment remains at its highest since 1974, there are serious issues lurking. In April 2019, the UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 53.1 from March’s 13-month high of 55.1.

With Brexit now pushed back, 76 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

the pace of stockpiling eased off significantly and new export business contracted at the second steepest pace in 4.5 years.

For a while now, the quarterly CBI SME Trends Survey has reflected that the stockpiling of raw materials and finished goods were at record highs.

There could be some uncomfortable consequences.

In a survey of 252 SME manufacturers, growth in output volumes slowed to its weakest in 18 months, with production expected to be flat over the coming quarter.

Domestic orders were also flat over the quarter and export orders grew slightly. Both are expected to fall.

The issue is that, ahead of Brexit, manufacturers raised stocks of raw materials and finished goods at the fastest rates in the CBI survey’s history. Stocks of raw materials (+33 per cent) and finished goods (+18 per cent) both grew at their fastest pace since October 1988. Stocks of work in progress were also raised significantly – and all because of the Westminster deadlock.

Such actions are no small matter in terms of the strain they put on resources and, while 22 per cent of firms said they were more optimistic, 33 per cent said they were less optimistic, giving a rounded balance of -12 per cent. Optimism about export prospects for the year ahead fell sharply again (-25 per cent).

Now, as predicted, British factories have suffered the biggest fall in orders since late 2016, gearing down from their rush to stockpile before the original Brexit deadline and boding badly for the economy in the second quarter.

About BHETA The British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) is the voice of authority on everything home improvement and home enhancement, including DIY, housewares, garden, small domestic appliances and home decor. It represents £5 billion at retail and 9,000 employees and brings together manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and opinion formers to drive growth at home and abroad. For more information about retailer and supplier co-operation, contact BHETA on 0121 237 1130, or email wj@bheta.co.uk, or visit the website at www.bheta.co.uk

“

Food on-the-go containers continue to offer more attributes from cooling to dividers and inclusive cutlery, differentiation coming from materials employed.

Will Jones, chief operations officer, British Home

”

The Confederation of British Industry has said that its monthly order book balance fell to -10 from -5 in April, below all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists and its lowest level since October 2016.

Overall, the survey suggested the boost to manufacturing from the push to stockpile was fading fast and factories are now lumbered with the greatest stocks of finished goods since 2009. Predictions are that manufacturing, and the economy overall, will take a hit while some of the stockpiling that occurred at the start of the year is resolved.

Hence my concern. So, while we weather the storm, what are the positive steps we should be taking?

As ever, Exclusively revealed several invaluable guides in trends.

The Trend Talks programme by Scarlet Opus provided insights into the influences, colours, materials, patterns, texture and shapes that will determine the desirability of products over the next two to three years; while the food people predicted the types of food likely to be popular in the next 24 months,

applying this knowledge to the specialist equipment needed.

On the show floor, 25 per cent of exhibitors showcased products with eco credentials, including biodegradable, earth-friendly, minimal impact on the environment and made with recycled materials.

A fifth of exhibitors focused on categories like hydration and food on-the-go in line with consumer desire to reduce single use plastics.

Food on-the-go containers continue to offer more attributes, from cooling to dividers and inclusive cutlery, differentiation coming from materials employed, how easy they are to clean, as well as colour and styling.

And some 30 per cent of housewares suppliers acknowledged the potential for gifting with many examples of gift presentation and merchandising.

Shows like Exclusively are massive boosts for the industry, but we are not out of the Brexit woods yet and suppliers and retailers should ensure they are doing everything they can to mitigate the consequences to come.

Show Review

Exclusively

Bringing more to the table The Exclusively Shows 2019 upped its tabletop game bringing brand-new and returning brands to the category along with an increase in retail attendance

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xclusively Shows 2019, which featured over 150 exhibitors presenting more than 275 brands, and which took place June 11-12 in London, really upped its tabletop game this year.

Some 26 new exhibitors in Exclusively Housewares included new and returning tabletop brands, from Royal Doulton, Maxwell & Williams (KitchenCraft) and Laura Ashley Tableware (Wegter), to Mepal (My Gifts Trade), La Rochere (Tradestock) and Mary Berry Tableware (Captivate Brands), the latter unveiling a brand-new collection.

“Tableware was a key focus for the show,” says Will Jones, COO of Bheta and chairman of Exclusively Shows. “The return of the Royal Doulton brand to this year’s show enhanced an already strong exhibitor presence.”

The Show proved quite a pull for visitors, with overall attendance growth up by just over 5 per cent, including an increase in the number of retailers attending, along with a high intake of influencers and consumer press.

“The show embraced many new retailers who are championing new and evolving routes to market, alongside large respected high street names and, of course, our hard-working and determined independents, embracing change from all corners of the UK,” says Simon Boyd, operations director.

For Ocado, Exclusively 2019 was “a great use of two days to catch up on trends, new products and seek out new suppliers,” says Martin de la Fuente, senior buying manager, general merchandise, Ocado.

Influencers and bloggers further flocked to the show, making full use of the Show’s Brand Showcase initiative, now in its third year, a dedicated space designed to promote exhibitors’ products to the UK’s consumer and UK media influencers.

Exhibitors particularly welcomed the huge increase of influencers to the show due to the instant engagement this generated for them across socials.

Tony Golby of George East says: “Who would have thought 10 years ago that we would have been just as excited about meeting a blogger as we were making contact with a department store chain.”

Equally popular was the Trend Talks programme and Trend Tours, with Scarlet Opus, who talked interiors trends, drawing full capacity.

“In 2019, more than 500 visitors came to see the Trend features, including teams from several of the country’s biggest housewares and SDA retailers and a myriad of independent retailers,” says Phil Pond, Scarlet Opus.

This year also saw the successful introduction of trend talks and displays from the food people, who revealed the food we will be eating in the next 24 months, helping suppliers and retailers think about the specialist equipment likely to be in demand.

Exclusively Shows will next take place on June 9-10, 2020, at the Business Design Centre, London, UK. www.exclusivelyshows.co.uk

What the retailer says…

Laura Ashley Tableware

Captivate Brands

Mary Berry Tableware

“Exclusively is a great place for the Ocado team to get together with so many key suppliers in one place. It’s a great use of two days to catch up on trends, new products and seek out new suppliers. Exclusively is one of the most important dates in our diaries.”

Martin de la Fuente, senior buying manager, general merchandise, Ocado 78 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

2019 Exclusively tabletop highlights Mary Berry does tabletop Captivate Brands used its debut at Exclusively to unveil its new Mary Berry licensed tableware range. Set for an AW19 launch, it features two ranges: Signature with a grey rim and braiding; and English Garden, a gift-boxed range featuring botanical and bird motifs.

There’s also a limited glass and textiles range, plus cutlery in different finishes and acacia wood pieces.

Mason Cash

Tradestock recycles

Wentworth Tableware Maxwell & Williams

Renowned for its award-winning Freeform brand of placemats and trays, Tradestock has now tapped into the eco movement with its brand-new line of Freeform recycled leather placemats.

Both the colours available – black, brown, tan and grey – and the design, a soft pebble shape and a rectangle with subtle leather grain, reflect a natural and rustic aesthetic. www.freeform.co.uk

Mason Cash pinpoints pink With pastel colours leading the trend board and “pink becoming more mainstream”, says Rayware Group, Mason Cash has introduced its stoneware Classic Collection Dinnerware in a fresh tone of blush pink, which is also great “to mix-andmatch with the other colours in the range, including grey, cream and green”. The colour pink also features in its brand-new stackable, textured and matt-finished Impressions Mugs, with double reactive glazing and pink and grey Embossed Chevron and Honeycomb designs.

Ecology

Tradestock

Ecology arrives in the UK Distributor Valerie Graham brings 15-year-old Australian tableware brand Ecology to the UK. With a focus on long-lasting, fashion-focused lifestyle products, Ecology delivers a look that is earthy and organic with natural tones and fluid, hand-drawn designs. Ecology ranges include Canvas white bone china, mottled porcelain, patterned stoneware, as well as vases, vessels, mugs and wooden boards. There are stoneware, porcelain and bone china pieces, along with bamboo wood accessories. “Arnotts and House of Fraser have already snapped it up,” says Michael Graham of Valerie Graham. sales@vgltd.co.uk

Wentworth makes Exclusively debut Making its debut at the show, The Wentworth Tableware Company released four exciting dinnerware ranges, many on-trend and with gold effects, including the geometricinspired Deco Dream; animal-print range Animal Luxe; Emerald Eden, which features tropical palm leaves; and exotic Moroccan Whisper paired with natural wood and rattan accessories. www.wentworthtableware.co.uk

Captivate's new brand

LSA debuts AW19

Celebrating its second year on the market, Captivate Brands, whose brands include Kitchen Pantry, Venn and Bakehouse & Co., debuted a new brand, Artisan Street, which “delivers a focus on tabletop and is all about informal dining with pieces that are rustic and organic", says the company. Think high-rimmed plates, dual glazes, stonewashed cutlery and mixed materials including acacia wood with a finish that delivers a stunning walnut delivery.

Inspired by nature, architecture and art, LSA International’s AW19 collection was unveiled at the show, delivering handmade pieces, from stackable tableware and mouthblown drinkware to sculptural vases. Architectural shapes and clean lines contrast with organic forms and feature hand-cut decoration, sandblasted texture and opulent metallics in a seasonal palette of rich brown, deep grey and cool white.

Maxwell & Williams introduces Pete Cromer

LSA International

Each colourful piece is based on an original artwork featuring a selection of Australian animals re-imagined in colourful collages. The range includes gift-boxed mugs and coasters in 12 different yet compatible designs, making them highly collectable.

On the KitchenCraft stand, Maxwell & Williams showcased its highlygiftable and colourful mug range in collaboration with Australian artist Pete Cromer. Based on Victoria’s Surf Coast, Pete is renowned for his signature use of colour and texture, all reflected in his bold collages, paintings and sculptures.

Laura Ashley Tableware makes show debut Dutch company Wegter brought its successful tableware licence, Laura Ashley, to the show, presenting its two mix-and-match collections – Blueprint Collectables and Heritage Collectables – both of which are inspired by original prints from the Laura Ashley archives and translated onto the finest new bone china porcelain. www.wegter.com TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 79

Show Preview Homi

HOMI Outdoor_ Home&Dehors show to debut With the first edition of lifestyle space, Homi Outdoor, September 13-16, comes a new exhibition project in Milan dedicated to decorating the home and its outdoor area

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omi Outdoor_Home & Dehors is the brand-new exhibition project by Fiera Milano, set to be unveiled at fieramilano (Rho) for the first time in September 2019 (13-16).

The debut event is entirely dedicated to furniture, accessories, décor, dining and scenarios for living focused on experiencing the freedom of the domestic environment and its outdoor space.

The event, set to take place once a year in September, in Milan, will represent a wide range of products, including tableware, that combine design, functionality and research, anticipating sector trends and in synergy and continuity with what the Homi Lifestyles Exhibition has always proposed in its autumn edition.

“Whether nature-based oases within the home or domestic spaces in the garden or on the balcony, the pleasure of living is in redesigning the use of space and playing with closed room versus open-air concepts,” say Homi organisers.

New solutions (objects and accessories) rewrite the difference between indoor and outdoor living space, often obscuring that distinction completely, towards a new dimension of living.

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The outdoor areas of houses and apartments continue to represent an added value, and a house with outside space offers more room to welcome guests, and is ideal for time spent with friends – the perfect place for total relaxation.

With this in mind, there is a surge in demand for interior decoration for the outdoors, with solutions to adorn balconies and enrich gardens: furnishing accessories, lamps, planters, as well as storage, wall clocks, curtains, tablecloths, candles, and much more – for style that runs seamlessly from the inside out, to the outdoor room set-up in the garden or on the balcony.

Simultaneously, says Homi, “we are also seeing an increasingly strong presence of natural materials such as wood, plant fibres, stone and raw fabrics being used in the definition of design and in the customisation of objects for domestic use – from table centres, chandeliers, cushion and sofa coverings, to accessories – transforming home environments through continuous references to the nature and the vitality of the outdoors”.

Visit the Homi Outdoor – Home & Dehors show at Fiera Milano, Milan, September 13-16, 2019. More details at www.homimilano.com/en

What to expect Alongside accessories and objects designed for specific uses, there is a progressive contamination of genres and uses that sees indoor items decorating open-air spaces in an original way. Here’s a brief round-up of products, both those for exclusive outdoor use and more general items that are essential in an outdoor space.

Tablecloths

If the table is the cornerstone of our space, the tablecloth becomes the light that illuminates it. The variety of possible prints and colours is endless, but choice can be guided by the kind of personality consumers want to give to their space. More balanced? Go for solid colours or minimalist prints. More fun-loving? Choose large prints with floral motifs or those inspired by nature.

Barbecues

The star of many enjoyable and sociable gatherings, the barbecue landed in Italy only a few years ago, quickly becoming a symbol of spending time with friends and family. It has added that extra something, previously only seen in American films, to the historic tradition of the cook-out: the satisfaction of being the perfect host; a DJ of taste in front of that special console; able to mix intense and wide-ranging flavours. Technique, patience, quality food and a latest-generation barbecue are the key to conquering this hospitality specialism.

Lighting

Whether stem or globe, there are a variety of classic and contemporary shapes to choose from. Light sources play a starring role during summer evenings and create atmosphere in the outdoor environment. The choice of styles are vast.

Cushions

In a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, cushions can decorate chairs or replace them and are indispensable when it comes to giving an outdoor space personality. Untreated fabrics are best as they are more resistant and better suited to the outdoors.

Home fragrancing

They may seem superfluous in an outdoor context, but fragrances contribute to creating atmosphere, combining the scents of essences with those of the surrounding environment, to deliver a bouquet that stands out from the standard citronella.

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MAISON PARIS Show Preview Hospitality

Maison spotlights the hospitality industry This September, design-led global lifestyle show Maison & Objet, Paris, continues its transformation and is focusing on serving up inspiration for hoteliers and restaurateurs

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he last few years have been one of great change for Maison & Objet, Paris, which has been the leading international event for the lifestyle, home décor and interior design industry since 1995.

Over the last year, the twiceannual show has delivered a new format, designed to improve visitor experiences and encourage chance discoveries. With the creation of two hubs – Maison and Objet – the improved layout has allowed for a more “intuitive experience of the fair, promising unexpected and exciting discoveries”, says Philippe Brocart, MD of Maison organisers SAFI. The upcoming edition of Maison & Objet, Paris, which takes place September 6-10, is set to take this evolution a step further with a focus on celebrating the art of hospitality, sharing and savouring.

Maison’s September 2019 edition is tailored towards hoteliers and restaurateurs, with the aim of helping HoReCa professionals explore new concepts, make new contacts and discover thousands of brands.

“Today, anyone who steps through the door of a café, hotel or restaurant is looking for so much more than tasty food or a comfortable place to stay,” say organisers SAFI. “Today’s customers are demanding, ultra-connected and increasingly aware of how their surroundings look, even if they are just there to grab a quick coffee – they are keen to explore new vibes and discover Instagrammable venues offering one-of-a-kind experiences that don’t just satisfy their taste buds but stimulate every single sense.”

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With 4,000 hospitality professionals, 30 per cent of which hail from outside of France, already visiting Maison, the Show delivers a myriad of solutions and brands for hospitality professionals.

Specific zones, structured around key themes, are designed to attract café owners, hoteliers and restaurateurs, “inviting them to cast their eye over a selection of the very latest furnishings and design solutions from international designers”.

Themes include Forever (timeless, classic); Unique & Eclectic (championing global creativity) and Today (a distillation of the spirit of our times).

In addition, Maison dedicates specific zones to the art of hospitality: The Cook & Share zone gives visitors the lowdown on the latest eating trends. “Food is constantly evolving; from cookware to tableware, hundreds of brands are helping us reinvent the way we eat, their designs providing endless inspiration for restaurateurs, head chefs and baristas," says SAFI. A further key theme for HoReCa at Maison 2019 is Home Linen, designed to shine a spotlight on the latest textile trends, including table linens, and Maison delivers a unique and diverse selection.

To help café owners, hoteliers and restaurateurs navigate Maison’s many hospitality-specific offerings, Maison has created a special Hotel&Restaurant Route. Not only will the trail help professionals explore tableware and cookware solutions from iconic brands such as De Buyer, Revol, Gien and Serax, or furnishings and design solutions from big names like Normann Copenhagen and Bloomingville,

“but it will also invite them to discover products and designs that suit the hospitality trade’s specific usage needs, including the need for customisation”.

Further inspiration comes in the form of staged areas: Designer of the Year for Maison September 2019, Laura Gonzalez, is staging a café area in Hall 7. Having already put her design stamp on a host of hotels and restaurants, including Le Relais Christine and Noto, Laura is bringing her inspirational design expertise to the café.

Over in the What’s New? Zone, two displays – curated by Maison trend hunters – will decipher the most innovative trends in the hospitality segment; while in the Share zone, Francois Delclaux is set to showcase exhibitors’ latest creations, offering the most up-to-the-minute take on dining, sociable spaces and restaurants; at Care, Elizabeth Leriched will explore the modern-day approach to entertaining, hosting and cocooning.

Finally, conference sessions chaired by industry experts will offer a brand-new insight into the impact interior design, including tableware, is having on the hotel and restaurant trade.

Triple Michelin-starred chef Frederic Anton and architect Aline Asmar D’Amman will take to the stage to discuss the design of the prestigious Eiffel Tower-based restaurant, Jules Verne; while the managers of La Reserve Group will offer insight into the secrets behind their confidential hotels’ closely cherished identity.

Maison takes place September 6-10, 2019. www.maisonobjet.com

What the exihibitors say…

Canvas Home Hall 3 Stand H9 Ceramics brand canvas home will be presenting new collections and additions to its most popular ranges (Tinware and Gerona have new colourways and Shell Bisque will deliver new shapes) with a huge expansion in tableware and serveware.

“Colour is our by-word of the season,” says Simon Lee, MD Europe, canvas home. “Working with our partners in Italy, we are introducing the Bari cutlery range, which uses resin handles in various colours.

“We also love the versatility of coloured glass,” adds Simon, pointing to its two new glass collections, Lima and Bastia, “which come in a gorgeous array of colours”. Cleanlined Bastia (pictured) comes in amethyst, blue and clear; while the bubble glass of Lima is available in smoke, aqua and clear. “The beautiful thing about bubble glass is that it has an excellent informal quality, yet is sophisticated at the same time.”

And in ceramics, canvas home launches Evora dinnerware (pictured), in four colourways (white, grey, blue and green), which boasts an artisanal quality with playful irregular edges and soft glazes, making each piece feel unique.

www.canvashomestore.co.uk

Porcel Hall 3 Stand E47 Renowned for its porcelain expertise, Porcel will return to Maison, but this time in a new location, in Hall 3 Stand E47, together with complementary Portuguese brand Herdmar.

Porcel will reveal a stunning new cobalt dinnerware and decor collection, which takes inspiration from Portuguese tiles and features the popular cobalt blue shade across white porcelain bodies. The high-fired blue is elegantly highlighted with tile-inspired patterns and textures, all highlighted in gold.

Sambonet

www.porcel.com

Hall 7 Reminiscent of the mood and prosperity of 18th-century French salons, Madame is a charming collection of footed bowls and trays by Sambonet. Light, elegant and a bit mischievous, like the noblewomen of Marie Antoinette’s court, this range of footed serveware features contrasting volumes and heights and unique colours.

Centro Stile Sambonet’s excellence in processing and finishing stainless-steel is harnessed, with innovative PVD colour coatings on the platters and bowls in Mirror, Gold, Rum and Parfait Amour finishes, as well as a fine silver-plated one. These are paired with fine resin bases, distinguished by the nuances of stone and ornamental mineral, including pink onyx, white marble, jade, lapis lazuli, malachite and black marble. Each item is unique, all skillfully matched, and delivering a wide range of footed serveware – eight bowls and eight trays.

Aristocratic in shape, the bowls are reminiscent of side hooped dresses with their stiff, tight-fitting bodices, while the footed trays are like stages for showcasing arrangements.

www.sambonet.it

“Maison is a highly international premium fair, addressing and reaching very mixed people from diverse industries, including tableware shops, concept stores, hotels, restaurants and luxury project planners, such as interior designers who equip yachts or planes. For us, Maison is a great chance to reach these diverse premium markets with our exclusive dinnerware and porcelain accessories. The fair presents an attractive brand mix on a high level. Again and again, Maison improves itself further as a surprising trend show.”

Christian Sieger, marketing director, Sieger by Fuerstenberg, which has been exhibiting at Maison since 2006

“We will be located in Forever Signature, our third time here. We were very happy with the hall last January; it is well-curated and the brands complement each other. We find Maison to be a great international platform, successfully attracting buyers interested in very high-end luxury goods from all over the world. We also find Maison helpful in building our Private Label business.

Maison does well with the curation of the halls, delivering a good synergy between exhibitors, thereby attracting similar buyers.

And we like that they make the effort to change your booth location at each show, which makes it very fresh each time.”

Karen Feldman, owner, Artel Crystal, exhibiting at Maison for 19 years

“Maison has proven to be the perfect platform for Porcel to debut new collections and products, both in January and September. As a very international show, it brings visitors from around the world – for us, it’s a window to the world, where we can elegantly showcase our porcelain solutions.

One of the main benefits of Maison is the relevance and attention to trends and the offering of the unique.”

Ana Luisa Roque, director, Porcel

Maison is undergoing year two of a reshuffle/ re-branding of the show, and while the general consensus last year was that it was a change for the positive, like most things, some further finessing was needed.

As such, some of the halls got moved around further this year. Maison has a good international pull and we see buyers from most corners of the globe. It is about the only Autumn/ pre-Christmas show of much merit that still really holds its own with a good swathe of wholesalers within our industry.”

Mike Holmes, director, The DRH Collection, exhibiting since 2015

Show Preview Maison Paris

The DRH Collection Hall 3 Stand E124/F123 Specialising in supplying the middle/top end of the retail, hospitality and trophy/engraving markets with its glass and ceramic tableware, kitchenware, bakeware and giftware, The DRH Collection will present various collections of ceramics and glassware, including a range of Electro Espresso mugs (pictured), available in six patterns across two colours – gold and silver.

These join the established and wellreceived electroplated mugs line which features similarly distinct patterns in the two metallic colours.

www.thedrhcollection.com

Kitchencraft

Bergner

Hall 3 Stand A93

Hall 3 Stand A88 / B87 New for 2019 and on show at Maison, Bergner presents the latest trends in cutlery with a wide variety of designs, adapting to every style and type of table, but all with a common denominator: exceptional quality.

Over the last few years, Bergner’s cutlery range has increased considerably, and also become increasingly known for its design and attention to detail.

Gold-look cutlery Mirror-polish with titanise copper cutlery lends the table a touch of colour and elegance in line with the new aesthetic trends.

Hammer finish The hammering technique, from modern to classical, applied to cutlery fascinates.

Engraved cutlery is highly attractive for those who love to combine fashion and tradition.

Bergner offers lines in matt or gloss and manufactures all of its cutlery products in Premium stainless steel, a high-quality robust material that provides cutlery which is durable and safe. Each collection has a specific thickness and so each is unique, conceived to satisfy the needs of equally unique users. In gift boxes or as individual pieces, customers can build their collections over time.

All of this enables Bergner to offer resistant cutlery products, with presence and a perfect balance between design, price and quality.

www.bergnerhome.com

There is set to be a whole lot of newness in KitchenCraft’s successful BarCraft brand, which delivers innovative and inspired products teamed with stylish packaging. Brand-new additions, part of a substantial AW19 launch, include giftable sets including a gin-making set and a brandy/cognac warmer gift set; as well as on-trend palm housethemed barware accessories. And from KitchenCraft’s successful mixed-material serveware range, Artesa, comes new sprayed glass barware, art décor barware pieces and plenty of new cocktail and cheese accessories.

www.kitchencraft.co.uk

Dunoon Hall 3 Stand B100 Dunoon presents Shetland, its new lightweight fine bone china Infuser mug (pictured). Tall with an ergonomic handle, the mug features a fine bone china decorated lid and stainless-steel infuser. Available in 10 of Dunoon’s bestselling designs, from bright-coloured patterns to classic patterns enriched with 22k gold.

Pictured here, the designs of Ishtar, Aqua and Belle Epoque.

www.dunoonmugs.co.uk

“

This is the first time Arthur Price has exhibited at Maison. We are selling ‘Britain’ more and more in the Middle and Far East and Maison is a good platform for our export business. We will showcase all of our product range, but in bitesize servings, in order to show the breadth of our offer. We are also seeing our hospitality business growing, so our holloware and stainlesssteel ranges will be on show. And we will present our latest cutlery, Monsoon Champagne Gold and Signature’s Henley (pictured).

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”

Simon Price, CEO, Arthur Price, Hall 3 Stand E131

Artel Hall 7 Stand C39 Globally renowned producer of luxury crystal, Artel, will present Trophy Head, a new glassware collection comprising 10 different motifs of exotic animal heads (including a baboon, lion, rhino, zebra, elephant, jaguar and giraffe), available either individually or as a set of DOF glasses. Each exotic animal head is hand-engraved in breathtakingly life-like detail, yet also features a bold series of geometric shapes that echo the prismatic appearance of Czech cut crystal.

“The original intention was for the geometric shapes adorning each head to be rendered via traditional cut-crystal techniques,” says Artel founder Karen Feldman, “but in the end, they turned out to be even more visually interesting when sandblasted, so that became the final design”. She adds: “the resulting contrast between the engraved and sandblasted portions creates a truly unique look that is unlike anything else on the market.”

www.artelglass.com

LSA International Hall 3 Stand E2/F1 Inspired by nature, architecture and the art, the latest Autumn/Winter 2019 collection from LSA International will come to Maison Paris, delivering original and distinctive handmade glass designs. Contemporary handmade pieces for the modern luxury bar sit alongside sculptural vases, stackable tableware and mouthblown drinkware in a range exciting and original shapes and finishes.

Architectural shapes and simple, clean lines contrast with organic forms, while handcut decorations, sandblasted texture and opulent metallics add tactile details to the seasonal palettes of rich brown, deep grey and cool white.

www.trade.lsa-international.com

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Manufactum, Germany

Pollmann sinds 1890

Retail Awards

Celebrating 20 years of retail excellence In 2020, the Global Innovation Awards (gia) programme is celebrating two decades of excellence in global retail

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t has been 20 years since the launch of the prestigious Global Innovation Awards (gia) programme by the International Housewares Association (IHA). Following extensive research in the late 1990s, the IHA realised there was no award in the housewares industry to honour retailers for their accomplishments, and so gia was set up “to provide national worldwide recognition for innovation and excellence in housewares retailing”, explains Leana Salamah, VP marketing, IHA. And the programme has certainly achieved what it set out to do, having recognised and rewarded an incredible 431 retailers from 47 countries across six continents in just 20 years.

It is such internationality that really sets gia apart (the 2019 gia awards alone recognised winners from 29 countries) with winning retailers hailing from as far apart as New Zealand, China, Canada, Denmark, Russia, India, the UK and Brazil, among many others.

“For any retailer, being able to say that they are part of this group, the best-of-the-best in housewares retailing from around the world, is a true honour and reward, as well as being the best possible reference,” adds Leana.

The retailers aren’t just honoured with an accolade; they also get the chance to learn from other retailers. The national gia winners (there were 30 in 2019) are invited to attend the Chicago Housewares Show (recently renamed The Inspired Home Show) in Chicago in March and meet with, and learn from, the other winning global retailers.

“Networking with the other gia retailers combined with the discussions and advice from the gia Expert Jurors affords the retailers new ideas and inspiration, tools to further develop their own businesses,” says Leana.

This was certainly true for Danish concept retailer Bahne, which has 20 housewares stores in Denmark. “When you are forced to present as part of the gia Awards application what you do – and have done in the past – it’s an interesting exercise that you learn a lot from,” says Jacob Sorensen, owner.

“It’s rare that you sit back and look at every single aspect of your business and then think about how what you are doing stacks up with what others in the industry are doing."

It’s not just the retailers entering that benefit, however, as all visitors to the Show in March are able to see a display of the “best examples of innovation and excellence in housewares retailing from around the world”, says Leana, adding that “gia’s focus on innovation motivates retailers and suppliers to think about, and create, new concepts and sharing of information on innovative new ideas”.

For the gia Awards 2019-2020, for which entries are currently open, it is expected that there will be even more participants with new gia sponsors on board, including in new countries Norway and Saudi Arabia.

The gia Awards ceremony 2019-2020 will take place at The Inspired Home Show 2020, March 14-17, 2020, in Chicago. For more, contact Piritta Torro at piritta.torro@ inspiredconnection.fi

Enter the gia retail awards!

As an official sponsor of gia, Tableware International is inviting global retailers to enter the gia Awards 2019-2020. The countries/ regions Tableware International cover include: in Europe – Greece, Iceland, Malta, Cyprus and Monaco; in Eurasia/Central Asia: Tukmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, Belarus and the Ukraine; in SAARC countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka; in South America: Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru; and all of Africa and all of Central American and Caribbean countries. To apply, contact editor Kate Birch – kate@ lemapublishing.co.uk or visit www.housewares.org/show/gia-retail 86 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

What the gia judges say…

The prestigious lineup of gia Award judges provide retail participants with feedback on everything from their business and marketing activities to their visual merchandising displays. Here, the jury explain why they selected two past gia winners.

“In this landmark store with such beautiful, historical architectural and design elements, you can really feel the history around you. Great attention has been paid to the product selection, bringing interesting traditional things into the mix of unique products that have been thoughtfully designed. Basically, customers can find things at Manufactum that they can’t find anywhere else.”

The Jury on Manufactum, Germany, a Geman department store that was a gia winner in 2018

“Pollmann has created a very bohemian, edgy store that has a great attitude, a genuine story, and a strong, unique identity. One word says it all: wow!

Everything is right about this business – from the modern marketing to the clear choice of an omni-channel strategy and the focus on retaining social relevance.

At a time when many shops struggle to survive, Pollmann is a luminous example of how to turn a future-proof idea for home cooking into a wonderful experience. Pollmann’s professional approach in treating each social media platform differently helps it to retain its relevance, connecting the store with people of all ages and demographics.”

Pollmann sinds 1890, a 129-year-old Dutch retail store stocking the largest collection of tableware and cutlery in the Netherlands, that was a gia winner in 2018.

Hospitality highs

Feature Hospitality

“Top-end restaurants are looking to stand out”

“We see growth in the bespoke segment”

Six global tableware manufacturers and distributors discuss the demands and trends of the hospitality sector

“Rimless coupe shapes are trending”

Artisan Collection Degrenne’s textured white collection

Karbon Collection by RAK, supplied by Parsley in Time Parsley in Time, which offers a portfolio of products from many different manufacturers

Motive Collection by Elia International Fine crystal glassware is just one category that Elia International offers to the hospitality segment

Christopher Oakes, managing director, Royal Crown Derby,

Goodfellow & Goodfellow How has business been?

We have grown more than 20 per cent in the last three consecutive years and have been listed by the Financial Times in their FT 1000 Fastest Growing Businesses in Europe for the last two years, and this year, in their FT Future 100 list in the UK, so I would say, we are really happy.

Where are you seeing growth?

We have grown equally across Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers, which is a really healthy spread as we work hard at providing innovative solutions in this changing market.

restaurants, we sell a lot of Bonna as it’s so durable and the company has been very active in glaze development.

In other restaurants, Costa Nova is really popular because its designs are really versatile. In high-end restaurants, there is always a mix - Hering Berlin, Dibbern, Royal Worcester and Studio Mattes are firm favourites, along with Montgolfier. In catering, Figgjo is the stand-out choice.

What trends are you seeing?

We are seeing the top-end restaurants changing their choices away from anything that has been copied by the middle or lower market. The middle market is looking for concepts rather than individual items which requires a bit more thought and individualisation.

What materials, brands and collections are doing well?

Different ranges are doing well across different markets. In volume

Tuxton China

Where are you seeing growth?

We’re enjoying significant growth within the bespoke segment. Clients increasingly want to have a unique tabletop offer in order to provide their guests with memorable dining experiences. The need for newness and customisation is deeper at the premium end of the market, where we operate.

We work closely with Chefs and F&B professionals in order to develop tableware ranges that enhance both the food and the restaurant’s design. We perform every element of the design and production process which allows us to capture the DNA of the client, which we believe is the key to our growing success.

Steve Abourisk, VP of sales, Tuxton China, a supplier of tableware to hospitality in the US How has business been?

Steady and growing. Related to the positive changes in our economy, customers are doing well and willing to invest in their business for new tableware items.

Where are you seeing growth?

Healthcare/assisted living, university dining, upscale food served casually, ethnic restaurants, and we are finding boutique fine dining is making a return.

Craft Porcini The latest colourway offers a refined neutrality

INTERVIEW Steelite

How has business been?

Despite a high level of uncertainty in the marketplace, 2018 will be a record year for Royal Crown Derby’s hospitality division. We’ve enhanced the value we offer to our clients and distribution partners by making significant investments in R&D, new products, manufacturing and, most importantly, our team.

What materials, brands and collections are doing well?

Vibrant colours for distinct ethnic menus; earth tone colours with texture for locally sourced menu;, coupe shapes without rims at all levels; thin edges for fine dining.

What trends are you seeing?

Smaller plates, reactive glaze effects, wide variety of bowl shapes, mid-century retro and boho-chic are all in style.

What materials, brands and collections are doing well?

The Art and Studio Glaze collections, which are supported by a host of new shapes in 2018. While there are many reactive glaze options in the marketplace, we believe we are the only manufacturer to apply these to fine bone china.

Our goal was to create an elevated casual experience for clients who want to maintain the attributes of luxury fine dining but deliver them in a relaxed fashion.

What trends are you seeing?

We’ve seen an increase in clients who wish to elevate their banqueting offer but may not require the use of precious metals such as platinum or our signature 22kt gold. As such, we’ve utilised our decorating experience and launched collections which feature white-on-white textures to increase the elegance of a banqueting service whilst maintaining durability and costeffectiveness. Effervesce White and Bark White are both new for Autumn 2018.

Adam Walker, sales manager, Elia International, supplier of own-brand high-quality, cutlery, china and barware to hospitality and retail. www.elia.co.uk

Rob Blunderfield, marketing manager, Parsley in Time, supplier of branded tableware (from RAK Porcelain and Degrenne to Revol and LSA) to hospitality in the UK. www.parsleyintime.co.uk

Royal Crown Derby

Valda Goodfellow, co-owner, G & G, London-based distributors of luxury tableware to the UK hospitality segment

Meet the panelists

Bespoke Collection for The Rosewood London by William Edwards Professional William Edwards Professional is renowned for creating bespoke collections for five-star hotels, including The Rosewood London and The Ritz London.

Interviews Horeca

Effervesce White Collection

Adam Walker, sales manager, Elia International: The hospitality industry is by far one of the most exciting, dynamic and challenging sectors to be in.

For Elia, our approach has been to consistently provide timeless, highquality products at a fair price with reliable stock availability. Alongside this approach, we’ve launched various new lines into our core product categories to ensure our customers can select items from an extensive collection.

SKETCH LONDON, UK

Why did you choose Degrenne?

Degrenne has a definite vision of upmarket quality design blended with excellent craft. The look and feel of the products is pure, elegant and modern. It enhances the aesthetic of the dishes and ultimately is at the fore of our guests’ expectations. Degrenne is always coming up with fantastic textures and shapes which we love.

What brands and/or collections from Degreene do you use?

We work with the following

From Germany to the UK and the US, five companies and distributors of tableware to the hospitality segment talk business growth and tabletop trends How has business been in the last year?

Rob Blunderfield, marketing manager, Parsley in Time: It’s been pretty amazing. Business is up across all sectors we deal in, as a result, we have employed seven new staff in the last year, to help with our continued growth.

What the restaurant says…

A quirky, 18th-Century townhouse tearoom that transforms into a cocktail lounge every evening, Sketch London, in Mayfair, uses Degrenne tableware.

We talk to Mikael Hannequin, operations manager at Sketch.

Restaurant round table

collections - L Fragment, Boreal Satin and Bahia.

What is your criteria when it comes to curating tableware?

Fashion, art and design. It all comes together when serving the guest.

Our executive head chef, Frederic Don, sources the best seasonal products and constructs dishes with extraordinary but simple specifications. A dish becomes ephemeral art when associated with the right tableware.

Sandy Chilewich, founder and creative director, Chilewich: With our textile table coverings – placemats, runners, and tray liner –, which are durable, easily maintained and have a unique aesthetic, our business has continued to grow over the last year. Much of our growth has come from customers learning about our custom capabilities – we love custom projects! In our own factory, we can quickly produce textiles in

How important is tableware in the success of a restaurant?

It is fundamental to create the most comfortable atmosphere – this takes into account the dynamics of the room alongside the light, music, temperature, glassware, art and furniture.

virtually any shape and size, from full table covers to the most intricately shaped placemats.

William Edwards, owner, William Edwards Professional: It has been a really exciting year for William Edwards. We developed bespoke ranges for new clients, including Annabel’s and The Rosewood London, as well as developing ranges for existing clients such as The Ritz London and Tom Kerridge’s first London restaurant, Kerridge’s Bar and Grill at The Corinthia.

We are currently producing a new teaware range for Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, Canada, which will be introduced into service in early 2019.

What materials, brands or collections are doing well?

Parsley in Time: There has been an unprecedented growth in the choices available in tabletop, glassware, bar and kitchen equipment recently, fuelled by customer demand for new and different ideas – they are looking for the elusive point of difference.

The traditional brands that everyone associates with hospitality have had to evolve or lose market share. Because we can offer a portfolio of products from many different manufacturers, we have

In 2019, we will be extending our shape offering as well as introducing some exciting new patterns.

Manuela Kufner, marketing director, Bauscher: Natural materials, contrasts, individuality, and combination options through coordinated articles are currently in demand. Bauscher has responded with its offering.

With combination of design and functionality, the Purity collection has been received enthusiastically in the global HoReCa sector – its strict minimalism is given a decidedly delicate quality by the fineness of innovative material Noble China. And with the compatible new Antique Style pattern concept – there are now five patterns – Bauscher now offers numerous variations that evoke associations with distant cultures and past eras.

Highlights and unusual accents are also provided by products of trend collection Playground, distributed by Bauscher, which uses creative materials such as wood, leather, slate, marble, and metal, delivering extraordinary visual effects. The Amuse Bowls, made of thermal shock-resistant borosilicate glass, are special eye-catchers with an insulating effect –even vertical food presentations are possible due to the easy, safe stacking of the glass bowls.

benefited from this, since we can give the customer an ever-increasing choice. The ones doing well are those that offer a point of difference.

Elia International: Elia has always been focused sharply on timeless designs and only using the highest quality materials, this includes our comprehensive collection of Premier Bone chinaware; Orientix, Glacier and Miravell. By providing the highest quality materials, many customers are now looking to Elia ranges of premier bone chinaware and fine crystal glassware to elevate their service.

Our collection of handmade crystal glasses are an excellent example of the finest materials doing well in the market due to their unrivalled clarity, weight and elegance.

William Edwards: We have developed a new shape collection, Snipe, in conjunction with chef Brett Graham at his two Michelin star restaurant, The Ledbury. The collection has a rimless design and is geared to complement his style of food, while a frosted edge prevents finger marking when the plate is set down on the table. We specialise in the highest grade of bone china and this, together with our design expertise and fast response print unit based in our Stokeon-Trent factory, are key to our success in this sector.

And, in what categories and markets are you seeing growth?

Parsley in Time: The independent restaurant market is very strong. Where some of the national chains have been faltering, independent operators

Launching in September!

Craft Liquorice This new colour adds drama

Hospitality Interviews

Craft Melamine

have been benefitting and snapping up vacant sites, offering a point of difference. Plus there appears to be relentless growth in the hotel sector.

more organic and less regimented take on tableware, each piece promising a touch of individuality coupled with quality.

Elia International: The Hospitality industry as a whole is one of the fastest growing industries and we have seen this reflected in the increased demand for product. Whether it be beverage servers for conferencing or cutlery to elevate a dining experience, Elia offer an extensive range of product for the service industry and delivers understated elegance to any occasion.

Elia International: Tableware trends are ever-changing from season to season and the exciting shifts from copperware, stoneware to colour-ware ensure that the market is dynamic and vibrant in its offering to the industry.

However, at Elia, we focus on products that elevate a dining experience and add a sense of understated luxury. From Premier bone china finished in an exquisite creamy glaze to our mouth-blown Fine Crystal Collection, the simplicity and timelessness of our products is what sets us apart from current trends.

William Edwards: We have won contracts in the first-class commercial airline sector which has really expanded our brand reach, and also seen considerable growth in the luxury hospitality tableware market for bespoke British design.

We have also designed a fantastic new range for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club’s new stadium.

What tableware trends are you seeing in hospitality?

Parsley in Time: Colour jumps out all across the latest tableware trends, with manufacturers determined to make their products suitable for any décor, occasion and setting.

Classic, stylish, immaculately polished white fine-dining sets sit alongside contemporary, sleek, black presentation service plates.

Meanwhile, both handcrafted, kiln-fired pastel porcelain and multicoloured mosaic products offer a

Chilewich: As a design-led company, Chilewich is all about solutions, and we are now offering custom textile solutions for professional kitchens – the back of the house in restaurants – with Worktops. These are fully customised woven coverings for kitchen prep surfaces. Elegant and durable, they have a non-stick, nonslip, commercial-grade backing. The Worktop debuted earlier this year in the kitchen of Eleven Madison Park.

William Edwards: The key trend is bespoke design. Our customers seek their own, unique styles and it’s our young, fresh, can-do approach that differentiates us from the more traditional manufacturers.

Although there has been a trend

Sandy Chilewich, founder and creative director, Chilewich, supplier of own-brand innovative table textiles to hospitality. www.chilewich.com

Manuela Kufner, marketing director, Bauscher, supplier of Made in Germany porcelain tableware to hospitality. www.bauscher.com

William Edwards, owner, William Edwards Professional, Stokeon-Trent-based manufacturer and decorator of bespoke bone china for the world’s leading hotels and restaurants. www.williamedwards.co.uk

What’s on the table From Europe to Australia, we talk tableware suppliers, criteria and curation with five hotels and restaurants

Crafting success at Steelite Launched more than six years ago, the Craft collection from Steelite International set the bar very high in the global hospitality tableware marketplace, and due to its success, has been mercilessly copied. We talk to Andrew Klimecki, creative director, to find out the recipe for its success Andrew, tell us a bit about your role as creative director of Steelite?

It was at art school in Manchester, after hitting the ceramics section that I knew I had found my passion.

More than anything else, I aim to trigger an emotional response from the people who buy and eat from Steelite ranges. That’s what makes for a successful range. If you achieve that, the collections sell themselves.

In that sense, my job is to make the sales team’s job as easy as possible.

global economic downturn. The whole economic system seemed broken to the point of collapse, and people lost trust in it. When society goes through that kind of shift, it makes people re-assess what’s important. People started looking for things they trusted or added meaning to their lives and personal experiences.

In our industry, it ushered in a revival of traditional and heritage menus and interiors, and interest in a rustic style of tableware grew.

How was Craft conceived?

Craft was the ‘perfect storm’ – the right design at the right time. People were looking for a personal attachment to things they wanted to keep and look after. Handmade and hand-decorated, individualistic pieces were resonating with people. I knew I wanted to tap into this. I experimented with various ways to get the finish I was after, and one day I found a battered old yard brush in the warehouse. Immediately I knew it was the perfect tool!

We used it to brush on the pigment, and Craft was born. To this day we use specially designed brushes to the same specification in production.

What does Craft communicate?

Craft really ignited the trend for rustic hospitality tableware and continues to define the category. When it launched, it pushed so many of those emotional buttons. It’s individual, traditional, authentic, has a handmade element, and makes food look great and wholesome. It has integrity.

The range is inspired by handcrafted, simple country wares, and features lustrous glazes applied by hand. The simple forms and shapes produce a unique and individual appearance, with muted colours that provide a rich canvas for presenting food. It was designed at the outset to provide the ideal platform for longterm global trends, and it’s done that – it looks great in combination with a vast array of food types and styles.

In what ways was Craft a gamechanger for the industry?

Craft’s story began shortly after the

Craft shows that plating food on the right colours and textures can enhance what the chef is trying to achieve.

How has the collection grown?

We first went to market with Craft in 2012 with four colourways – Blue, Green, Brown and Terracotta, all decorated on existing shapes from the Simplicity, Taste and FreeStyle ranges, including plates, bowls, beverage, hollowware and accessories.

Two new colourways, Grey and White, followed in 2013 (White is the most popular Craft colourway) and we’ve recently introduced two more new colours, Liquorice and Porcini to better reflect current trends.

The Liquorice colourway adds drama and is in sync with the current trend for black tableware.

The Porcini colourway offers a refined neutrality. These forge a new, forward-looking identity while also being backwards compatible with existing colours, so existing Craft users can easily update the look of their operation by adding a few pieces of the new colourways.

We now have eight colourways, and shapes suitable for all food types and environments. There are 225 items.

Who uses Craft, and where?

We export to 140 countries. Craft

is extremely popular within the European markets – all colourways.

The great thing about Craft is its flexibility. We’ve got casual customers who use the range for burgers and chips, and then highend establishments who use it for banqueting and fine dining.

Simon Hulstone created his own bespoke version of Craft for his Michelin-starred restaurant in Torquay.

Other hotels and restaurants that currently use Craft include Angela Hartnett’s Merchants Tavern in London, The Fishpool Inn, Manchester; Tanta in Chicago, Old Course Hotel, Scotland; the AA 2 Rosettes restaurant, Number 16 in Glasgow; Leto Café, London; Federal Café & Bar, Manchester; The Shard, London; The Salt Room, Brighton; and Operator 25, Australia.

TableWare INTERNATIONAL

For more than 40 years, Tomkins has provided comprehensive, durable solutions, from tableware, barware, glassware and porcelain to cookware and kitchenware, for the hospitality segment in Australia. The company has a stable of industryleading brands, from RCR, Nikko, Duralex and Denby, to Amefa, Stolzle, Royal Porcelain and Studio William. www.tomkin.com.au

NEW PUBLICATION Tableware International HoReCa will deliver the latest news, views, previews and reviews on tabletop in the Hotel, ” Restaurant and Catering segment, providing chefs and professionals in hospitality and foodservice with an invaluable resource.

Why did you choose Denby as a supplier?

After seeing Denby’s Studio Craft range at Ambiente we knew instantly this would be perfect for our customers. The superior quality and unique handcrafted

Hospitality DNA

Hospitality

Meissen White Collage Who is Meissen?

Since its founding in 1710, the Meissen porcelain manufactory has stood for the highest-quality porcelain and workmanship.

Meissen is renowned for its radiant porcelain, handmade to this day and created with pure local kaolin, and for having the world’s oldest and most comprehensive archives of historic models and plaster moulds, as well as some 10,000 different porcelain colours.

Why hospitality sector?

With gourmets and top chefs focusing more and more on quality, provenance and means of production, Meissen has, for the first time, entered the hospitality sector. “Customers all over the world, most notably interior designers, chefs and hoteliers, are becoming truly well-informed and they ask for our products on account of their authenticity,” says CEO Georg Nussdorfer. “They are paying special attention to history, origins and know-how, and with our Made in Germany products, that helps a lot.”

What is White Collage?

An exclusive range of porcelain tableware for restaurants combining the various styles from 300 years of traditional craftsmanship to yield a completely new mix of shapes. This clear-white edition draws on four different collections and features more than 50 accessories, from beakers, dishes and plates, to platters and porcelain spoons.

Meissen

Like its sister publication, Tableware International HoReCa will be global in scope and will both reflect the demands of the hospitality sector worldwide and the global offer of tableware companies and tradeshows that target the HoReCa segment, as well as outlining the latest innovations, trends and opportunities in this segment.

Why suited for hospitality?

Pure white, in a smooth or textured finish, as well as bisque textured rims, the collection provides a worthy stage for haute cuisine; while the many shapes deliver great versatility. Plus, the ware is made using an extremely hard porcelain body, offering enhanced durability, with its rounded edges delivering a haptic delight. Reinforced bases dependably aid heat retention.

What’s unique about White Collage?

In a novel move, matte bisque porcelain undergoes a renaissance in this collection. The canny combination of topical designs with items from past eras turns White Collage into an exclusive range.

Lovingly crafted by hand, using natural materials, the collection scores particularly strongly in ecology and sustainability.

Tableware International HoReCa will launch in September 2019

What Meissen says…

“Top international hoteliers and caterers prefer a design that interprets tradition in a manner befitting our own age, combining high use value with fine craftsmanship skills."

Wiebke Lehmann, trained ceramic master who co-founded Hering Berlin in 1999 and who is now in charge of the development of the international HoReCa business at Meissen.

www.tablewareinternational.com

Contact… 0000 | xxxxx |

62 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL

Hospitality Interviews

Talking tables

“We use archive shapes from Royal Crown Derby”

Why did you choose to work with Royal Crown Derby as a supplier? I was introduced to Royal Crown Derby by renowned potter and designer, Maham Anjum, who I have worked with for a long time, developing different tableware items for my restaurants.

I always liked the Royal Crown Derby classic look and the feel of fine bone china. Fine bone china gives an uplifting dining experience, due to its finesse, light weight and sophistication, not to mention its durability.

Maham introduced to me the Royal Crown Derby archive shapes, she understood our requirements for the new restaurants, and with some additions and tweaks, we were able to curate the tableware using classic shapes incorporating the modern and

“We use Churchill’s Raku range and Nude glasses”

existed for many years, a classic design and proportions that we could incorporate in our plating and the way we serve.

What’s your criteria when it comes to curating tableware? The bespoke tableware range was about reintroducing the archive shapes in a contemporary context which fitted in with the style of service that the Cinnamon Kitchen offers. The range is being used for our al la carte service, both lunch and dinner, as well as at the weekends. The style of cuisine is modern Indian, more in the genre of fine cooking and so far, the product is

Gojk Restaurant and Lounge, London

“Artisan looks handmade” A US restaurant discusses why it uses Tuxton China as its tableware supplier Why did you choose to work with Tuxton as a supplier? Service, value, durability, consistency, availability.

What collections do you use?

We use several different collections, but Artisan is a favourite. It looks handmade and is great for farm-totable cuisine.

What’s your criteria when it comes

How important is tableware in the restaurant’s success?

Considering tableware costs typically on average three per cent of sales, the overall output of dollars is minimal compared to other categories.

But, the direct impact on the guests and employees can be huge – both in positive or negative terms depending on the intended message. Pillows in hotel rooms, wineglasses and coffee cups all have direct personal contact with almost

What collections work well in Australia?

Denby’s portfolio of glaze colours work well in Australia and our customers take collections including Azure, Studio Blue, Studio Craft, Elements, Halo, Heritage, Imperial Blue and Linen.

What is your criteria when it comes to curating tableware?

Denby is a market leader for casual dining and offers all the product benefits required for hospitality.

Today, restaurants in Australia want an interesting table offer that embraces a welcoming eclectic mix.

Mattias Rooke, executive chef, Castello del Sole Resort & Spa, Ascona, Switzerland Situated on the shores of Lake Maggiore, Castello del Sole is one of the largest hotel estates in Ticino, with its restaurant Locanda Barbarosxa delivering ItalianMeditaerranean cuisine. www.castellodelsole.com

own farm and we are focused on presenting products with natural materials, so we use the Zieher products made of olive and walnut wood, the stone bowls and slate, as well as LED lights and double-walled glasses for special set-ups and events.

Why did you choose Zieher as a supplier?

I have been working with Zieher for almost 10 years in a variety of destinations. Zieher has a large selection of innovative and creative products of great quality.

What is your criteria when curating tableware?

For me, it’s clearly about the harmony of food concept and presentation.

What collection do you use?

At Castello del Sole, we have our

How important is tableware in the success of a restaurant?

It plays a very important role, but more significantly, it is key that tableware matches with the overall concept.

Afteroon Teaware Collection William Edwards Professional’s afternoon teaware design for The Palm Court at The Ritz London

Hospitality Spotlight Turquoise Collection

Designing “ for The Ritz

The design for the teaware collection was inspired by the architecture in The Palm Cou

Following The Ritz London’s collaboration with industry leader William Edwards Professional, William Edwards discusses the partnership and how the afternoon teaware collection came to be.

W

ith a passion for shape, design and traditional British craftsmanship, Stoke-on-Trent based William Edwards Professional, boasts its own design studio and printing facilities, a highly experienced decorating team, and is renowned for manufacturing and decorating bespoke bone china for the world’s most discerning restaurants, hotels, clubs, retailers and royal palaces.

This includes collaborating with Michelin-star chefs like Brett Graham and Tom Kerridge, and with clients such as The Dorchester, The Café Royal, Claridge’s, Harrods and Blenheim Palace, among others.

“At William Edwards Professional, we have a deep understanding of the quality aspirations for the fivestar community and luxury hotels, both here in the UK and around the world,” says William Edwards,

About G & G

The Cinnamon Kitchen, London

What brands/collections do you source via Royal Crown Derby and why? We used archive shapes along with the bespoke service at Royal Crown Derby, working together with Maham Anjum to design the decoration with an art glaze application in a contemporary context which complemented our style of service. I like the fact this project connects the past and the present to the future. I like the way our Cinnamon Kitchen range with Royal Crown Derby has shaped up, thanks largely to the collaboration with Maham and her eye in selecting shape which will work well for us.

designs means it will perform in a commercial environment and create stunning food presentation.

founder and owner.

“With our highly qualified design team we deliver bespoke chinaware at the pace and quality that not many can match. Our branding is a fresh alternative to the older, established brands.”

For the last decade, William Edwards Professional has been working with The Ritz London on various collections, most recently creating the five-star hotel’s teaware for its world-famous afternoon tea service.

William Edwards tells us more about the collaboration.

“We have had a very longstanding and special relationship with The Ritz London, one of our very first hospitality clients in London.

As industry leaders in developing bespoke designed chinaware for luxury hotels, we were the primary choice for this collaboration.

We offer world-class design, quality production and hand decorating, and

with our base in Stoke-on-Trent we encourage clients to visit us, especially if they wish to be involved in every single step of the process, which for The Ritz London, was very important.”

Along with The Ritz London’s new Palm Court teaware collection, we also produce the Turquoise collection that is used in the main restaurant, and the floral Forget Me Not collection for inroom dining.

The initial brief for the afternoon teaware collection was to replace the existing teaware, which had been in service for a number of years, with a new and fresh collection to enhance the world-class service. With The Ritz London internationally regarded as the premier destination for afternoon tea, they had exacting standards about what they wanted and were incredibly hands-on throughout the entire design and development process.

While William Edwards Professional provided the creative and design influence, along with technical skills in shape design, printing techniques and hand decorating, The Ritz London provided John Williams, who’s worked as the executive chef for over 14 years.

As we offer a bespoke service, we took the time to understand the provenance of The Ritz London and The Palm Court, in order to produce a number of unique designs and work alongside the team to ensure each detail was correct.

Column Hospitality

From London to Paris to the US, we talk to some of the world’s best restaurants to find out what tableware suppliers they use and how important tableware is in the success of a restaurant

Vivek Singh, executive head chef, The Cinnamon Kitchen and The Cinnamon Club, London, which redefined modern Indian cuisine in London, discusses using Royal Crown Derby tableware in its Indian finedining restaurant. Set in the historic Grade II listed former Westminster Library, The Cinnamon Club is an institution in the world of Indian fine dining, with a long history of serving innovative and creative Indian cuisine in a magnificently majestic setting.

Zieher

Castello Del Sole Resort & Spa, Switzerland

TSpiro Michas, CEO, Tomkins distributor, Australia

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What the client says… We were looking for the best country-style tableware to match our food & beverage concept, and our Chef de Cuisine Erika Tucker’s menu creations, for Montage Rooftop Grill Restaurant. The Steelite blue craft collection is the perfect match, it has been the ideal canvas to display our art, we really enjoy plating our cuisine onto it. Steelite tableware elevates the food we create, taking it to another level of sophisticated elegance. A tasteful complement to any chef’s table.

Patrice Martineau, executive chef, Montage Beverly Hills, California Product

Denby

“Restaurants today want an eclectic mix”

Tomkins, Australia

HoReCa

2

Do you see the casualisation of the tabletop in hospitality continuing? I think the casualisation process is pretty much complete and the market is approaching saturation.

It is clearly a concept that works and one that people enjoy. It isn’t going to go away anytime soon but there are strong signs of a return to a more classic, formal yet creative approach to food presentation and to dining in general. www.steelite.com

“

“Tableware must match the restaurant concept”

www.tablewareinternational.com

Adrian Pardavila, head chef, Gojk restaurant and lounge, London, discusses using distributor Parsley in Time to source tableware for its London-based restaurant.

Why did you choose to work with Parsley in Time as a supplier?

We wanted to make every item on the menu shine, so we asked for advice from Parsley in Time.

The company is one of our key suppliers and has been involved from the conception of the business. We see them as a professional partner.

They have been fantastic in advising us on the range of products we needed, helping us research the plethora of options available and in creating the identity and ethos we wanted in-house. They were very patient with us – we’re not an easy customer!

plates and platters from Churchill’s heritage-inspired Raku range. It’s a stunning collection, made from vitrified china and has a superior eco glaze finish, making it resistant to stains and metal-marking, with a delicate speckled colourway.

For our wineglasses we went for a Nude Glass range. It has a beautiful angular shape, the glass is very thin, it really allows for a good enjoyment of the wine. It’s also practical, being durable and dishwasher-safe.

What’s your criteria when it comes to curating tableware?

Our dishes are very colourful and we wanted our tableware to be a canvas for them. This is where the theatre happens, on the table, so we chose soft natural colours with different textures – texture is something that you don’t see often on a dish itself.

Designed by Virginie Boudsocq for L’Ecrin’s signature dish, Champignon de Paris

Christopher Hache, starred chef, L’Ecrin gourmet restaurant, Hotel de Crillon, Paris, a legendary luxury hotel in France “At Hotel de Crillon, excellence is an essential ingredient and when we designed the new gourmet restaurant, L’Ecrin, the art of living was our focal point – we wanted to offer guests a unique experience. We receive guests who travel a lot and are very demanding about the little details that make up luxury, so we have a duty to highlight historical know-how and the prestige of major French manufacturers.

I used to be very focused on cooking, plating and philosophy, but less so on tableware, but during a gourmet world tour, I met with other chefs who made me realise the importance of service and tableware. This opened my mind, making me more daring, willing to break established codes, while still upholding elegance and tradition.

In creating the tableware for L’Ecrin, we involved the interior designers too, all working on sketches, allowing us to go into minute detail and therefore create exceptional pieces. I really wanted every element on the table to be customized and unique. For that, we opted for bespoke solutions through different glassware, china and crockery productions. We put our trust in houses such as Bernardaud, Haviland, Christofle and Ercuis.

Tableware is the musical score that makes our dishes sublime. For L’Ecrin, I was looking for someone with whom I could discuss and build something over time.

I really fell in love with the work of ceramist Virginie Boudsocq. For my signature dish, which is the Champignon de Paris, I asked her to imagine a china dish that reproduces the inside of a mushroom. It takes her hours to make one single piece.

It’s a lot of work and each piece is different, making it unique.

After the mushroom plate, we worked on a bread basket – bread conveys the real value of sharing in the art of hospitality. I make a bread loaf that is pre-cut and the guests help themselves. It took us several trial runs before we obtained these magnificent china baskets and the matching bread plate. In the end, we managed to represent the fermentation of leaven and its bubbles in the china.

We have already started to think about other series to be produced exclusively for the Hotel de Crillon. At the end of each meal, I meet guests and it’s a real

The shape of things to come Both aesthetically and functionally, rimless plates, coupes and bowls are the new shapes reigning tableware supreme in hotels and restaurants, says Valda Goodfellow

W

e all know that style trends come and go but some last longer than others. Usually, there is a reason for this beyond just looking good.

Think Four Wheel Drive or SUV cars. Yes, they look great, but they do serve a purpose, or you would know they do if you have, like me, ever tried to drive home through four inches of snow!

In tableware, trends are moving faster than ever but probably moreso in colours and glazes and textures

apart from this, why the rimless plate has reigned supreme for quite a while now; and this is because tables are getting smaller and so you don’t have to use up the space of a rim on the table whilst achieving the same, if not bigger, plating surface.

Probably 90 per cent of our sales are in rimless products, which is pretty staggering, though we do see hints of this changing.

There is no doubt that white plates are making a return and, particularly in Fine Dining. Some of these have rims to add some frame and sense of drama to the form of the plate. When

“

Founded by Paul and Valda Goodfellow, G & G Goodfellows is a highly creative design & Distribution Company with an amazing showroom in Baker Street.

Offering a truly hands-on service, Goodfellows passion is to bring new and exciting, bespoke food presentation concepts to the UK’s culinary scene. As well as offering a wide variety of the world’s best branded tableware, kitchen equipment, clothing and machines, Goodfellows also collaborates closely with UK craft producers for totally unique products. It works with all sizes of restaurant and catering projects, happy to supply anything from an individual plate to a full restaurant concept.

I cannot think of one manufacturer that we represent that has not introduced coupes into their ranges. Even traditional Bone China producers have created coupes especially for the tastes of today’s chefs, who want the unrivalled beauty of English Bone China combined with a truly modern shape.

via Social Media and is usually linked with some twist on healthy food. If you have tried to find out what the ubiquitous Buddha Bowl is then you will know it can almost mean anything you want it to mean, as long as it photographs well!

Maybe it’s because, at home, you just put everything you want to eat in one bowl (who doesn’t want less washing-up?) or because certain celebrities adopted this form of eating as the perfect way to look like you actually eat food (when there is actually only a bowlful of lettuce artfully topped with slivers

in truly beautiful profiles.

Of course, it is much easier and economically possible to create these new profiles in stoneware but some of the new wave of manufacturers, like Bonna, are very much upping their game in reproducing similar profiles in porcelain.

Again, the lack of a rim helps this shape gain popularity with restauranteurs. The simplicity of form, whilst reducing the size required, helps to prevent smaller tables looking out of proportion.

I cannot think of one manufacturer that we represent that has not

”

The design for the teaware was inspired by the architectu The Palm Court, specifically th latticework on the ceiling.

Taking this inspiration, we c multiple design proposals to p The Ritz London.

As the project developed, J Williams visited our factory in on-Trent and personally select the colours, shapes and exclus techniques that he, along with help of our design team, felt w appropriate for the afternoon The unique element of the was the inclusion of a subtle m mica material, which enhance shape and the design of the te via a very soft sheen. Gold trim then added to reflect the opu The Ritz London. The result is a that looks quite simplistic, yet luxury and contemporary feel There are 13 pieces includin cups and saucers, espresso cu saucer,s side plates, cake stand trays and jam and sugar pots.

The greatest challenge was ensure that the new afternoon collection bridged the gap be the wonderful classic DNA of T Ritz London and The Palm Co while simultaneously providin contemporary twist to ensure collection complemented the famous afternoon tea experie www.williamedwards.co.uk

Show Preview Top Drawer

Top of the table Top Drawer, the UK’s leading design-led lifestyle and interiors trade show, returns to the iconic Olympia London for its AW19 edition from September 8-10, bringing an unmissable and truly unique edit of more than 1,000 carefully curated brands

S

howcasing everything from cutting-edge to classic design and firm favourites to undiscovered names, the September edition of Top Drawer, September 8-10, is the perfect opportunity for creative retailers and interior professionals to top up on bestselling design-led products and get inspiration ahead of the vital Christmas period.

With 10 carefully curated sectors – which include kitchenware, tableware and cookware – everyone from farm shops, food stores and delis with dedicated retail corners, to department stores,

nd n The ers and me living

tte,

48 KITCHENWARE INTERNATIONAL rs goods

independent retailers and interior designers will discover an exclusive range of brands to suit their needs and individual offering.

In Home, one of the September edition’s fastest growing sectors, visitors will find pieces to appeal to every aesthetic.

Exhibitors include Alessi, ZAIM Design Studio, BlissHome, Eva Solo, Barton Croft, Also Home, Gluggle, Hannah Turner Ceramics and many more. In Gift, Buddy Mugs, Clayspoon, Cubic, Globe Enterprise, Jarapa Natural & Recycled Home Interiors, Repeat Repeat and Rice, to name just a few, will also present their

captivating ranges of design-led tableware and kitchenware.

Craft, Top Drawer’s presentation of some of the world’s finest work from makers, continues to redefine luxury by giving brands a one-of-a-kind platform to share their skilfully-crafted pieces with retailers and interior designers. With the likes of Edit Juhasz Ceramics, Lara Gorlach and Krukker Ceramics showcasing their work, visitors can explore the very best in ceramic, glass, textile and mixed-media production.

As Pulse is co-located with Top Drawer for the very first time and joins the show’s existing new talent sector, Spotted, those seeking emerging design and undiscovered brands – such as OffDn, Geometrico and The Woodlife Project – will need to look no further.

Stand H-F15 Of Pulse’s co-location, Top On their travels around Europe, the Drawer show BlissHome owners came across a small, director, Alejandra family-run factory in Italy – Ceramiche Campos says: Fabbro – producing quality ceramics with “Top Drawer has strong graphics. They were inspired by the always been at talented craftspeople producing such depth the forefront of and expressiveness by hand with innovative industry trends decorating techniques. and cutting-edge Bliss has collaborated with Ceramiche content. The coFabbro to create a vibrant range of tableware location with Pulse, in various contemporary designs. Swish is which is known for a line of earthenware tableware featuring presenting the next a hand-decorated thick black brushstroke wave of design around the body. Comes in Charcoal, Red & talent, makes Yellow. BlissHome also has collaborations for the perfect with Rick Stein and Nadiya Hussein. complement to our www.blisshome.co.uk

BlissHome

existing offering.

"With the amalgamation of the two shows, visitors will have the ability to explore the largest presentation of commercially-ready emerging brands and design, as well as the industry’s bigger, more established names.”

Following its successful January debut, Top Drawer’s DesignTalk – a dedicated seminar stream for interior professionals and design-savvy retailers – will join the September edition of the show for the very first time.

Shaped by industry experts, DesignTalk will present specialist advice, trend analysis and spirited discussion from leading interior designers and key exponents of the craft; a perfect complement to RetailFest, the show’s flagship seminar programme, which is also set to have its most inspiring, exciting and high-profile speaker line-up to date.

Retailers looking to learn about the latest in-store and online solutions will discover a handpicked selection of the very best suppliers and experts in the brand new Retail Clinics.

The A/W19 debut of this sector has been specially tailored to give visitors access to advice and tools to help drive their businesses successfully forward and stay ahead of the competition.

Registration for T op Drawer Autumn/Winter 2019 is now open, to secure your pass and discover more about the show, please visit www.topdrawer.co.uk

Liga Stand H-C15 Designers of elegant eco homewares, Liga draws inspiration from nature to create products, including tableware, that evoke the spirit of coastal living All of Ligaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s placemats, coasters, trivets and pottery products are made with sustainable cork, which is harvested once every nine years without felling trees. The Pottery collection features a mix of earthenware and cork and includes bowls, plates, a teapot, cake stand, mugs, and salt/pepper shakers. www.loveliga.co.uk

Root 7

Stand H-B19 Renowned for its functional and cool drinking product designs, seen everywhere from John Lewis to Oliver Bonas, Root 7â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rainbow range is made from high-quality borosilicate glass, delivering delicate, strong glasses finished with an on-trend iridescent sparkle and gold detailing around the rim. There are gin balloon, martini and stemless prosecco glasses. www.root7.com

TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL 89

Show Preview Mega Show

Dining in Asia Part of the Mega Show series, the largest housewares show in Asia – The Asian Housewares & Kitchen Show – is set to raise the sourcing bar this October

I

n October, Hong Kong will once again set the stage for Asian sourcing as more than 4,000 companies, based in Asia and overseas, present their new products to more than 50,000 visitors, during seven important trading days across eight co-located shows.

For over 25 years, the Mega Show series has built and maintained its reputation as the most important sourcing showcase for products manufactured in Asia and has increasingly become a leading global sourcing event, delivering nearly 4,000 suppliers from 33 countries and attracting 51,000 buyers from 132 countries.

This confirms the Mega Show series’ market position as a leading global sourcing event and as vital buying and selling platforms and key date fixtures in the Southern China autumn sourcing season.

In October 2019, the Series will deliver eight co-located shows over seven days: five co-located shows from October 20-23, including The Asian Housewares and Kitchen Show; The Asian Gifts and Premiums Show; The Asian

Toys and Baby Products Show; The Asian Festive, Christmas and Seasonal Show; plus the debut of The Asian Sporting Goods Show.

And three co-located shows from October 27-29, including The Asian Gifts and Travel Goods Show; The Asian Stationery Show; and The Asian Sanitary and Bathroom Accessories Show.

Global sourcing What stands out – apart from the volume and of the products across all eight shows (think 3,972 companies), a key drawcard for international buyers, which hail from 132 countries (top visitor countries in 2018 included the UK, Germany, US, Japan, France, Italy, China, Canada and South Korea) – is the variety of global suppliers.

In addition to suppliers based in Asian countries, buyers can meet those from as far as Australia, Bangladesh, Czech Republic, France, India, Israel, Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the UK, US and Germany.

Spotlight on dining/kitchen Among the eight shows is The

What the buyers say…

“This show has become a key Asian sourcing destination for us over the last 10 years. The well-defined layout enables us to search for our ideal suppliers easily, while the overall exhibit quality is always of a high standard. I have met with several suppliers from China and, hopefully, we will soon seal new business partnerships.”

Asian Housewares and Kitchen Show, a major showcase and sourcing hub for Asian housewares, tableware and kitchenware that has, over the last two decades, become a regular fixture of the autumn Southern China sourcing circuit for global buyers.

Taking place over four days, from October 20-23 (which forms part of the peak autumn sourcing season) the Show is set to deliver a strong lineup of more than 1,200 Asia-based exhibitors from more than 20 countries (1,233 exhibitors from 22 countries in 2018), who will display the latest in home, kitchen and dining products in 1,600+ booths to more than 38,000 buyers from 130 countries and regions.

“Asian-made housewares, kitchen and dining-ware are the top sourcing choices of global buyers for their on-trend design, high quality and competitive prices,” says the Show.

“It’s a great chance for visitors to meet and touch base with a large number of target suppliers, from reliable veteran suppliers to fresh start-ups and newcomers to

the show.”

With a focus on Housewares & Home Décor and Kitchen & Dining, among the visitors who attended in 2018, some 6,500 were interested in Kitchen & Dining specifically, with categories on show including everything from Ceramics, Glassware and Textiles, to Kitchenware, Home Appliances, Storage, Display and Home Décor.

Outside of buying, The Asian Housewares and Kitchen Show delivers a Buyer Sponsorship Programme, whereby international buyers can receive a cash payment of up to HK$2,800 towards their expenses for visiting the show.

Interested buyers should apply on the show’s website with full details and an application form.

Registration for professional trade buyers is available online at

www.comasia.com.hk

“In order to source for our latest business focus on indoor and outdoor living items, we’ve been attending the Asian Housewares & Kitchen Show for the past few years.

The show gathers a strong lineup of good-quality suppliers and products, providing a good preview of the latest home living trends.”

Jan-Eric Muller-Metge, category manager, J. G. Schutte,

Han, Sang Yeo, CEO, HANS Global, a Korean importer

an established importer and wholesaler of consumers goods

of housewares

in Germany

90 KITCHENWARE INTERNATIONAL

The New York Tabletop Show

41madison.com

®

Oct 29 – Nov 1, 2019 Future Show Dates Mar 31 – Apr 3, 2020 10 Strawberry Street Alessi Anchor Hocking Annieglass Arc International Artland Bauscher Hepp, Inc. B.I.A. Cordon Bleu Bormioli Rocco Glass Cambridge Silversmiths Canvas Home Certified International Christofle Circle Glass Crystal House International Crystalite Bohemia Inc. Darbie Angell Daum Degrenne Paris Denby USA Deshoulières DeVine Corp.

Euro Ceramica, Inc. FIESTA® Fisher Home Products Gibson Overseas Gien

Godinger Group Gourmet Settings Hampton Forge Haviland Herend Hering-Berlin Hermès Home Essentials and Beyond Homer Laughlin China Co. Iittala J. Seignolles The Jay Companies John Jenkins Joseph Joseph Julia Watts LLC Juliska Kiyasa L’OBJET Lee’s Group International Lenox Corporation Libbey LSA International Luigi Bormioli MATCH Meissen Mepra Moser

Mottahedeh Mr. Christmas Nambé Nikko Ceramics Noritake Odiot Oneida Orrefors Kosta Boda Over & Back Pasabahce USA Pickard China Portmeirion Prima Design Prouna Puiforcat Qualia Glass R Squared RAK Porcelain Ralph Lauren Home Raynaud Red Vanilla Reed & Barton REVOL Ricci Argentieri Richard Ginori 1735 Riedel Crystal Robinson Home Products

Rosenthal USA Royal Albert Royal Crown Derby Royal Copenhagen Royal Doulton Royal Limoges Royal Worcester Saint-Louis Sambonet Signature Housewares Spode Steve Dolce Marketing TarHong Typhoon Homewares Tzeng Shyng Vietri Vidivi Villeroy & Boch Vista Alegre WMF Waterford Wax Lyrical Wedgwood William Yeoward Crystal Zrike Brands

Where the most important brands and buyers meet.

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