Profile Royal Crown Derby
Oscillate Collection Bespoke collection for Bettys Tearooms Bespoke collection for The Dorchester
Royal Crown Derby delivers bespoke tableware to global hospitality market With a reputation for creating custom-made high-quality tableware for high-end hospitality destinations like The Dorchester and Warwick Castle Royal Crown Derby is setting its hospitality sights on the global market
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enowned English fine bone china manufacturer, Royal Crown Derby, has a long-established status for combining the highest level of craftsmanship and design excellence to produce the finest tableware, giftware and intricate artistry vases, as well as a reputation built on being creators and innovators. There are no signs of this reputation abating in 2016, with the brand moving into the Scènes D’Intérieur gallery at Maison et Objet, Paris in January, launching two new patterns – Oscillate and Broadway – to great acclaim, followed by a triumphant event at Ambiente Frankfurt in February, where it once again joined forces with parent company Steelite International to showcase its current collections and luxury bespoke service to the global high-end hospitality sector. No small part of Royal Crown Derby’s innovative reputation comes from its distinguished history of creating unique custom-made quality commissions for clients including royalty, VIPs, dignitaries and highend hospitality destinations, which include, most recently, The Dorchester, London; Bettys Tearooms; The Waldorf Hilton London; and Warwick Castle. With pieces executed by skilled artisans using traditional methods, the highest standards of perfection are achieved to meet clients’ expectations; and Royal Crown Derby’s wealth of heritage and design archives ensure it offers an abundance of creative luxury
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solutions to its esteemed clientele. Expertly managed by an inhouse design team to ensure the utmost discretion and efficiency, from commission right through to completion, the bespoke service is offered to private clients, highend luxury brand hotel and dining establishments and interior design consultants specialising in luxury jets, yachts and private residencies. Andrew Klimecki, creative director for Royal Crown Derby, says; “Luxury is increasingly becoming defined by handcrafted, bespoke design and, thanks to the skill of our dedicated artisans, we have an opportunity at Royal Crown Derby to offer this service direct to our clients.” It was the heritage and artisanship of Royal Crown Derby that really forged the collaboration with the iconic Bettys Tearooms, which commissioned the fine bone china perfectionists to create tableware for its indulgent, reservationonly ‘Lady Betty’ Afternoon Tea, which is offered in the Imperial Room, Harrogate or the Belmont Room, York. The collection, designed exclusively by Andrew Klimecki was inspired by a tea leaf design discovered in the extensive Royal Crown Derby pattern archives, which dates back to Bettys’ founding year, 1919, and features a dual-branded backstamp. “Our shared British heritage focus on artisanship and our mission to deliver the experience of luxury and indulgence to our customers created a clear synergy for this collaboration,” says Christopher Oakes, sales & marketing
director of Royal Crown Derby. “We worked closely with the team at Bettys throughout our bespoke programme, from design consultation and pattern development through to durability testing in our in-house laboratory, and we are extremely proud of this new union between two established British heritage brands.” A commission in 2015 by five-star hotel, The Dorchester, London, to create a bespoke 15-piece banqueting china collection, also saw the brand deliver its largest ever order to date within the luxury hospitality market. Each piece in the collection features an exclusively-created bespoke design incorporating 22k gold triangular stars inspired by the luxury hotel’s crystal chandeliers, as well as spirals reminiscent of those on the carpets of the Crystal Suite and is finished with a backstamp bearing the five-star hotel’s name and logo. Christopher adds: “Our recent partnerships with Bettys Tearooms and The Dorchester, as well as our existing clients, such as The Waldorf Hilton London and Warwick Castle, mark a definitive move into the luxury hospitality sector for Royal Crown Derby. “Response to our new patterns, shapes and bespoke service at both Maison et Objet, Paris, and Ambiente in the opening months of the year has only strengthened our position as the leading provider of luxury, bespoke tableware for the hospitality and food service industry, as well as private individuals and interior designers.
“We believe that 2016 will be an exciting year for Royal Crown Derby and we are looking forward to growing our relationships with existing clients, as well as forging new partnerships with future clients.” Welcoming a creative approach to the experience of creating bespoke tableware and luxury giftware, the Royal Crown Derby design team provides on-site design consultations and works closely with each client to ensure every commission is tailor-made to a patron’s unique and exacting requirements. The process begins by understanding the clients’ requirements and ideas, before progressing inspiration through design proposals and alternatives, including consideration of pattern, colour and shape. Only when the client is entirely happy with the proposed shapes and patterns will a project move towards completion. As well as the full bespoke service, a wide range of existing patterns can also be customised, personalised with monograms and crests, or simply colour-matched to their personal preference using Royal Crown Derby’s in-house colouring service, catering for the diverse needs of the most exacting private clients, finest hotels, restaurants and dining establishments. Royal Crown Derby supplies the retail and hospitality sectors in over 50 countries. For further information, contact Royal Crown Derby sales on +44 (0)1332 268 901 or email enquiries