Category Melamine
Material matters
While it may not be considered the most glamorous of materials to make collections in, melamine has its place in the market. TI takes a closer look… Beatriz Ball, founder of Beatriz Ball, produces a range of products in melamine. She gives her take on the material… With the outdoor living season just around the corner, what really are the advantages of melamine? In today’s tableware market “casual” and “everyday” rules, and melamine -- with its ease of use, durability, and great price points -- is a fastgrowing category. With the increased interest in multifunctional products, melamine seems the perfect product for the moment. Would you describe melamine as a growth category? Melamine is decidedly on the rise. The price points are very attractive for a product so versatile and attractive. The fact that melamine is dishwasher safe, food safe, BPA and PABA free are additional pluses.
Question corner with... Utopia’s Josh Rammell Would you describe melamine as a growth category? “Utopia has seen increased demand for melamine products recently. Especially in market segments like fast casual, outdoor catering and institutional settings, where functionality and durability are the paramount considerations. Improvements in the design and quality of melamine products have also contributed to this expansion in popularity, with more products available for a broader range of businesses that are looking for stylish, practical alternatives to plateware made with traditional materials.”
Is there an element of snobbery in the industry about melamine products, and is it deserved? When I first explored expanding into melamine, more than six years ago, most told me not to do it. The consensus was that the category was too low-end, a mere commodity, but I saw the possibilities and I persisted. I set about reinventing the category, offering unique shapes and textures to what was until then generally a flat product line, full of stock forms and kitschy decals. For our first collections, I focused on our iconic shapes from my metal line. The pieces were immediate bestsellers, and one design was named one of Oprah’s Favourite Things just months after the launch. Because our pieces are so handsome and substantial, with such attractive forms and special surfaces, often confused with handmade ceramic items, we called the collection Luxury Melamine.
Gibson Home
Arthur Krupp
Introducing Gibson Home’s 12-piece melamine dinnerware sets. Melamine is definitely a growth category. Gibson Home believes the snobbery around melamine is fading, and melamine is rightly being considered not only as functional but an attractive addition to any party. People are seeing the many advantages: easy cleanup, break-resistant, and lightweight, with a versatile colour palette. Gibson Home’s melamine dinnerware offers great variety from the matte blue, teal, and green of the Rockabye collection to the earthy rose and sage of the stackable Canyon Crest collection.
Arthur Krupp introduces a full table range made of melamine, an extremely contemporary material that has been rediscovered, especially in the outdoor sector, because of its lightweight and resistance. Mosaic collection expresses a distinctive style that plays with the most classic of decorative techniques in a contemporary, trendy and impressive mood. This collection, as if it were floating in clear water, is marked by a freshness of colour that - from blue to white, through turquoise and emerald-green tones - gives an unusual luminous and crystalline appearance to the table. The refined matt finish, the clean design and the stackability of each element are features that come together with melamine’s own properties of strength and lightweight. This Arthur Krupp collection is perfect for poolside service or outdoor living.
www.gibsonhomewares.com 62 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
www.arthurkrupp.com