The Tableware Collection

In celebration of the tableware collection, The New Craftsmen collaborated with Honey & Co. founders Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, The Beaumont Hotel’s pastry chef Antonia Salmon, and La Grotta Ices founder Kitty Travers, to create unique recipes inspired by these pieces.

“The collaboration between maker and chef was about finding the similarities between craft and food and understanding how they combine to create a shared language,” explains The New Craftsmen’s Creative Director Catherine Lock.

“There is an ever-growing need for people to understand where things come from – whether that be materials or ingredients. This, combined with the sensuality and tactility of food provides the foundation to tell a visual story, but also a story of provenance.

“The pairing of tableware and chefs helps contextualise the unique and contemporary pieces that our makers have created.”

Arjan van Dal's new Mezze Platter, featuring bespoke dishes by Honey & Co.

Honey & Co. Founders Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich have created a menu inspired by the works of Arjan van Dal and Akiko Hirai. Dutch-born ceramicist Arjan van Dal uses porcelain when creating his pieces, for its plasticity, smoothness and adaptability to pigmentation. The bright colours of his Mezze Platter inspired Sarit and Itamar to create a courgette, pistachio and apricot salad; roasted aubergines, peppers & shallots and tahini yogurt sauce; and a Labaneh with spring vegetables. Honey & Co. have also created a lentil soup with raw tahini drizzle, in response to Arjan’s large Bibendum Bowl and Pedestal.

“I absolutely love Arjan's use of colour and clean lines”, reveals Sarit. “Our rustic and honest food just shines when it is placed on a such a clear honest and perfect background. When we were talking about our restaurant requirements it became clear that the market is in need of something that suits this new style of sharing cuisine and Arjan jumped in the challenge."

Sarit and Itamar were also inspired by Akiko Hirai, who’s work explored the juxtaposition of coarse clay and translucent glaze to create unique pieces that celebrate imperfections of the craft. A BBQ tahini roasted aubergine with jewelled rice salad has been created for Akiko’s Grey Speckle Oval Plate, and a feta and honey cheesecake on a kadaif pastry base has been created for the Small Plate.

Itamar elaborates on his fondness of our maker, and how she inspired his recipes, stating "Akiko’s style is everything I love about pottery, the rustic Japanese look that at first sight may seem simple has layers of complexity and perfection. I call it uptight rustic, and I think my food and these two dishes I have chosen especially show exactly that. Looking simple but carrying layers of flavour and attention to detail that has mimicked Akiko’s lovely style, the BBQ aubergine a Middle Eastern interpretation of the very classic Japanese dish using sesame paste and roasted aubergine and the cheesecake is inspired by deconstructing a dish in order to make it amazing."

In celebration of John Wheeldon’s new Georgiana collection, The Beaumont Hotel’s pastry chef, Antonia Salmon, has created several new cake recipes which draw influence from John’s 18th Century creamware-inspired pieces. Influenced by the work of ceramic pioneers such as Josiah Wedgewood, Thomas Whieldon and William Greatbach, who transformed a cottage industry into a global movement, John’s inspiration also comes from his years spent learning the craft in Stoke-on-Trent, which also happens to be the birthplace of pastry chef Antonia. The synergy between these makers has resulted in a collaboration which speaks to 18th Century British heritage. The first recipe created by Antonia is a Whisky Fruit Cake Recipe – a relatively simple and extremely moist boozy fruit cake. Fruit cakes have been traditionally made for many centuries, some extremely elaborate with many different fruits, liquors and flavourings, depending on exactly where they originated.

Also featured in the collaboration are Queen’s cakes; flavoured with mace, orange flower water, rose water and lemon rind. The earliest recipe for the cake appears to have been devised by Robert Smith in 1724 in his book ‘Court Cookery: or the Complete English Cook’. John’s creamware also inspired chef Antonia to create some Fat Rascals – a 19th Century teacake originating from Yorkshire, filled with butter and cream. Just as Wheeldon’s collection offers a contemporary slant on traditional creamware designs, taking on fresh hues and more modern forms; Antonia’s dessert recipes have also been lightened for a more modern palate.”

Kitty Travers specialises in seasonal plant and real dairy ice cream

The third of our three chef’s is Kitty Travers of La Grotta ices, who has developed some vibrant ice cream and sorbet recipes in response to our glassware makers Jochen Holz, Michael Ruh, and one of The New Craftsmen’s newest makers, Christine Milne.

Christine Milne talks of process and the inspiration behind her collection, “I heat borosilicate glass over a torch to produce a range of glassware for the table. Time behind the torch has developed my skills and techniques, allowing me to work with the hot glass in a freehand, confident style. Working in hot glass is a dance with a familiar friend. An amazing dynamic, fluid medium where gravity constantly pulls on the glass as it passes through the flame, where temperature, air pressure, centrifugal forces and the flame itself work as tools to help shape the glass right up to the last burl of the dance. I hope my work embodies something of the spirit and energy of its making.”

The spirit of these glasses is reflected in Kitty’s recipes which incorporate tarocco & orange blossom sorbet, raspberry & fig leaf sorbet, Iranian pistachio ice cream and a fun apricot & rose petal refresher.

View the tableware collection online.