Image by Studio William
FEATURE
Flatware
Fabulous
Flatware
F
latware does appear to be like the ‘silent sidekick’ of the Tableware Industry in some respects. Dinnerware, Serverware and Drinkware all have a vast scope
of design possibilities. But fl atware still holds design and style appreciation, as well as its purely practical use. Just scanning over some of the product over the next couple of pages demonstrates the simply styled, to the ornate, right down to the purely practical, proving that cutlery has a equally big part to play in the setting of the table. Studio William is a company which have built their entire business on the appreciation of fl atware as an important part of the dining experience in its own right. Sales and Marketing Director Frances Bull
told Tableware International: “Beautiful fl atware enriches the dining experience. It feels good in the hand and mouth. It shapes the mood of an occasion and brings the table alive. Many of our customers comment on the well balance and beautiful fi nish of our fl atware.”
Robbe & Berking
Pictured is the ‘Alt- Spaten’ fl atware range by Robbe & Berking. The historical characteristics of this cutlery design are the almost horizontal shoulders and the elongated ‘spade’. Exceptional skill of the silversmith is demonstrated by the expressive from of the ‘ears’ beneath the
bowl. The ‘spade’ design in this form has its origin in the years around 1750. The range is available in 925 Sterling Silver and 150g silver-plated. Availability is also guaranteed at least until 2021, giving customers the assurance to expand and develop their collection.
www.robbeberking.de
We check out the diverse product on offer from the ‘unsung’ Flatware sector
The company are proud to work with global
retailers who promote high quality, design led cutlery such as John Lewis, Selfridges, Crate & Barrel and David Jones as they believe in training their staff to incorporate product knowledge into their customer service. Frances adds: “ We have found that premium fl atware cannot be sold without the store imparting product knowledge to the consumer, as there is a great difference in quality and price. Consumers purchase fi rst by design and then by price, the product knowledge is imperative to the successful sale of premium fl atware.” For Robbe & Berking, despite recently
increasing the production of accessories, fl atware is still understood to sustain about 70% of the company’s total business. Patterns on offer vary from the very classic to the very modern, but with the same objective: to create timeless pieces. For each pattern created, a vast assortment of more than 50 items is created. Thomas Kettnaker Export-Manager, explains: Even though we may only sell one piece per year, it is our service that of each
pattern we offer the whole collection of items. And each of these items has an availability guarantee until 2040. We would love to offer a lifelong availability guarantee, but due to European Law we are not allowed to do so. People start collecting their cutlery and even after 20 years have the possibility to extend or add other pieces to their assortment. We are probably the only company in the sector offering that kind of service.” He adds: “We are trying to take the silver
from the more classic period into modern times and therefore introduced several modern, but timeless patterns in the last years. But of course there is a difference between the different regions in the world. The Russians and Arabs, for example, like a bit more decorated pieces, often together with gold, while Central and Northern Europeans tend more to modern patterns.” We hope the product offering over the next pages will encourage you to take a more considered approach to Flatware and its role within the Dining experience.
Zwilling J.A Henckels
Zwilling J.A Henckels is not necessarily new to the
tabletop category. Although the company is known since 1731 for its kitchen knives, archive records indicate fl atware patterns under the Zwilling brand were manufactured and distributed in Europe as early as the beginning of the 19th century. In 2009, Zwilling J.A Henckels launched
ten fi ve piece place setting patterns to the US market to broaden its well established collection of fl atware patterns offered in sets for the housewares’ segment. Currently successful in the European market, the patterns introduced in the US were designed by renowned European fl atware designers. Each pattern is a tribute to the company’s heritage, modernized with European contemporary design elements and styling. Each dinner knife blade is forged for perfect cutting precision. Only the fi nest 18/10 stainless steel material is used to produce the fl atware and a high emphasis is placed on quality in the manufacturing process. Pictured is the pattern ‘Argo’, which offers bold geometric shapes and generous proportions.
www.zwilling.com
28 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
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