Picture those many dining rooms, formal settings with precise service and classical food, where the atmosphere demands only one thing from its crockery - reserve.
Well, reserve is one thing, but what about verve? In these days of concept openings, design is so much part of the eating experience that restaurateurs must look at every angle when planning their space. And many want their crockery to be much more than just a neutral backdrop against which to set the artistry of their cuisine.
"I love all the details about a restaurant, from A right through to Z," confirms Rainer Becker, chef and co-owner of London's Zuma restaurant. One detail he has concentrated on is the tableware, collecting pieces from places as far-flung as San Francisco and Tokyo and from closer to home, such as the incredible 90cm-long dessert plates made by British artist Robin Thomas.
Though the pieces are expensive - and require plenty of training and concentration from staff who handle them - Becker feels the risks are worth it. "Customers want to be surprised," he says. "If it's innovative, they love it. They appreciate that you are doing something different - that is the key to success."
Unusual shapes aside, for special occasions Becker uses Japanese lacquer plates made from paper. The traditional technique involves gluing together layers of paper which are then dipped and painted in lacquer. As for durability, Becker says: "If you treat them properly, they can last you very well - which is lucky, because they represent quite an investment."
Novel materials make an appearance at Tom Aikens's new restaurant in Chelsea. He commissioned master craftsman Ray Key of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain to produce a series of wooden bowls and racks for serving petits fours. The attractive wood used is Scandinavian masur birch - expensive, but with a beautiful flecked grain.
Key maintains that hygiene is not a problem, as long as the wood is finished properly. Although not dishwasher-proof, the wood can be finished with Danish oil, which hardens to a waterproof seal after four days of drying. Similarly, slate can be sealed to overcome its natural porosity, making it ideal for serving cheese or desserts.
Other materials are more functional still, such as rubber, which Danish design co-operative Live has used to make the Wizard bowl, available through wholesalers Absolut Form. Michael Bruun, a designer with Live, considers tableware an ideal way for businesses to stand out. "The restaurant, hotel and caf‚ sectors must focus on their own individual appearances and personal expression in a crowded market where competition is hard," he says.
The Wizard bowl can be plate and bowl together, shaped to hold bread, oil and olives, or oysters and ice. It was this versatility that first attracted Richard Birmingham, head chef at Thistle's Royal Horseguards hotel in London. "It's easy to use and something a little different design-wise," he says. "At the moment we have them in the restaurant displaying oranges." The bowls are completely waterproof and, an added bonus, unbreakable.
Still something of a niche market, plates made from unusual materials are unlikely to become the mainstay of the larger tableware companies. Chinaware remains the main business, with the majority of food service operators requiring a high degree of functionality above any conceptual considerations.
John Artis, managing director of supplier John Artis, believes there's a balance to be maintained. "We try to push the envelope a bit, but it isn't easy sometimes with safety considerations for new materials, which have to be checked," he says. The skill, he adds, is in finding minority products and being able to present them to the wider market, so that designs don't stagnate.
That said, radical design is still possible without resorting to rare woods and rubber. Last year Steelite introduced the Sheer range, which incorporated bowls with a sloped rim that alters the perception of their shape. Framing the food as it faces the diner, the crockery gives the chef a different angle to work with for presentation.
Bob Phipps, marketing manager for Steelite, says the design team was determined not to produce just another bowl. "Innovation is critically important," he says. "This industry has become voracious in its demand for ideas." The fashion culture, he considers, will always have an effect on food service, and off-the-wall designs will lead the way forward. "We have to keep up," he adds.
Villeroy & Boch is another company that recognises the importance of innovation in design, and national sales manager Glenn Ewart believes small companies offering unique designs have their place. "The design of china is critical to today's hospitality industry, as most people eat immediately with their eyes, so the presentation of the food is paramount, and a design that complements that is a must," he says. "As the market develops there is a need to be flexible and offer unique designs, but this need has to be balanced against availability of product, so the customer has peace of mind of continuity. Although Villeroy & Boch concentrates on china production across its 23 factories in Europe, we have responded to the market by producing designs in glass, stainless steel and even stone - these can give an added dimension to the ranges available but also give peace of mind as far as quality and continuity are concerned."
Larger manufacturers can maintain some flexibility by offering a bespoke design service. Though the likes of Steelite can't change a mould to create individually shaped pieces, they can put a custom design on as few as 300 plates if it is simply an on-glaze colour decoration, or 600 pieces if a badge or logo is required under the glaze.
That can be a bonus for dining establishments which, according to Sonya Bateman, marketing manager at equipment wholesaler AFE Online, now have to satisfy the increased design awareness of a new generation of diners. "The majority of diners are aware of designer tableware and unusual colours and designs and are buying into an aspirational identity that they have come to expect in both in- and out-of-home dining experiences," she says.
Greater disposable incomes, she adds, mean the consumer now has a more informal attitude to dining, and this shift in approach to dining out, away from birthdays and anniversaries only, means establishments can move away from the round and white standard.
Vanessa Carter, brand manager with Churchill, believes that the different cuisines that have emerged in the British dining-out experience have helped to drive design: "We work closely with chefs and end-users to look at different food trends - be it Mexican, Japanese or European - and the way that those foods can be presented."
But she maintains that although restaurateurs nowadays like to include three or four unique pieces to liven up the dining room, the white plate will always sell the most: "People want simple shapes that will enhance the food. Our core business will always be white, it's just that people will look to other shapes for differentiation." That innovation is mirrored in the company's X-Squared range, a set of square shapes with rounded corners.
For Elia, which launched its first range of crockery with four shapes and six patterns in fine and bone china at the beginning of the year, modern though not too fashionable as to date quickly is the philosophy behind the design. "Both shapes and decorations should be simple, contemporary and not at all stuffy," says sales director Paul Shute. "We have looked closely at the themes being used by interior designers and have created shapes and decorations that blend seamlessly with modern styles."
Tableware supplier and manufacturer Chomette's business development director Paul Bridgman also believes that larger companies must strike a balance between innovation and functionality. "We have a constant call from customers to produce something new, but we find, when it comes to practicality, things have to be reined in."
That said, he adds that the company's designers are constantly out looking at the work of other artists and smaller tableware manufacturers to pick up fresh ideas for where contemporary design is moving. "You have always got to innovate to stay competitive," he says.
Contacts
Absolut Form 020 8731 3730
AFEOnline www.afeonline.net homette 020 8877 7000
Churchill 01782 577566
Dudson 01782 819337
Elia 020 8998 2100
John Artis 020 8391 5544
Ray Key 01386 830142
Steelite 01782 821000
Villeroy & Boch 020 8871 0011