What’s new in kitchenware? This is the heart of the matter. The options are as numerous and varied as the catering establishments themselves, but there are certain general trends that begin (and probably end) with sustainability and a look towards nature. If you want to find out the latest news, don’t miss HOSTELCO 2020; in the meantime, here’s a preview of the interesting things you’ll find there.
Sustainability: green, there’s no other way
It’s not enough to combat food waste, to promote local products and to increase the number of vegetarian dishes; being green is an attitude that is demonstrated on the menu of a restaurant and in its containers and packaging. In terms of delivery times, take-aways, catering and requests to “put this in a bag”, it’s essential to use single-use products, as long as they’re not made of plastic. There’s no excuse for using this accursed material any longer.
For example, under the Simply Nature brand, Distribuidora Joan manufactures a list of more than 1,000 fully vegetable-sourced products that are completely compostable and environment-friendly. They are produced using different materials: palm leaves collected from the ground and not pulled off trees, sugar cane biomass, PLA (the natural lactic acid obtained by fermenting starch derived from sugar cane, with which transparent cups, glasses and containers are just the ticket – they look like plastic), CPLA (crystallized polylactic acid, produced by crystallizing PLA and resistant to extreme heat, for making cutlery), wood and cellulose from protected forests and bamboo, which is used to make durable containers and not the kind consumed by pandas.
The result: a wide range of bowls, plates, trays, glasses, cups and dishes that are environmentally friendly, produced in a fair way and fully biodegradable with very modern designs. Cute but chic.
Looking out to sea, I dreamt…
And how are tables at swanky restaurants “dressed”? The latest trend is to look out to sea. For example, the Maré Alta tableware produced by Vista Alegre and developed by Polish designer Magdalena Kraska is inspired by Portuguese cuisine and the coastline. Its dishes, with an intense shine, reproduce the effect of the rising tide when the water reaches its highest level.
The sea also inspires Taffoni, the latest launch by Pordamsa, which imitates the texture of rocks created by wind erosion and sea salt. Its organic shape clearly evokes marine environments. There are a total of eight white porcelain pieces whose delicate and irregular shapes shouldn’t deceive you: they’re functional, resistant and stackable for today’s catering, as they should be.
Breaking the moulds
When it seemed that everything in tableware had been invented, even the squaring of the circle, manufacturers are surprising us by breaking moulds.
Vista Alegre has directly chosen to “split” the circle with Sigma, an exclusive piece for high-end catering with a huge visual impact that will leave no one indifferent. Inspired by the art of origami, Sigma is a plate that gives the sensation of movement without any loss of stability, with circular lines that create different spaces for the layout of the food. More than one chef’s dream, for sure.
Bilbao designer Ana Roquero from Cookplay, decided to grow with her new Gochi tableware, raising the horizontal plane and vertically elevating receptacles, giving them a sculptural form. The result: coquettish pieces with different silhouettes, different finishes and limited editions. Snowman, the first collection she’s launched, is made of biscuit-white porcelain in four sizes. A real indulgence.
Japanese or Scandinavian?
Or, better, Japanese-Scandinavian. These two styles, currently very popular in every fashion and lifestyle magazine, merge to perfection in the Shiro collection by Schönwald, the firm that distributes Guerrero Claude in Spain. Its striking coupé pieces are noteworthy due to their particularly broad edges, giving the table a new and more powerful appearance. The collection includes both plain and embossed plates, which prove very elegant when combined with one another. It’s highly modern and multi-functional tableware, as it’s ideally suited to different environments, ranging from a farmhouse restaurant to a more select establishment.
Things change if you give them colour. How about some trendy shades like water green or pearl grey? Tableware becomes Shiro Glaze and acquires a more rustic and artisan nature. Combined with other materials such as wood, stoneware and metal, it gives crockery a breath of fresh air.
Pick up your shovels
And a very original idea to impress diners: the set of Kelda plates in the shape of a shovel presented by Vega. Round and square porcelain shovels that are stackable and easy to store and carry, even with these unusual shapes. Suitable for dishwashers and microwaves, they fit perfectly into the firm’s Arona porcelain series.
The genius of a hole
The best ideas are usually the (apparently) simplest ones. Like the famous cloths or liners for Cubidrap ice buckets made by Texia, with a proverbial hole to insert them through the neck of the bottle to prevent slippery knots. Now they’re called Cheers Drap and made using 100% cotton and their circular opening fits perfectly into the neck of the bottle, preventing any annoying dripping. The new collection is launched in attractive prints and seasonal colours so as to fit in with the image of each establishment. And they’re seamless to prevent any accumulation of germs.
From the hob to the table
Another of the trends in kitchenware that have come to stay is its entering the dining room. Cocottes, casserole dishes, pans and woks are entering the dining room directly from the kitchen, ready to be admired as much as their contents. This is the case of the new Foret professional woks and paella dishes presented by Inoxibar and made with forged aluminium. Please note that they’re made for cooking; their diffuser bottom is suitable for all kinds of heat (including induction) and they have a double non-stick Xylna layer that’s PFOA-free. They can be washed in dishwashers and their soft-touch imitation wood handles make them particularly attractive. Notice the stainless steel mini-pans made for cooking and table serving too. They have rod handles and are suitable for dishwashers.
All these new products, among many others, will be on display at Hostelco 2020, a key event for the catering industry which, together with Restaurama, Alimentaria’s foodservice trade fair, will occupy a surface area of over 30,000 m2 and bring together a total of more than 800 exhibitor companies and 47,500 visitors from the Horeca channel alone. We’ll see you from 20th to 23rd April in Barcelona.
Marta Renovales (Horeca Professional)