5 minute read
Hospitality column
Mauviel copper mini roaster
About G & G
Founded by Paul and Valda Goodfellow, G & G Goodfellows is a highly creative design & Distribution Company with an amazing showroom in Little Portland Street. Offering a truly hands-on service, Goodfellows passion is to bring new and exciting, bespoke food presentation concepts to the UK’s culinary scene. As well as offering a wide variety of the world’s best branded tableware, kitchen equipment, clothing and machines, Goodfellows also collaborates closely with UK craft producers for totally unique products. It works with all sizes of restaurant and catering projects, happy to supply anything from an individual plate to a full restaurant concept. Much like fashion, what food is presented on goes through a cyclical process, falling in and out of favour. From glass to copper to wood, Valda Goodfellow looks at what is coming back into vogue
They say what goes around comes around, and we see this many times in the revival of trends and products. It would be easy to jump to the conclusion that this is simply a lack of original ideas, but I don’t think so. Great ideas are timeless. Yes, they fall out of favour for a while but then someone rediscovers the magic of these once-favoured products – whether they are culinary dishes such as a classic soufflé, mid-century furniture or the dreaded 1970’s flared trousers.
Take the soufflé for instance. It is very much having a moment and demand for soufflé pots is rising like, well, a very fluffy soufflé.
It is a thing of beauty when done well and shows off skills in the kitchen in a way not many other dishes can by sight alone. To truly make soufflés look as dramatic, decadent and luxurious as they can be, we offer spectacular silver and copper sleeves or pots that really elevate the spectacle. Believe me, the soufflé will be everywhere this autumn. I have talked previously about the increase in demand for silver, which is definitely experiencing a revival all of its own, so I won’t expand on this now.
Did you know?
Soufflé is having a ‘moment’ with demand for soufflé pots on the rise.
Copper used to be seen on every table, whether formal or casual food was being served and demand was at its peak about 10 years ago. Gradually, we have seen other items – such as cast iron and ceramics – taking its place as tastes change. We predict copper is coming back in a big way, with both luxury dining and casual dining set to rediscover the visual appeal, functionality and durability of the iconic metal.
Mauviel is the last great French producer of significance keeping the tradition of copper production alive, while maintaining its relevance and place on the table, through innovation and quality. Its products are found around the world in the best kitchens and best restaurants and will be on shopping lists again this autumn. They work amazingly well for
100%CHEF Lactarius mushroom glass
Wood flat amuse walnut board from GoodfWood
Designed by...
sharing dishes, as well as individual servings, and fit effortlessly into the continuing trend for brasserie dining. We believe the use of copper will find its way into new cuisine concepts in a way which has not been seen before.
Copper works brilliantly with wood, as the natural elements enhance each other’s visual appeal as well as creating a sense of honesty and integrity in the concept. That was why it was such a winning combination for gastro pubs and brasseries.
Tables featuring wooden serveware are less common these days, environmental officers dissuaded restaurateurs from using it in direct contact with food. Think how many steak boards were used by restaurants a few years ago!
Wood is incredible. It can be used in so many ways, in so many forms that it is no wonder its appeal will be subject to reinvention time after time. We have worked a lot with wood – from using it to create anything from risers for characterful food displays to individual mini cone holders made from exotic woods.
We are now working with an incredible craftsman who is using fractal burning to create wood items that take on a whole new dimension. Fractal burning is a recently developed technique which uses a high voltage electricity source applied to wood to create natural branching patterns. It looks other-worldly and when combined with rivulets of coloured acrylic can produce stunningly original pieces of wood art, ideal for displaying canapés or petits fours among other things.
G&G has designed a small range of these items under the sub-brand GoodfWood, in conjunction with Ken Holland, to show the industry how amazing these products can look on the table. We will also take commissions for bespoke development and small batch production. We really love using wood for innovation as we know we can offer everyone a sense of uniqueness without it costing the earth. Of course, all wood used
Tables featuring wooden serveware are less common these days… think how many steak boards were used by restaurants a few years ago!
for these products comes from sustainable wood sources.
Finally, I would like to turn to glassware.
Twenty years ago, the use of glass plates in restaurants was prolific but like so many materials, it fell foul of being mass-produced, quality eroding and – it has to be said – some misuse or lack of appropriate care. I have long nurtured the wish that demand for glass tableware be revived. Amazing producers like MyGlass Plate have maintained an exclusive-level demand and I applaud their creativity and dedication but the more general level of demand has not recovered to former levels.
It may never do so, but that does not mean there is no desire for its unique beauty. Glass, like wood can be used creatively to produce unique items and adds a dimension to food presentation that is hard to beat. We have already seen a revival for glass used for dessert presentation, particularly for retrodesserts, but we will use glass in a way which will reinvent its use in dining and hopefully reinvigorate demand across the dining scene.
Across all materials we are now looking to work more in collaborative way; not only with producers but also operators and chefs, to provide unique and some reinvented products for today and tomorrows trends. So don’t think it’s a lack of ideas that leads people to reinvent or rediscover, it is because some good ideas will always find appeal, apart from 1970’s flares that is!
