Spotlight

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Innovation from Tradition

Combining 130 years of tradition with glass-making expertise using state-of-the-art technology, Stölzle Lausitz continues to raise the bar for quality, design and innovation.

Words: Jenna Campbell

It was an abundance of wood, quartz, sand, limestone and clay that spearheaded the development of the first local glassworks in Lausitz in Germany over 500 years ago. Today, Stölzle Lausitz, a company whose own history dates back to 1889, is one the leading producers of high-quality, lead-free crystal glass and exports around 40 million drinking glasses every year, with over 400 employees producing, decorating and packing a range of stem glasses, tumblers, decanters and carafes.

“Innovation from tradition – that is the origin of our work,” explains Jan Zschiesche, Head of Export at Stölzle Lausitz. “A tradition of 130 years combined with glass manufacturing competence using state-of-the-art technology and a healthy structure makes us a reliable partner with a very competitive position in our industry.” With professional design and hi-tech production, we guarantee optimum function and elegance of our products. Due to the high durability, dishwasher safety, brilliance and excellent price-quality ratio our glasses meet the requirements for products for both home and professional use in the hotel, restaurant and catering business environments.”

Having developed its offering at the heart of the German glass industry, the company has become a trusted supplier to many of the world’s very best hotels, working with brands including Hyatt, Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International to help implement beverage and bar concepts. “Our aim is to offer customers an individual solution tailored to their needs,” notes Zschiesche. “This includes the individual adaptation of existing collections and the opportunity to decorate glasses in bespoke from logos to cuts and colour combinations.”

The manufacturer is also one of only a handful to have mastered the production of machine-pulled and melted stems, resulting in more durable pieces that mimic the features and elegance of mouthblown glasses. The stemware has a feeling of quality, sits pleasantly in the hand and has a high-breakage resistance. “Despite the machine-drawn stem, our glasses are characterised by a sheer rim and a thinwalled goblet. The design of the glasses follows the function – it should bring out the very best in wine,” explains Zschiesche. With a portfolio that encompasses 11 stemware collections, from standard to premium ranges and boasting both classic and contemporary designs, Stölzle continue to raise the bar for glassware design, responding to new trends and working in collaboration with its partners at every stage of the process.

“Our inspiration arises mainly from the close contact we have with our customers, which gives us a good insight into the market,” reflects Zschiesche. “Together with sommeliers, drink experts and designers we develop new shapes and production techniques for new collections, and as part of the development process we try out as many as possible, using various samples to find the best design.”

Continuing to push the boundaries of form and function, some of its more recent collections, including the Highlight series, enhance the glassmaker’s longstanding reputation for optimum performance and timeless style. The range features a new concept installed in the base, which illuminates the stem to create a particularly atmospheric lighting effect. Other additions to its portfolio include Starlight, a series of wine glasses that almost blurs the line to mouthblown glasses thanks to its stem design; Swing and Twist, two new champagne bowls, which follow the shape of the Quatrophil collection; and Club and Manhattan, two cuts within the New York Bar series, which have won a Tableware International Award of Excellence.

Set against a backdrop of tradition, Stölzle Lausitz has combined its glassmaking history with a sense of quality and a commitment to meet the individual requirements of its customers around the world. With its technologically advanced portfolio of drinking glasses, intuitive design processes and enduring pursuit of innovation from tradition, the business continues to make waves in the world of high-quality, lead-free crystal glass. www.stoelzle-lausitz.com

PETITS FOURS

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Mogogo’s PoLo Tables are lightweight and versatile, designed using the brand’s Modular System. Available in round, square, or oval tabletop shapes, they offer a wide variety of combinations and arrangements. Made with the same individual components – tabletops, leg segments and midpart segments – the straightforward assembly allows for the same coffee table to be effortlessly transformed into a bistro or bar table and then into a champagne or dessert station in a short space of time. Providing operators with the ability to reimagine various spaces within the hospitality setting, whilst maximising space, the tables are delivered in flat packaging and are easy and fast to assemble and disassemble. www.mogogo-buffet.com