The Foodservice Equipment Association’s annual Light Equipment and Tableware Forum proved to be the perfect place to take the temperature of front of house kit trends in the hospitality industry.
The event, held on 20-21 June at the Oxford Belfry, saw 18 suppliers showcasing their catering products in a series of round robin meetings, demonstrating the latest launches in categories such as cutlery, crockery and presentation-ware.
The Caterer sifted through all the ranges to draw out the uniting themes across the offerings and found seven trends to watch.
Easy-serve pizza
Clockwise from left: Dayes, Grunwerg and de Buyer
Pizza’s position near the peak of popular dishes shows no sign of slowing, and suppliers are catering to this with products such as Dayes’ Tala brand pizza paddles, which are made from sustainably sourced acacia wood for durability; Grunwerg’s stainless steel pizza scissors, designed to cut even slices with less mess than pizza wheels; and de Buyer’s new Multi-Dough Roller, now available from Signature FSE, which can be adjusted to roll dough from 0.3mm to 15mm thick.
Grazing craze
Farberware (left) and Tablecraft
Sharing food is experiencing a resurgence, with plenty of new platters and boards. Lifetime Brands Europe offers the Build a Board range by Farberware, which are bamboo boards with integrated section dividers, as well as the new Jamie Oliver ‘All Rounder’ and ‘Big Love’ boards, made from mango wood. Meanwhile, TableCraft supplies weighty wood-effect glazed melamine platters in black, grey and natural wood styles.
Copper and gold finishes
From left: Frilich, Amefa and Zodiac
The trend towards copper and gold cutlery and presentation-ware is still going strong, with Contacto’s Frilich brand introducing Carafine double-walled carafes and buffet bowls coated in hammered gold PVD, which can increase wear-resistance. Amefa is also using a PVD coating on its cutlery ranges, including Soprano’s copper variant, Metropole in copper, Champagne and gold and Austin in copper and gold. Elsewhere, Zodiac’s gold presentation-ware, including mini pans with handles, have proved popular for venues serving South Asian cuisine.
Pastel hues
From left: Thunder Group and Dalebrook
Calming colours are all the rage, with brands queuing up to offer all kinds of tableware in muted tones. Thunder Group launched melamine crockery in Seaside aquamarine and Victoria cream hues, while Dalebrook’s melamine tableware ranges have found favour in the contract catering sector, with Talon ridged cups, bowls and plates aping porcelain in oat, mint and ash colourways, among others.
Café style
Elia (left) and Grunwerg
Caffeine lovers are continuing to drive hospitality product demand. At Elia, customers called for a matching coffee pot to its Perfect Pour teapot, made from heavy gauge 18/10 stainless steel and featuring a non-drip spout and hinged lid. While Grunwerg has introduced its Café Olé Ciao cafetière, with a plastic ribbed exterior in on trend pastel colours like sage green, surrounding a clear glass viewing panel.
Sustainable sourcing
Clockwise from left: Amefa, Clifton Food Range and Dualit
Sustainability is still a watchword in catering equipment development and provenance. Amefa is leaning into this with its new Phoenix cutlery range, which comprises a minimum of 80% recycled stainless steel, the production process of which requires minimal energy. Local sourcing is an appeal for Weston-super-Mare-based Clifton Food Range, whose new black edition sous vide water baths are manufactured at its onsite factory. Plus Dualit is wearing its British roots proudly in its limited edition Union Jack-decorated toaster, handmade at its Crawley headquarters, to celebrate its 80th anniversary.
Beat the buffet
From left: Dalebrook, TableCraft and Artesa
Buffets are bouncing back after the pandemic, with many ways to make them stand out, including Dalebrook’s Manhattan modular display solutions, encompassing a minimalist black metal frame and concrete-style display boxes; Mitchell & Cooper’s Bonzer Elements walnut wood buffet stands, risers and bowls; TableCraft’s gold nesting riser sets; and the Lifetime Brands-supplied Artesa canapé tree, decked in gold.
