Getting Closer to Crockery

Whether enjoying fine dining experiences or more everyday refreshment at casual eateries and coffee bars, foodservice customers have a uniquely intimate involvement with crockery. Bruce Whitehall examines recent developments which boost the durability as well as the customer appeal of vitrified hotelware.
 
Plates, bowls and cups sit less than 20-30 cm away from diners and are physically handled during each meal as well as being glimpsed on neighbouring tables and service counters. They therefore contribute significantly, either positively and negatively, to a restaurant's marketing image and culinary prowess.
 
However, the look and feel of tableware is only part of the story. The right choice also has an important bearing on both profitability and productivity. The effects of mechanical damage, clumsy stacking, rapid thermal changes in ovens, fridges and display cases, to say nothing of harsh warewashing chemicals, can quickly become evident on poorly specified crockery. Result: more frequent replacement, with both diners and staff uncomfortably aware of unsightly chips, marks and other signs of damage.
 
Such considerations have led to an unusual extra piece of equipment on recent hospitality trade show stands of Steelite International (SI), a British manufacturer of vitrified hotelware which sells ‘tabletop solutions' exclusively to foodservice users in over 130 countries. Making a regular ‘pinging' sound, a small hammer on a powered arm swings every three seconds to hit the same spot on the edge of a ceramic dinner plate.
 
The hammering is incessantly audible to both staff and visitors but, according to Jonathan Shepherd, SI's sales manager, Continental Europe, the mini test rig has yet to damage a plate edge. Result: a convincing demonstration of durability to complement the company's wide choice of sizes, styles, patterns and colours. "We reckon that any user, from entry level to haute cuisine, can cut breakages by up to 50% when converting from a feldspatic porcelain," Shepherd claims.
 
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| 2 June 2010 |