By Mini Ribeiro
Tableware represents a restaurant and what it offers at first glance. Customised tableware offered by a number of suppliers across the world are finding their way into the Indian market, with chefs calling this ‘visual synchronisation’ an integral part of the F&B segment of a hotel.
Plates, glasses, and silverware together do quite a bit to contribute to the personality and, ultimately, to the success, of a restaurant. The tableware in a hotel, thus, must spell luxury and perfectly suit the ambience of the restaurant. After all, dining is not only about food, but the entire experience it offers. And tableware plays an integral role.
Trendy and stylish tableware is invariably the choice of hotels, as that immediately conveys the standard of the restaurant. Customised tableware increases the appeal of food displays. Tableware is, without a doubt, the foundation for the final dish and represents the restaurant.
Manav Malhotra, director of food and beverage, Grand Hyatt Mumbai, elaborates: “Tableware is meant to accentuate the look and feel of food.The freedom to explore and experiment with food presentation and at the same time complement the dish is something everyone in the F&B domain looks forward to. The ideal usage of tableware ensures that the food never gets overshadowed; which is also a reason why white undertones are a preferred choice among hotels and restaurants.”
Executive chef Anurudh Khanna, Westin Pune Koregaon Park adds: “Whilst food and drink is the most important factor when eating out, diners believe that the tableware should match the offer. Almost 75% diners believe that it is important for the style of tableware to reflect the establishment. A customer needs to see visual synchronisation when they walk into an establishment.”
Customer satisfaction apart, chefs themselves consider tableware a part of their creative canvas Himanshu Taneja, executive chef at JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai, says, “A chef seeks to portray the concept and style of the restaurant through the display of his food. Tableware varies with the authenticity and recipe of the dish. This consideration is a must for all F&B outlets.”
Emphasising the importance of food presentation, chef Khanna adds, “A well-presented table positively impacts a client’s dining experience and maximises profits in the hospitality industry. Along with the menu, we use an elegant show of tableware as a way to distinguish the two styles and often invest in new pieces to keep our dishes up-to-date and increase their visual appeal.”
Suppliers, too, realise the significance of tableware in a chef’s life. Says Renu Oommen, chief marketing officer, RAK Porcelain, “Tableware design, quality and visual appeal must all be in line with the cuisine and the chefs’ work and also be innovative to surprise and delight the customer. Our designers, Alain and Dominque Vavro, work closely with the famed Michelin-star chef Paul Bocouse, to design products, which are not only innovative, but also practical and reliable. It is in tune with the chefs’ need to present their work at their elegant best. For instance the ‘All Spice’ range of RAK Porcelain defines style, elegance and practicality and forms the background ambience for the finest presentation of a chef’s creativity.”
Tableware should ideally compliment the food that is being presented. Naturally then, each restaurant in a hotel uses different tableware, as per the cuisine served.
Executive chef Nitin Kulkarni of deGustibus Hospitality explains: “As chefs, we always create our food composition of the dish first and according to that we try to source suitable tableware on which the entire dish looks more presentable so that the natural colours of the ingredients stand out making the textures more visible. Appropriate tableware should be used in a manner which helps people understand the dish in a simpler way.”
Dharmen Makawana, executive chef, The Leela Palace, Chennai, reiterates, “Depending upon the cuisine served, the look of the tableware is important. One has to see whether it will complement the chosen cuisine.”
Malhotra of Grand Hyatt Mumbai agrees. “In fine dining restaurants like China House and Celini, food appearance is of paramount importance. Even in spaces such as Banquets where food is prepared in volumes, we still maintain the highest levels of quality by serving our guests in exclusively sourced tableware.”
Tableware today may be handcrafted and decorative, but must be functional and affordable to boot, as well. Outstanding products at highly competitive prices is what hotels seek. Kulkarn of deGustibus opines, “With the challenging competition in the market, not every company is able to sustain the product quality as well as the price. Sometimes, the product quality takes a backseat to be able to sell in a competitive market in which case the quality of the tableware does not withstand daily usage.”
Chef Khanna echoes his sentiment. “Functionality is important but the eye needs satisfaction as well. That is the reason why much attention is paid to the creation of the modern feel to the tableware.
The combination of guaranteed durability and an optimal feel and functionality make this lightweight tableware ultimately suitable for restaurant, banqueting, catering and rental companies and hotels and conference centers.”
Experts estimate that most hotels replace an average of 20% of their original tableware purchase each year. In high-volume operations, the estimates are as high as 80%. Hotels may be price cautious, when it comes to tableware, but there is no question of compromise. Malhotra is forthright.
“With a steady rise in the number of fine-dining restaurants, it is safe to say that tableware makes a statement. The functionality and strength of tableware is definitely more important than affordability while making a choice, as we look at offering the finest experiences to our guests. While we may make an effort to curtail the expenditure, we do not compromise on the quality of the products being used.”
Makawana offers a solution. “The crockery in itself should catch the eye of the guest with the wow effect. Functionality is important, but not necessary, as there are different brackets of quality. Some for daily use, while for others, we need to ensure they are hand-washed rather than machine washed to protect the plating.”
Khanna quips, “As for the business turnover in hotels, an important factor which is kept in mind is affordable tableware. For bigger banqueting, it is always preferred to have lightweight tableware that has to be stacked and maintained for a longer period of time. Also crockery has to travel for many outdoor functions which results in breakage and it is difficult to manage the par stocks in hotel then. Affordable tableware lasts longer and ensures wastage of revenue.”
Chef Himanshu of JW Marriott Mumbai is not overtly worried about breakage.
“Chipping and cracking of tableware is one of the biggest concerns faced by a hotel. However, all crockery comes with a warranty. Hence, they can be replaced if any problems are faced. This is also subject to the maintenance levels practiced internally for the tableware.”
Chefs in association with the F&B team and others, take decisions about tableware. Malhotra explains, “A collective decision is taken by the executive chef, the F&B director, head of purchase and the director of finance – by taking various aspects into consideration.”
Khanna feels despite its importance to the diner, operators often treat tableware as an after-thought and sometimes don’t consider what the tableware will be used for. Operators need to consider the presentation of their dishes in the early stages of a design project and as part of their menu planning process. It is important to order samples to do a dry run and try the dishes out on different tableware, for example using different shapes and surface finishes complementing the look.”
Selection criteria too are unanimous in most hotels. Taneja elaborates, “The main criteria to be taken into consideration are the concept and the style of the restaurant it is catering to, along with durability and affordability of the tableware.”
For Khanna of Westin Pune, “outstanding reliability of tableware is the most important factor to be kept in mind. Being functional and durable with lifetime chip-edge warranty for maximum confidence is crucial too. Various other factors like shapes, patterns, colours and also whether it is microwave proof or dish washer proof, are kept in mind.”
As new techniques and different processes are becoming fresh trends, tableware today takes into consideration the low carbon and green requirements, along with the ability to withstand voltage and thermal stability and yet, remain lead-free. And these are becoming a reality in India too.
India, now has access to some of the best global tableware brands.
RAK Porcelain, Aksai, Villeroy & Boch, Narumi, Luzerne, Rosenthal, are some of the popular names, hotels turn to.
Malhotra reveals “Rosenthal, Boscher, Bernadaud and Thomas Keller are our choice. Whilst these brands may not offer optimum cost-effectiveness per se, they do offer the finest products when it comes to tableware.”
Makawana of Leela relies on various brands, depending upon the need. “We use Korin for Japanese cuisine as it has a hand-crafted, unique finish, Bernarduad for our Indian fine-dining restaurant as it is regal with gold lines, Narumi for our Chinese restaurant, as white fine bone china brings out the colour of food, Nikko which is durable for banquet operations and cost-effective and Rosenthal — the fine bone china large plates and bowls — are used when we need ample room to present food on.”
Trends are clearly changing as far as tableware is concerned and chefs are in a mood to experiment. “Chefs are moving away from plain whites to coloured glazes, inspired by Asian and Eastern European influences.
Now there’s a more eclectic range of stylish tableware to choose from. Embossed tableware is popular and can be used to replace plain ones. The rules are also becoming more relaxed and chefs can achieve great results by using less traditional tableware and mixing it up with different shapes and materials to show off the food. The rustic look is fashionable and the right tableware, along with wooden or faux wooden boards,and slates which can be used to serve both hot and cold food, can create a natural and earthy feel,” says chef Khanna.
Renu Oommen, CMO, RAK Porcelain, says, “The trends keep changing and to meet these changes RAK Porcelain have got designers like Mikaela Dorfel from Germany who fashions her products according to the mood of the market. The Innovative Nabur is a clear example where the lines are organic and fashionable. It has unique designs like the party plates which are perfectly functional with the needs of the user in mind. We have also seen a need in the market to have a classical shape which has shaped the Anna range. Its generous contours and curves are a perfect complement to a variety of culinary traditions and menu concepts.”
Burkhard Schmidt, director of the hotel & restaurant division of Villeroy & Boch explains, “In India, beside classic whites, we do see a trend towards customised designs. A lot of chefs try out modern shapes matching their creative culinary journeys. Local Indian cuisine now gets presented in new ways, as modern Indian and fusion Indian cuisines with space for some experiments in the culinary era.
Our fine dining collections made of premium bone porcelain such as Modern Grace or Stella offer plenty of possibilities; so does our latest collection, Affinity, which includes 70 different pieces. In general, regarding shapes, there are still certain trends like rectangular, square and oval items that exist beside the classic round evergreen.”
Khanna feels times are changing and guests’ tastes are evolving. “Today, guests are accustomed to eating starters out of shot glasses and tumblers of different shapes and sizes that elevate the dining experience and show off the chef’s expertise. The choice of chinaware is as important as the content of the dish. Expectations are high and restaurateurs have to impress guests with creative presentations without affecting the cooking of the dish.
Traditional white porcelain has its place, of course, but we see more marble, rough cut stone, glass and coloured ceramics being used to enhance the look of a dish. Appropriate and innovated designer tableware is most important in the hospitality industry today.”
The investment a hotel makes in tableware may seem considerable, but given the impact it has on a guest’s dining experience, it is well worth the spend.
