How you set tables and the tableware you choose is of primary importance for anyone in the catering industry. The way a table is set and decorated is really the shop front for any catering firm, and the first thing clients experience even before they taste the food.
In an age of Instagram and Pinterest, you could also find your table settings become an internet meme. So getting them right is important. Here, we look at some of the most cutting edge trends that are gracing our table tops today – http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-take-best-photos-instagram.
Nostalgia is in
Choosing settings that hark back to the past is definitely a popular trend in tableware. Enamel pieces which were the ‘must have’ last year, are still very popular in our restaurants. Slate, which has been popularised on cooking programmes for the last few years, is starting to lose its appeal. Chrome and copper pots or cooking dishes, which used to stay exclusively in the kitchen, are now being polished up and used as part of the food’s presentation.
Of course, keeping up with changes in tableware and cutlery can be expensive for any firm, despite its importance in promoting your brand. There are catering suppliers like https://www.247cateringsupplies.co.uk/ who can help you keep at the cutting edge of tableware without the cost of continually replacing it.
Sharing food
Large food platters for sharing and small tapas-style dishes are an increasingly popular trend as our eating habits change. This is reflected in some of the tableware that is being produced by the top brands. Whilst this has been the case for some time in the casual dining and gourmet pub sector, fine dining establishments are also moving towards this style of setting and food in increasing numbers.
Pick the right colour
Whilst your tableware needs to fit in with the ambience and decor of your establishment or venue, the colour you choose can have an impact on your diners’ experience. A recent ‘brain tracking’ experiment showed how different colours of tableware affected people when they were eating. Green is good for feelings of wellbeing, white tableware is perfect for formal meetings, and yellow is said to induce stress. Understanding how a colour scheme can affect people can inform how an event is set out, and help to make it a success.