Selected Archives
Selected stories 2011-2021
A design object and an innovative tableware concept in one. La Boule takes Villeroy & Boch back to its original strengths in ceramics and design, offering top restaurants a spectacular tableware set for two people that will add an extra ‘wow’ factor to any fine dining experience. La Boule consists of two Premium Porcelain bowls, two deep and two flat plates and a serving plate that fit together to create a perfect spherical shape: impressing at first glance with its unique aesthetics before revealing its clever and surprising function. La Boule provides inspiration for novel and imaginative table settings, overturning conventions, and offers chefs amazing creative scope to showcase exceptional dishes. The rediscovery of an icon In the 1970s, Helen von Boch, always far ahead of her time, rewrote design history with the “Sphere”. La Boule is the modern new interpretation of this exclusive porcelain sphere, featuring a revised design and contemporary colours. It is currently available in four versions: matt black, shiny white, contrasting black-and-white and the new La Boule Pure Beige, inspired by soft natural colours. Four looks, four styles
The two single-colour La Boule versions in black and white impress with their understated elegance: in shiny white or deep black with a matt surface and natural feel, the porcelain is an eye-catching feature on the table. Thanks to their colours and textures, the items also lend themselves ideally to combinations with the successful The Rock series. La Boule black & white captures the imagination with interactions of contrasts. The colours of black and white come together with shiny and matt textures to create both visual and haptic appeal, making them an eye-catching feature for diners. With its soft shimmer and flowing curves, the La Boule Pure Beige annual edition is like a pearl from the ocean. Inspired by nature, in combination the delicate beige shades reveal their full beauty. The subtle contrast of matt and shiny surfaces gives La Boule Pure Beige a particularly sophisticated look. For more information, please visit: https://pro.villeroy-boch.com/us/us/dining-lifestyle/hospitality.html
In this Beyond The Table conversation, TabletopJournal Editor Dave Turner had the opportunity to sit with noted hospitality tabletop leader, Claude Peiffer, on a cool and bright sunny February day in the brand new, upstairs conference room in new, not-quite-100%-finished, European distribution center for RAK Porcelain.
Nature and naturalness have been strong trends for many years in the restaurant scene. Honest cuisine made from fresh ingredients, preferably regional, vegetarian or vegan, good for the body and mind, is sought-after. To make sure that guests can experience this pleasure with all their senses, the food is showcased on a special stage: natural stone is in great demand. Slate, a natural stone that is in demand, consistently shows new patterns, structures and patterns in its many rock layers. The color spectrum, ranging from black to green through to orange, was created millions of years ago when many different metals between the layers oxidized. For THE ROCK range, Villeroy & Boch translated the characteristic, raw structure of German slate into an unusual design using modern manufacturing technologies. Decorative highlight: the transition area between the lip and the coupe recreates the brittle chipped edge, which used to be worked on by a hammer in the traditional production of shingles. The typical, lightly splinted structure of this edge was adapted for THE ROCK to provide an artisanal look while giving the plates additional authenticity. All THE ROCK products from Villeroy & Boch have a solid-colored biscuit porcelain and a special glaze. The range plays with two different structures: All coupe parts are decorated with a fine slate relief over the entire surface, which looks very real and accentuates the sleek design. Plates and saucers that have a lip and well only have the relief structure on the lip. The visible edges in the transition area from well to lip have a chipped edge. THE ROCK is available in two colors inspired by the natural stone colors of slate. The deep black Black Shale and the White Glacier allow food to be enhanced visually and served with a colorful wow effect. New products joined the existing range of THE ROCK in 2019, extending its versatility. Glass breakfast and mocha cups beautifully complement the black and white ceramic saucers, their stylish mix of materials creating quite a stir on the table. A bowl and a shallow bowl round off the range. Thanks to the new products, THE ROCK can now also be used at breakfast, coffee or tea time, and no longer just for lunch or dinner. Villeroy & Boch’s THE ROCK was adapted to selected products and existing shapes of Dune and Marchesi, so the range can be mixed and matched creatively with other pieces or simply integrated into an existing set.
For more information on THE ROCK and any of the other wide range of dinnerware designs from Villeroy & Boch, go here: https://www.villeroy-boch.com/ Villeroy & Boch: New COPPER GLOW Dinnerware – An Elegant Fine-Dining Series in a Modern Copper Look8/8/2018
The color copper is an enduring trend. From fashion to interior or product design, copper’s subtle sheen adds expressive highlights. And this also applies to COPPER GLOW, Villeroy & Boch’s new fine-dining series. Crafted in an original dark coppery-red shade, COPPER GLOW presents exquisite culinary creations in impressive style, becoming a highlight in it’s own right on the dinner table.
Three decorative options of COPPER GLOW are available: the coupe areas are decorated over the entire surface, while on the broad panel areas, either the broad panel or plate mirror are designed to create a contrast with the brilliant white. This opens up a wide range of presentation options. Depending on the dish or desired design effect, the plate can take more of a supporting role or provide a striking showcase for culinary creations. And combined with white porcelain, COPPER GLOW creates atmospheric highlights. For more information on COPPER GLOW or any of Villeroy & Boch’s wide range of products for the hospitality industry, go here:
https://pro.villeroy-boch.com/us/us/choose-location.html
Q: Villeroy & Boch has such a strong consumer brand awareness, with purchasers making decisions often on a great deal of emotion…..how does that support the efforts of the H&R Division? A: Our strong brand awareness indeed is one factor that helps to drive our business. Villeroy & Boch is a well known brand – especially in Europe. The Hotel & Restaurant Division does furthermore benefit from our well-established project business on the part of the Bath & Wellness Division. But of course, we ourselves are also very active in successfully building our image in the hospitality sector. We recently announced a worldwide collaboration with the Belmond Group who chose Villeroy & Boch as their“preferred supplier” for Tableware (and Broggi for flatware/silverware). Prestigious references in the branch do help a lot as well and the list of our references is long and includes luxury or design hotels such as the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the Standard Hotel in New York, several Waldorf Astoria hotels and numerous excellent restaurants as well as cruises and trains such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Q: Your company has always been a leader in design and color that evokes strong passions in the buyer’s mind….do you see the creative, colourful designs from Villeroy & Boch making a return to the hospitality business? A: Although white is always en vogue like the black dress in fashion, decorations are popular and also color is coming back. Villeroy & Boch has a strong competence in design, in general and in decoration, in particular. Our first decoration was Old Luxembourg and it has been designed in 1768 (which makes it older than the United States!). Since the beginning in the 1980’s the Hotel & Restaurant Divisionoffers customized solutions, which means that we design individual patterns exclusively for our clients. We also do launch a new pattern at NRA this year. The collection Amarah reflects current colour and design trends: It features a soft, painterly brush stroke and crackled glaze design in muted and classy colors such as taupe, earth and aqua tones. Q: Since Villeroy & Boch is very much a trend-conscious company…..what trends do you see in the hospitality tabletop sector? A: We do see diversity and creativity. To combine different collections and items as well as using eye-catching pieces are getting more and popular in the industry. The collection Affinity that we launched last year also reflects some of these trends: The collection includes 70 pieces that offer plently of options for both diverse food and all different kind of restaurants. The branch requires uncomplicated solutions that are sophisticated and individual at the same time – just like the food. Q: Villeroy & Boch is always at the vanguard of innovative design…what new designs and concepts can we expect from V&B for the creative chefs around the world? A: Since the beginning we collaborate with renowned chefs – for example Paul Bocuse. Since 12 years already we provide the presentation plate for his famous contest “Bocuse d’Or” and we support it as “member” (“Membre associé”) even much longer. This year all participating chefs present their food creations on the round Affinity plate (31,5 cm). Furthermore will our new collection Amarah hopefully inspire many chefs to set their food in scene appropriately. But also our existing ranges such as NewWave, Modern Grace or Stella will be popular and either delight them in plain white – as a white plate will always be en vogue just like a black dress in fashion – or with a customized design just along their individual needs and wishes. Q: Is the idea of fine-dining “dead” today? And, if it is not dead…where is it and what do you think its future will be?
A: The classical fine dining as we used to know it for many years has changed, rather developed. Fine Dining does – especially in the Western countries - not necessarily mean that you would wear a stiff suit for example. Understatement is a topic in modern societies which has an influence of the interiors and also the look of the guests in fine restaurants as well. Style and good taste, yes – angularity, no. Nowadays, a CEO might walk into a fine restaurant wearing causal fashion but a luxury watch or handsewn leather shoes. It’s just like in the fashion and here, especially in the haute couture industry: Fine Dining has to reinvent itself to stay at the top … Q: What role do you feel that tabletop plays in the overall dining experience? A: Tabletop is – of course besides the eating itself – the most intimate part during a restaurant visit. It’s most closely to a person and furthermore it’s the stage for the food they are having. Tabletop takes a crucial part within the entire dining experience and is important for both the guests and the chef who wants to make sure that his food already thrills at first sight. Q: Since you are responsible for V&B’s hospitality business globally….what regions, in particular, are you targeting for growth in the next 1-2 years? A: We are growing especially in the EMEA region, with the Near Middle East leading the way as growth market. Within the Asian countries China is an emerging market and interesting for us (growing middle class). In our established markets we aim to grow by setting trends and by tracking attentively how it’s developing. Q: Now….something a bit personal…what types of music does Burkhard Schmidt like to listen to? And, what was the most recent concert you attended? A: As I travel a lot, most of the concerts I saw within the past few years, I watched onboard of aircrafts. But, however, if you ask me for my favourite music I would say it’s a mix of smashing hits of the 1980’s and current R&B or pop hits by artists like Rihanna that I download for my girls at home. Besides listening to music I really enjoy reading a good book…
Selected shapes and colors The selection of tableware items available in the AMARAH collection from Villeroy & Boch's Hotel & Restaurant Division ensures great versatility and expressiveness. The individual pieces can be variably combined to fashion fascinating plays of shapes and colors on the table. The characteristic plates of the Marchesi line, created by Villeroy & Boch with the leading chef Gualtiero Marchesi, form the basis of AMARAH. There is a choice of various flat and deep plates, all decorated in Red Sun or Taupe, ideal for exclusive meals. Flat coupe plates from the Dune series, available in a range of sizes in Aquamarine, Red Sun and Taupe, extend the spectrum of table presentation possibilities. The AMARAH décoration has also been applied to various pieces from the successful New Wave collection in the colours Terra, Aquamarine and Red Sun. Diverse combinations and a wide array of accessory options are offered by the shallow rectangular plates with their characteristic wave shape and the round bowls that further develop the New-Wave design.
The line is completed by three differently sized cups and saucers from the Caffè Club collection, which has been specifically designed for specialty coffee service. The formal minimalistic cups and round saucers are available in the shades Terra und Taupe. All the AMARAH items are dishwasher, microwave, and salamander safe and live up to the highest levels of functionality demanded by the modern hotel, restaurant and catering industry. To learn more about Villeroy & Boch's new AMARAH collection and all of the company's wide range of products for the hospitality industry, visit their Booth # 6434 at this week's NRA Show or go here: http://pro.villeroy-boch.com/us/us/home/tableware/hotel-restaurant.html Throwback Thursday.....from 20 years ago....it's the James Beard Foundation Awards commemorative showplate. Designed by Jack Ceglic, produced by Villeroy & Boch.
The giftbox may be a bit faded and worn.....but certainly the memory is not.
For more on Villeroy & Boch, go here: http://pro.villeroy-boch.com/us/us/home/tableware/hotel-restaurant.html - D. James
For the forth year running, Villeroy & Boch UK reports that its Hotel & Restaurant Division has been named the Best Tableware supplier by the Chefs’ Choice Awards, as voted by readers of Restaurant magazine and subscribers of BigHospitality.com. Thousands of votes were cast to select Villeroy & Boch as the overall winner and brand of choice due to the innovative designs on offer and true dedication to quality craftsmanship. Now in their fifth year, the Restaurant Magazine canvasses the views of chefs and restaurateurs across the country, asking them to elect their top products and services across 21 different categories. Nick Green, National Sales & Marketing Manager of Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant comments: “As a brand that is especially proud of working with top chefs and restaurateurs, we’re particularly honoured to have won this award. We are delighted to partner with such highly regarded establishments and hope for a long standing relationships.” |
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