Tableware and buffet specialist Steelite International has marked the ten-year anniversary of its popular Craft range with the launch of a new glaze, Craft Raspberry.

Led by designer Andrew Klimecki at Steelite’s manufacturing facility in Stoke-on-Trent, the Craft range was originally designed to bring stability and comfort to diners in a post-recession market.

Over the past decade, Craft has become the leading, and most imitated design in the world, as major restaurant groups continue to switch from white crockery to Craft glazes.

Andrew Klimecki, VP Design, Steelite International said: “With Craft, Steelite demonstrated to the industry that a range doesn’t have to be white to show that the food is serious. Craft showed that plating food on the right colours and textures can enhance what the chef is trying to achieve.”

The pink hues of Craft Raspberry – available in plates, bowls and beverage items – naturally lend the range to desserts. Klimecki says the slightly acidic pink colour of Craft Raspberry enhances the dark richness of chocolate, elevating the dessert experience, meaning it was crucial to get the shade exactly right.

“We have been experimenting with pink for quite a while but hadn’t felt that the glazes we developed had quite the affinity for food that we know chefs enjoy with all the other colours in the Craft range. That is until now,” Klimecki explained.  “The pink we chose is very close to a natural raspberry juice hue and therefore has a great affinity with other natural ingredients. The new pink adds more warmth and playfulness to the Craft range and is an exciting way to celebrate Craft’s tenth anniversary by pointing to the future.”

In addition to the launch of Craft Raspberry, the brand celebrated its ten-year milestone with a celebratory report called, ‘The tableware that changed the hospitality industry’.

The brochure looks back at the history and importance of the Craft movement within the hospitality industry, with an exclusive interview with Andrew Klimecki, VP Design at Steelite and comments from Dave Turner, Chief Evangelist/Editor, Tabletop Journal. The report also highlights an operator experience about their transition to Craft during their brand transformation of 400+ sites.

www.steelite.com

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