Richard's Summer Table

My Summer Essentials

Summer for me is a time for family, holidays, picnic lunches and light dinners with white wines or refreshing cocktails on the side. I have had a think about all of the pieces from our assortment I use the most during the Summer months and brought it together in to a slim Summer Edit.

Bowls - often the unsung heroes of any table setting, I find having the right bowls to hand can make meal prep and presentation so much more straightforward.

I use our Large Dip Bowls for a huge range of uses, from mixing sauces and marinades in the kitchen to dishing up hummus, salsa or olives at the table. It's so versatile and an absolute staple whenever I have a recipe in the works. It's a real workhorse! 

The Small Dip Bowl mustn't be overlooked just because it's small! It's so useful, and really comes in to its own at a dinner party. I have used this shape in so many ways, such as for sea salt and pepper, chilli flakes, soy sauce, wasabi or just a serving of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It has replaced all the old ramekins that I used to use and given my table a huge upgrade.

Medium and Large Coupe Bowls - these are in contention for my all time favourite bone china shapes. I originated this shape back in 2019 and they are in constant rotation in my house. Soups, salads and pastas are all served in them, and the Large Coupe Bowl is a great size for a salad to share or serving vegetables to a full table.

Plates - There is no point putting a list together if it doesn't contain all the essentials, so the 28cm Coupe Plate and the 16cm Bread Plate have to have a home here. For everything. The backdrop to everything I cook has to be pure white bone china to let the food really sing and be the star of the show.

Glassware - A tough one because I have such a huge love for so many different types of glassware, but keeping true to the Summer theme, I know I need wine glasses, water glasses, and something for my wife and I to have a cocktail in the garden of an evening. 

For wine, it has to be the Jancis Robinson Original wine glass. I love fresh white wines like this incredible South African Chenin Blanc produced by my friend Gareth Ferreira.

Water, never to be overlooked, will be served all Summer long in an Optic Highball. We launched this collection this year, and it really means something to me. The collection has been inspired by over 500 years of glassmaking mastery and is an incredible declaration of the skill of the maker. Every time I use one I feel connected not only to the glassmaker, but also to this incredible history which could otherwise simply be lost in the noise of innovation. 

My wife Lulu's all time favourite cocktail is the Whisky Sour, so I'll keep it as the star of the show. Always best served high and proud in a clean sleek coupe glass - I basically designed this shape with her as my inspiration!