Inspiration and Information for your Tabletop

Bold, organic, sleek, impactful, natural. Those are just a few of the adjectives to describe our new Concrete collection from Tafelstern. If you're looking to provide an edge to your operation's decor, or are simply trying to stand out from the crowd of white porcelain, keep reading to learn more about the launch of Concrete, and see a brief video of the products. 

"What is concrete?" is a pretty simple question. Concrete consists of three ingredients: water, an aggregate like rock or sand, and cement. When the cement interacts with the water, it hardens into the concrete we all know.

When we ask why concrete is popular in foodservice, though, the answer is a little more complex.

What's old is new. This simple statement is reflective of design trends ranging from tabletop dinnerware to restaurant design to architecture and design. But where did rustic modern originate, and what is the trend really about?

This pan-seared shrimp from Andy Floyd of France Food and Wine Experience in Louisville, Colorado was created for the May 2010 Deep Plate exercise.

Explore this beautiful Israeli couscous dish with Chef Joshua Bennett of Bellingham, Washington. It was originally published as part of the May 2010 Deep Plate exercise.

In May 2010, Pastry Instructor of the Art Institute of Indianapolis, Jeffrey Spurlin, created these amazing doughnuts for the Deep Plate blog.

This beautifully plated Chilean Sea Bass is from Kelly G. Mullarney, owner of Chef Innovations, Inc. in Orange, California.

Noble House's charcuterie board with local, North Carolina apple cider is a simple yet tasty creation from Kyle Krieger, Executive Chef and Managing Partner of the Charlotte establishment.

Many food trends come and go. One trend that is not only healthy but environmentally conscious is the Farm-to-Table movement. Farm-to-table, or “farm-to-fork” as it’s sometimes referred, has seen exponential growth in the last several years. According to SARE, local and regional food sales is in the billions of dollars. Farm-to-table is exactly that – restaurants sourcing their ingredients directly from local farms.

The most beautiful carrot cake you've ever seen was created by Jason Reaves, pastry chef at Market Salamander in Middleburg, Virginia, for the 2009 Deep Plate exercise.