Introducing Tongs With a Difference
Regular readers of our blogs will know that the importance of multi-sensory interplay is something we regularly revisit. And it’s hardly surprising that we return to this discovery on a fairly frequent basis given the key role it plays in the design and craftsmanship of our products.
For newer readers, multi-sensory interplay is the term for the discovery that each of our senses affects all the others, altering our overall experience for better or worse. We know, for example, that the colour, shape, texture and feel of objects in the surrounding environment can not only enhance or detract from the experience of eating but, by altering our physical chemistry, can actually alter the flavour of food and drink.
The same holds true for mood. A sense of wellbeing or a sense of agitation changes our entire experience. Aesthetics, comfort, ease of use, convenience – all these things subtly but profoundly affect our mood and alter an experience for the better. Conversely what is ugly, uncomfortable, difficult to use or inconvenient will alter our physical, sensory experience for the worse. And it is surprising how powerful an effect the smallest thing can have!
This is one reason why Studio William pays close attention to every detail of our designs, constantly looking to deliver products that enhance and heighten the dining experience, to increase the overall sense of wellbeing and the pleasure that are derived from the fundamental acts of eating and drinking.
It is also the reason why we constantly examine the ‘way things are’ and challenge assumptions about what dining utensils should look like, what materials they can be constructed from and how they can be used. And once in a while, we find that there is a real need for something new and different from ‘the way things are’.
Tongs.
Tongs might be the last thing anyone thinks about when it comes to serving food but just stop, for a moment, and think about the last set of food tongs you can remember using or seeing used. It isn’t likely to be a particularly lovely memory!
Few of us use sugar cubes today and even fewer are likely to have been presented with a pair of fine, Georgian silver sugar tongs to enhance the enjoyment of our afternoon tea or coffee. Much more likely is that you will have observed, or used, a set of salad, or spaghetti or bread roll tongs which were basic and utilitarian in design and frustratingly poor in functionality. More often than not the lack of aesthetic appeal and inconvenience of use of such objects detracts, unnoticed, from that sense of wellbeing which help to create a truly pleasurable dining experience.
Enter Studio Williams’ solution and the latest addition to our award winning catalogue, the Grove range of beautiful, specialist tongs. Twelve unique sets, each purpose designed for a different serving requirement, they are created to enhance, (rather than detract from), food presentation and, therefore, the overall dining experience. They are perfect for on-table condiments such as olives, lime and lemon wedges, roll and crostini baskets as well as for tableside service of main dishes. And they will take all-day-dining or buffet settings in the best hotels and restaurants to a new level.
Aesthetically satisfying and with organic and ergonomic features to create a positive sensory and emotional response, they enhance not only the presentation food but the atmosphere of the venue itself.
Design features of the Grove Tongs include:
• Twelve tongs have been designed to feel like a cohesive group, whilst having unique characteristics for each use.
• Beautiful to look at, touch and hold, as a group of products they create a natural form similar to a shoal of fish, or a rolling countryside landscape.
• The heads of the Grove tongs have an internal bowl shape, allowing ease of collection and gripping food items, without the need for teeth or serration.
• Low entry tongs have been designed for larger, flatter food items, served on shallow vessels.
• ‘High entry’ tongs have been designed to use for food items held in deep vessels.
• Polished to a mirror finish and manufactured from 18/10 stainless steel, Grove tongs are as beautiful as they are durable.