Fashionable foods

Trends in tableware are influenced by fashionable foods and the way in which we eat them. 'Restaurants and their menus have a huge bearing on what people buy,' says Dik Delaney, head of design at Royal Doulton. 'Often food lovers are keen to see how chefs use tableware before taking the ideas home and recreating them'. Gone are the days when 'proper' dining meant dusting off granny's best china and serving up on a full dinner set. Now we're more likely to take our cue from a local gastropub and enjoy hearty British recipes from rustic earthenware, or an Asian pick 'n' mix banquet from glossy lacquered bowls. Think of jewel-like nigiri or seaweed-wrapped California rolls served on a round dish – somehow not right? Graphic foods like these look best lined up in regimented rows on square plates. 'They're still the only appropriate shape on which to serve sushi,' says chef Bill Granger.

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