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This porcelain tray from Seletti takes from the Japanese art of repair called Kintsugi, roughly translating as golden joinery. Kintsugi is the rejoining of broken ceramics using urushi lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver or platinum, a process which illuminates imperfection through treating the history of an object as part of its character. Here, Seletti has done the hard work of both breaking and repairing for you, with a take on the ancient art that assumes contemporary shapes; dishwasher safe despite delicate appearances.
One for the dip devotee from Pottery & Poetry, to save the sauces, dressings, and relishes which so often get relegated to mis-match bowls or left in their flimsy polymer pots of origin. Handmade from white porcelain in Bulgaria, the irregular shape and brushstrokes seek to accentuate rather than disguise the imperfections of craft, giving a vibrant blue base to any canapé and condiment combination.
A tray for a specific object may be overindulgent, but in this case safety can be an excuse. Rational as the advice may be that offering a knife handle first is the safest solution, equally rational is my alarm at pointing a sharp blade towards my stomach. Cut to this platter from Astier de Villatte; made from clay sourced from quarries in Paris, and with a decoupage knife design by John Derian to illustrate intended use, this tray stylishly eliminates risk from that all-important cake-cut moment.
A tray may be judged not only on how it carries objects, but how it is carried; this vintage piece from Archibald Knox performs highly on transportation-related criteria, as the sculptural handle makes the pick-up and put-down process seamless. Fill it sparingly, to let a glimpse of the captivating turquoise pewter and enamel to peek through.
If a Negroni, Campari soda, or spritz of any variety are among your signature serves, Corsi Design has you covered. Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1998 for Fish Design collection, the red rectangular resin vessel is as iridescent as its design’s namesake. It feels anything other than a pair of objects similarly coloured and translucent would spoil the effect.
Returning to humble school-dinner origins, this wooden tray from the Conran Shop has an air of lunch break nostalgia to it. The playful shapes, inspired by the Escapism collection, are given a Scandi finish in hand-crafted birch veneer. Suitable for serving just about any combination of food and beverages, the long-lasting status of the classic rounded-edge rectangle as the custodian of lunch is understandable.
Bread and cheese always seem to call for a more rustic serve-ware; something on which you can both slice and support chunks or cheddar or baguette, something which wouldn’t look amiss with a knife balancing on its edge. Made from chilli wood, a fast growing and resilient species used in ecological forestry, the Urban Nature Culture Eye Serving Tray has organic lines and a hand-finish which makes it feel ideal to pile with beige offerings.
Found throughout Southeast Asia but originating in China, snake wine is said to cure everything from rheumatism to hair loss through distilling the whole essence of the serpent in alcoholic form. Abate the risk of venom in your booze by serving it on this wooden tray from Catchii, with a neon serpent next to rather than in the bottom of your plonk.
A tray which holds a singular glass is almost certainly indulgent over operative; I’m making a strong case that coming as a pair makes this Vienna Antique Gold set a necessary addition to the list, giving carrying power for not one, but two individual glasses (albeit one at a time). Despite bringing into question the purpose of a tray, the delicate blossom pattern and gold finish makes a case for quality over quantity. If unconvinced, imagine they are glorified coasters and just enjoy looking at rippling blossoms through the hazy reflection of your drink.
Anyone who has ever been subjected to drinks or dinner at mine will be familiar with my collection of compartmentalising trays; the stainless steel five part curry caddy, the pressed glass dish with a perfectly hummus-sized in-built bowl, the simple mid-century off-brown glass plate split in four, the platter with olive and boiled egg shaped individual indents (my personal favourite). To add to my sixties serve-ware, I currently have my eye on this Vintage Amber Glass serving dish, which fills the orange pressed glass, three compartment shaped hole in my collection.
