It is said that you should eat like a king at breakfast, so better bring out the best porcelain tableware - Meissen’s Ming Dragon service is sure to liven up even the dullest morning.

The excitingly beautiful Ming Dragon service is available in dinner service as well as tea and coffee services, in seventeen different colours.

There are modern shaped bowls and mugs as well - ideal for breakfast and of course everything is hand-painted, as it was when Meissen first rediscovered the formula for porcelain almost 300 years ago.

Breakfast cup and saucer £ 313.00 a mocha cup and saucer £ 197.00.

Web: http://www.meissen.com

Tel: (020) 7589 0128

Menu’s new Thermos combines nature’s shapes with stylish and efficient high-tech materials to ensure the highest level of functionality.

The thermal insert, which can hold up to 1.0 litre is made of double-walled stainless steel; obviously, this is far more robust than the traditional glass insert, therefore the insulating effect is unparalleled.

The jug is a joy to pour due to the sturdy, perfectly balanced handle and the outer thermal jug shell is made of a solid synthetic material that has subsequently been coated with matt black synthetic rubber; this ensures that the jug is easy to clean, whilst still keeping its cool, sophisticated elegance.

The screw-on lid, also made of the black synthetic material, creates a perfect seal and stays in place throughout pouring; a single touch of the button in the middle of the lid permits the pouring of liquid.

Design: Pernille Vea.
Materials: Synthetic material, stainless steel and synthetic rubber.

Retail price: £49.95.

Web: http://www.menu.as

Tel: +45 48 40 61 00

Royal Copenhagen has launched some functional new tableware items for the cook, table, oven and kitchen ambience.

Royal Copenhagen’s thermal cups in hand-painted porcelain have long been popular and the thermal efficiency of the double layer of porcelain is now being applied to a range of hand-painted bowls.

The thermal bowls have two layers of porcelain with an air gap in between, which provides insulation, ensuring that the food is kept at the right temperature, while the beautiful hand-painted Mega pattern adorns the table.

This popular oven collection is now being joined by the Mega pattern in black, while a large square dish has been added to the blue oven range. Prices from £35.50.

Another new product for the discerning cook, featured here, is the new spice set in white designed to store herbs and spices and preserve their flavour; the cylinders are 11 cm tall and have a narrow band where their contents are clearly identified.

The set is available as six spice jars on a small tray priced at £105.00 and individual jars can also be purchased to accommodate an expanding herb collection at £20.25 each.

Once the food has been prepared and served in ovenproof dishes or thermal bowls, candles can provide the right ambience to enjoy the meal with Royal Copenhagen’s new candlesticks in Blue Fluted Mega in three difference sizes - 14 cm , 22 cm and 27 cm. Priced from £40.75.

Web: http://www.royalcopenhagen.com

Tel: (0800) 963 763

Flowers, chocolates, perfume… it’s all been done before and millions of times!

Forget dull domesticity and think instead of intimate dinners and breakfast-in-bed with sassy, sexy tableware.

Culinary Concepts offers a very creative take on Valentines’ Day traditions, with thoughtful and stylish designs that are a joy to receive and to use.

Their in-house designer, James Denton, has created some unexpected ways to surprise and delight the love of your life:

Take the Lover’s Flutes and Stand. Two romantic champagne flutes in gleaming silver plate, nestling on an elegant stand; perfect for intimate, seductive moments.

Or how about heart-shaped serving plates? Offer your beloved strawberries, chocolates or oysters on the featured silver-plated dishes; or rustle up breakfast in bed, with toast in a heart-shaped rack and preserves, delicately presented on matching dishes.

Introduce more love into your life, with heart-motif bottle openers, corkscrews and stoppers; or if ripe Stilton, mature Brie and a crumbly Wensleydale are the food of love, then Culinary Concepts has cheese knives and stilton scoops with heart designs too.

Silver-plated lover’s flutes with stand retail at £46.95 plus P&P.

The hammered silver-plated heart dishes available in small and large, are priced at £22.95 - £29.95 plus P&P.

A 2-tier silver-plated heart cake stand retails at £65.95 plus P&P.

Silver-plated heart toast rack retails at £22.95.

Web: http://www.culinaryconcepts.co.uk

Tel: (0870) 2411689

Herend Porcelain has launched a new delightful and delicate service featuring herbal plants, which grow wild in nature.

The PLAM pattern depicts six wild herbs: carnations, chamomile flowers, dill, meadow buttercups, alpine buttercups and dandelions.

Herend painter Roland Lakk created the pattern:

The main motif, painted with light, almost aquarelle-like brush strokes, shows the stem, leaves and flowers of the plant with botanical precision, while the enlarged and transparent version of the flower head, serves as the background.

The artists at the Herend Porcelain Manufactory have frequently turned to nature for inspiration, which is evidenced by the famous and widely popular floral motifs such as the Vieux Bouquet de Herend, Vieux Bouquet de Saxe or the Bouquet Tulipe.

The new PLAM service is available as dinner, tea and coffee services; some plates have a striking red border as do the saucers.

Prices vary with design - here are some examples:

Dinner Plate £57.00, Teacup and Saucer £56.00, Teapot £143.00

All Herend porcelain is hand-painted by skilled craftsmen.

Web: http://www.herend.com

Tel: (0120) 7348 9722

After many years of drinking coffee in various forms, tea drinking is again one of Britain’s favourite pass times, but the old teabag is no longer required; tastes have become more refined and only the finest blends will do.

The teapot is also back on the table and this is where Mono comes into its own, by defining the art of making the perfect cuppa:

There follows the traditional tea ceremony Mono-style:

Place your favourite tea in the stainless steel mesh sieve, and watch the leaves unfold freely, as they release their aroma.

Keep the tea warm by placing the teapot on the Filio warmer and then pour into the glass cups of the Filio tea set.

Sugar, cream, and jam are also provided for, in the Filio accessory line.

High-grade 18/8 stainless steel is used for the filio tea set, lid and sieve, and heat resistant borosilicate glass for the bowls; a strainer bowl for each pot is available separately.
The teapot comes in two sizes and retails at £75.50 for a small and £81.80 for a large.
Available from Tabletop Design – a perfect gift for tea lovers.

Web: http://www.tabletopdesign.co.uk

Tel: (0118) 934 9424

Royal Copenhagen is launching a new children’s service with history, in the exciting world of porcelain, portrayed in a new children’s book.

Does porcelain have a secret life when we’re not looking? Shane Brox has spun a magic tale based on this idea in his book Masquerade, which introduces the new service from Royal Copenhagen for children and the young at heart.

In Masquerade well-known characters from Royal Copenhagen are brought to life as soon as granny leaves her cottage:

The gallant little seahorse from the Seagull service is the principal character and is surrounded by a cast that includes the dreamy polar bear, the motherly Blue Fluted plate and the cunning sneaking cat - all figurines and icons from Royal Copenhagen’s treasury that have been brought to life by author and designer Shane Brox.

In granny’s absence the porcelain holds a fancy dress party and the hunt for the best costume is on; the towers and spires of Copenhagen, swirling Royal Copenhagen patterns and beautiful, varied colours, also make an appearance in Shane’s clever illustrations.

There are two versions of the children’s service: one for a boy, the other for a girl.

The service contains two plates (flat and deep) retailing at £51 per set and a mug at£20.25.

The book Masquerade published by Politikens Forlag is priced at £15.00.

All would make superb Christmas presents.

Web: http://www.royalcopenhagen.com

Tel: (0800) 963 763

Villeroy & Boch offers a delightful range of festive decorations and tableware to adorn the home in a sophisticated and elegant style this Christmas.

The variety of traditional style decorations adds a touch of nostalgic festivity:

Featured here are:
Tree Decorations Winter Dreams £10.50 and Winter Fun £7.50.

A wealth of charming Christmas decorations in Toys Pattern are on offer from £19.95:

Christmas Toys Engine £24 and Railway Carriage with Santa Clause or Teddy Bear £24.95.
Christmas Toys Circus £39.95.
Christmas Toys Christmas tree £75.00.
Christmas Toys Gift Boxes from £19.95(also featured).
Christmas Teddies £7.95.

Ginger Cake & Cookies and Ginger Charm Tableware from £18.50.

This fascinating and inspirational collection can be viewed online in the Villeroy & Boch Christmas Section:

Web: http://www.villeroy-boch.com

Tel: (020) 8875 6060

Culinary Concepts have replaced Summer’s minimalist and simple interiors with this Autumn’s need for layers of luxury in accessorising the home.

The company is taking a step away from it’s traditional and ever-popular Silver Plated range and giving their customers the opportunity to experience the “Midas touch” for themselves.

A special make over for the Autumn season is applied to some of their classic designs in the dazzling new Midas range, in a striking polished brass finish.

The stunning Midas Champagne Goblets featured here are sure to impress your friends; boxed in pairs priced at £39.95.

Other pieces available in this magnificent Midas range include:

• Champagne Bottle Holder £119.95.
• Leather Handled Champagne Bath £149.95.
• Stylish Wine Goblets £39.95 the pair.
• Glamorous Large Domed Butter Dish £24.95.
• Charming Egg Cup £19.95 and more….

These beautiful accessories are the perfect way to light up any room and will add a touch of sparkle and decadence to every table top – perfect for the fast approaching festive period. They would make delightful gifts too!

Web: http://www.culinaryconcepts.co.uk

Tel: (0870) 2411689

Villeroy & Boch have launched Vivian, a sophisticated luxury tableware collection evoking the glamorous and popular Art Deco style; a simple and elegant design with accents of the distinctive geometric, angular shapes from the 1920’s.

Richly decorated, with gold and brown highlights, Vivian is the perfect choice of tableware to create luxurious table settings for formal dining and entertaining.

Featured here are:
Saucer sauceboat £49.95, Soup tureen £275.00, Soup cup & saucer £79.90.

Also available are:
Salad plate £59.00 Vivian espresso cup and saucer £59.90, sugar pot £79.00, creamer £49.95.
Salad dish £55.00, salad plate £45.00, flat plate £29.95, buffet plate £99.00

Vivian plates and mugs are offered in stylised floral designs: Vivian Gold, Vivian Bourbon and Vivian Tobacco, which can be combined to create various colour combinations.

The ideal accompaniment to Vivian tableware, is Pegasus Aureus cutlery, also from Villeroy & Boch, inspired by Art Deco design and coated in 22 carat gold.

Web: http://www.villeroy-boch.com

Tel: (020) 8875 6060