Muchas pequeñas delicias (Lots of small delicacies)

Posted on May 11, 2020 | Posted in table top, cutlery |

A Spanish ambience, a cosy atmosphere and lots of small delicacies. Tapas – delicious appetisers – are on the menu. The typical Andalusian mindset is one where people eat and drink in relaxed, familiar and cosy get-togethers. And where equipment also plays an important part. Although much smaller portions are served during each course, there’s a larger number of individual dishes.

Rustic look allowed

In a typical tapas bar, the menu doesn’t follow a classic structure; instead, dishes are arranged individually on plates and served up together. Brightly coloured plates, bowls and cocottes are often used. So, when deciding how to serve the many dishes, restaurateurs can choose from all kinds of items: plates, footed plates and bowls are perfect for the tapas concept, as are fireproof moulds and fruit stands. Porcelain, glasses and cutlery with different designs are also allowed – everything goes here with a “mix and match” style.

Cutlery sets highlights

Lots of small portions mean there’s a greater need for smaller items of cutlery, like starter cutlery. With this kind of dining concept, these are the most frequently reordered items. Even if they’re not necessarily served with all dishes, cream spoons, gourmet spoons, teaspoons and cake forks also find their way onto the table. Additional items like serving tongs or serving forks and spoons might also be needed. Depending on the number of seats and the menu, two to three times the amount of cutlery needed for all the place settings should be kept in stock. It’s worth considering especially simple cutlery shapes like the Gastro, Bistro, Base, Casino and Telos collections. With its hammered surface, Sitello blends in perfectly with a rustic Mediterranean setting. In a modern, trendy tapas bar, refined cutlery with a coloured PVD coating adds a further distinct highlight at the table – and individual cutlery pieces can even be engraved.

Number of glasses: depends on storage capacity

Alongside elegant porcelain pieces, the wine glasses from the Smart series especially cut a very fine figure. Combined with the Divine water and soft drinks glasses, which are available in various colours, the end result is exciting. Often, tapas bars are located in city centres and have little storage capacity. If this is the case, it won’t be possible to stock two to three times the number of glasses required. Still, you should try to make sure that you have at least one and a half times the number of glasses you need per guest.

Getting creative with accessories

Restaurant concepts like tapas bars offer scope to get creative with all kinds of accessories to sit alongside the porcelain, glasses and cutlery. Rounded decanters for water or unusual decanters for red wine from the First glass series also pair wonderfully with the spirit of Andalusia. Condiment sets for salt, pepper, oil and vinegar as well as storm lanterns neatly round off the table arrangement.

Christopher Gerhards