Hospitality glassware

The glass is often the first thing a guest picks up. It shapes how a wine, a beer or a cocktail comes across, and at the same time it has to cope with a busy service, the dishwasher and a full glass cupboard. At Debecker, you choose hospitality glassware from four brands: Spiegelau, Nachtmann, Zafferano and Pordamsa. Together they offer collections for restaurants, hotels, bars, delis and caterers, as well as for private customers who want to set a table at home the way a restaurant would.

Start with your drinks list, not the catalogue. Which drinks do you pour most often, and in which glass do you want to serve them? A venue with an extensive wine list has different needs from a café serving specialty beers or a bar that focuses on cocktails. List your drinks and assign one type of glass to each. That way you avoid bringing in too many different models, which makes storing and reordering harder.

Then think about quantities. Count not only the number of covers, but also the glasses in the dishwasher during service and a reserve for breakage. If you work with one or two collections, topping up that reserve is easier than when you manage ten different models.

• Which drinks do you pour most often, and which ones need a glass of their own?
• How many glasses are in use at the same time on a full evening?
• How much space do you have in the glass cupboard and in the glass racks?
• Does the glassware need to match your porcelain and cutlery?
• Do you want to be able to reorder easily within the same collection later?

Spiegelau is German crystal glass, with 32 collections and 155 products in our webshop. The range runs from Hi lite, Festival, Authentis, Lifestyle and Vino grande to Craft beer-glasses, Perfect serve and Special glasses for cocktails and champagne. That makes the brand a practical choice for a venue that serves many kinds of drinks but wants one brand on the table. You can read more about the brand's background on the Spiegelau brand page.

Nachtmann makes crystal glasses and vases, spread over nine collections, including Bossa nova, Highland, Noblesse, Punk and Palais. Because Nachtmann makes both glasses and vases, you can match the bar and the decoration. Zafferano offers the glasses Bilia, Veneziano Mixology and Perle. Pordamsa has the Sublime Blownglass line, which you can combine with the Sublime line in Pordamsa's hospitality porcelain.

The table below is a starting point. A final choice is easier once you see the glasses next to your own tableware and cutlery.

In a hospitality business, almost every glass goes through the dishwasher several times a day. So check the product information for each item before you choose a collection, and follow the brand's instructions. A few general habits extend the life of any glass, whatever the brand.

Stemmed glasses and thin-walled glass are more sensitive to knocks than thick-walled tumblers. Keep that in mind when choosing: in a busy bar you may go for different models than at a quietly set restaurant table.

• Use glass racks so that glasses do not touch each other in the dishwasher.
• Do not stack glasses inside one another unless the model is designed for it.
• Avoid large temperature differences, such as filling a warm glass straight from the dishwasher with ice.
• Let glasses cool and dry before you put them away, and polish them with a dry, lint-free cloth.
• Store glasses upright or in racks so the rim does not get damaged.

Many hospitality items, glassware included, are sold per pack, for example of 6 or 12 pieces. The price per pack is shown with the product. So calculate in packs when you work out your quantities.

For hospitality businesses there is a separate professional webshop. You see your prices and terms after signing in.

Glass is best chosen with the glass in your hand. In our showroom at Doenaertstraat 16 in Marke, Kortrijk, tables are fully set, and there is someone who knows the range. Visits are by appointment: plan your showroom visit, and feel free to bring a plate or a photo of your venue.

Kortrijk lies close to the French border and on the E17. For hospitality businesses in West Flanders, from the coast to the inland areas, the showroom is easy to reach. The showroom is open Monday to Thursday from 09:00 to 12:30 and from 13:30 to 17:30, on Friday until 16:30, and on Saturday by appointment only.

Debecker delivers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Private customers order in the webshop with prices including 21% VAT. Shipping in Belgium costs €8 incl. VAT and is free from €100 incl. VAT. Hospitality businesses see their prices and terms after signing in to the professional webshop.

Shipping to the Netherlands and Luxembourg costs €25 incl. VAT, free from €1,000 incl. VAT. You pay online by card, Apple Pay or Bancontact via Stripe.