Hospitality tableware

Porcelain carries the dish. It shapes how a plate looks on the pass, how it looks on the table and how much work it takes at the dishwashing station. At Debecker, you choose hospitality porcelain from ten brands, ranging from German and Norwegian professional porcelain to handmade Turkish porcelain and Spanish culinary porcelain. That is a wide choice, which is why it helps to answer a few questions first.

Start from your menu. Do you mainly serve classic plated dishes, several courses, sharing dishes, breakfast or coffee? Each type of venue needs different shapes: deep and flat plates, bowls, saucers, cups. Also look at who uses the porcelain every day. At a hotel breakfast or in a brasserie, tableware goes through the dishwasher and through people's hands far more often than in a restaurant with a limited number of covers.

Finally, choose a base range you can keep adding to for a long time, and add accents to it. Many venues work with one collection for everyday tableware and a second collection for special dishes or seasonal menus.

• Which shapes do you need for your menu, and in what quantities?
• Does the tableware go through the dishwasher several times a day?
• How much storage space do you have, and does stackability matter?
• Does the porcelain need to match your existing glassware and cutlery?
• Do you want one style, or a base with accents?

Schönwald has been making German professional hospitality porcelain since 1879, with collections such as Fine Dining, Shiro, Delight, Create, Unlimited, Form 98 and Coffee Tasting. You can read more about the brand on the Schönwald brand page. Figgjo has been making Norwegian professional porcelain since 1941, with Base, Brem, Europa, Front Dining, Furo, Pax, Tilt and Verde among others. You will find more on the Figgjo page.

Playground has 21 collections, including Elements, Terra, Nara, Glow, Loft, Savanna and Sea. Dibbern is German luxury porcelain, with Classic, Pure, Platin Line, Asia Line and Basic. Vista Alegre is Portuguese porcelain, with Chefs' Collection, Infinita and Mineral. Pordamsa has been making Spanish culinary porcelain since 1975, in its Sublime and Dining lines. Esma Dereboy is handmade Turkish porcelain, with Stone, Capsule, Touch and Tube. You will also find Le Coq Porcelaine (Anemone, Helios, Ionica, Thalassios), Heart & Soul (Mirage, Pine, Soulmate, Perfect Match) and Luesma & Vega (Manglar, Muna, Nido, Velvet).

The table below gives a first direction. Which combination suits your venue only really becomes clear at a set table.

Professional porcelain is made for daily use, but how you handle it partly determines how long it lasts. Check the product information and the brand's instructions for each item, especially for handmade pieces or pieces with a special finish. With handmade porcelain, pieces can differ slightly from one another, which is part of the character of such a collection.

In a professional kitchen, stackability is not a detail. Plates that sit well on top of each other take up less space and slide around less in the cupboard or on the pass. So when choosing, also look at how the plates and bowls stack.

• Rinse off food residue before the tableware goes into the dishwasher.
• Keep plates in the rack from touching each other, to avoid chips on the rim.
• Do not stack too high, and put the heaviest pieces at the bottom.
• Do not use scouring pads on glazed or special finishes unless the brand allows it.
• Keep a reserve of each model, so a broken plate does not disrupt your mise en place.

A table works when porcelain, glassware and cutlery fit together. A coloured or rough-textured plate sometimes calls for understated glass, while white porcelain leaves more room for striking glasses or coloured cutlery. Pordamsa has both a Sublime line in porcelain and Sublime Blownglass, which makes a coherent table easier. Also take a look at our hospitality glassware to complete your choice.

In the showroom in Kortrijk (Marke), tables are fully set so you can see different brands side by side. There is someone who knows the range and will look at the options with you. Make an appointment for the showroom, and feel free to bring a plate you already use.

For restaurants and caterers in East Flanders, Kortrijk is easy to reach via the E17. Hotels and restaurants in Brussels can just as well order their porcelain online and have it delivered. Debecker delivers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Much of the porcelain is sold per pack, for example of 6 or 12 pieces, with the price per pack shown with the product. Private customers see prices including 21% VAT. For hospitality businesses there is a separate professional webshop, where you see your prices and terms after signing in.