Uplift everyday moments with Robert Welch cutlery

I think that things shouldn’t always be saved for best – because more often than not you forget about those pieces you have and soon that lovely dinner set you got for your wedding is left to gather dust at the back of a cupboard. Last August I started #thesimpleeveryday hashtag to share simple, everyday moments and celebrate the extraordinary in the mundane and ordinary. So I’ve teamed up with Robert Welch to showcase how three of their timeless, new cutlery ranges can be used everyday for every occasion, from al fresco dining and informal summer picnics, through simple, intimate gatherings around the dinner table with friends, to slow, lazy, breakfasts in bed on a Sunday morning. Expertly crafted and made using the finest quality steel, these designs will add a bit of everyday luxury to your meals.

If you are not familiar with the company, Robert Welch is a renowned family-run British company that designs fine, classic cutlery and homeware from its Old Silk Mill studio in the Cotswolds town of Chipping Campden. It was founded by Robert Welch in 1955 with the aim of creating highly functional but affordable designs with a timeless, elegant beauty.

Welch set up the company in 1955 after studying at the Royal College of Art in London, with just his drawing board and a camp bed in a little rented room in a disused workshop in the Cotswolds mill. Welch pioneered the introduction of stainless steel cutlery to the UK and commissions soon flooded in; he later became a Royal Designer for Industry and was awarded an MBE. Today his designs can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum and MoMA, and in homes across the world. The company is still managed by the family, with a small team of in-house designers adding to the collection with new products that stay true to Welch’s legacy.

Here I’ve styled the latest additions to Robert Welch’s cutlery range – Bourton, Hidcote and Kingham.

Bourton

Inspired by the meandering curves of the river Windrush that flows through the picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, this range has a soft, gently undulating profile. The most distinctive feature of the Bourton is the elliptical detailing at the neck; I think it gives the spoons the appearance of a raindrop.

And why not take proper cutlery on a picnic instead of a plastic fork and paper plate? It makes that lovely summer ritual that little bit more special and you can cut into things properly with a nice, sharp cutting edge. Here, a light linen tablecloth and the curves of the Bourton range provide the perfect foundations for a French-style feast among the long grasses in the park.

  

Hidcote

The Hidcote range has an elegant, slim silhouette that feels very minimal and contemporary. The smooth profile is inspired by numerous visits to the famous Arts and Crafts garden at Hidcote Manor in Chipping Campden. The tapered ends of the design reference the gardens’ natural forms.

With nature in mind, I dressed the dining table with a light grey linen tablecloth, creating an informal centrepiece with lots of fragrant branches of eucalyptus. Even the most hastily put together dinner table can look impressive by using handpicked tableware and focusing on little details, like tying the cutlery into a charming bundle with ordinary twine to create a focal point on the plates. I love mixing natural textures, pairing the shiny steel with soft fabrics and vintage glasses. A couple of candles to twinkle at night and the setting would be complete.

  

Kingham

The Kingham collection is the more traditional of the three. It is named after the charming, unspoilt village of Kingham in the Cotswolds. When I think of the Cotswolds I think of cosy country hotels and pampered weekends away. So I thought what better past time to do in that setting than wake up slowly with a luxurious breakfast in bed.

With it’s clean, elegant profile, the Kingham is a contemporary take on a traditional design. There’s no unnecessary flourishes or finishes, just a balanced form and a simple, graceful handle. Tucked into a linen napkin, they’re the perfect accompaniment to coffee and flaky, buttery croissants.

  

So which cutlery collection takes your fancy – do you like traditional shapes or prefer a more contemporary aesthetic?

Robert Welch’s cutlery is the type of product you’d use everyday and have forever, passing down for the next generation to use as well. I think neither of these three designs will date or tire, they’ll endure because they’re well-designed and thoughtfully made.

Robert Welch have also offered my readers a fantastic discount code – use the code GIFT25 at the checkout to get £25 off orders over £100 and bag yourself an investment buy that will last a lifetime. Shop their complete cutlery collection here – a 24-piece set retails at £90 and a 42-piece set at £150.

This is a sponsored post written in collaboration with Robert Welch