Dinnerware

Our modern dinnerware sets span everyday stoneware in muted tones through to fine porcelain for more formal occasions. Chosen to mix across sets and makers, each piece is made to handle a weeknight supper, a Saturday lunch and a Christmas table without needing to live on a high shelf between outings.
  • Nordic Sand 12 Piece Breakfast Set Nordic Sand 12 Piece Breakfast Set
  • Thomas Loft White Porcelain Round Bowl Low Thomas Loft White Porcelain Round Bowl Low
  • Barro Dinner Plate Set of 2 Barro Dinner Plate Set of 2 Barro Blue
    2 Colour options
  • Out Of Stock
    Eivissa Sea Blue Salad Plate Eivissa Sea Blue Salad Plate
  • Pearl White Salad Plate Pearl White Salad Plate
  • Architectural Mug Gasometer Green Architectural Mug Gasometer Green
  • Thomas Loft White Porcelain Soup Bowl Thomas Loft White Porcelain Soup Bowl
  • Barro Side Plate Set of 2 Barro Blue Barro Side Plate Set of 2 Barro Blue
    2 Colour options
  • Dintorno Porcelain Dinner Plate Dintorno Porcelain Dinner Plate
  • Nordic Sea Cup and Saucer Nordic Sea Cup and Saucer

    A four-place set covering dinner plates, side plates and bowls carries a small household comfortably, while six or eight settings handle most entertaining. Buying open stock so you can replace or extend individual pieces over the years keeps the collection future-proof and saves replacing the whole set when one piece breaks.

    Off-white, ivory and soft grey sit happily against any table linen, tablecloth or food styling, and let seasonal changes come through in glassware and accessories instead. Saturated colours have their place as a second set, used deliberately when the mood shifts, rather than competing with the food on an everyday plate.

    Stoneware has a reassuring weight and hides small imperfections, making it the practical everyday choice. Porcelain is finer, whiter and feels more formal in hand, suiting settings where you want a step-change in ceremony. Owning one of each, in complementary tones, gives the table two registers to draw on.

    Most contemporary dinnerware handles standard microwave and dishwasher use, provided the glaze is free of metallic detail. Hand-painted or gilded pieces should skip both, and any plate with a matte external finish benefits from a lower-temperature cycle to keep the texture looking as intended over the years.

    • Interior Inspo: Give Your Dinnerware A Monochrome Makeover
      Styling
      Interior Inspo: Give Your Dinnerware A Monochrome Makeover
      Whether it's intricate ethnic patterns or minimal blocks of colour, monochrome dinnerware provides the perfect palette for vibrant seasonal dishes. Like a stylish wardrobe, every kitchen and dining room needs staple pieces to frame both your gastronomic creations and everyday dishes. So to help you add some ying to your yang, we've brought together a few of our favourite new and classic pieces of black and white themed dinnerware. Shop Dishy Designs Loft White Dinnerware from £7 shown with Mahogany Satin Cutlery £145 (24 Piece Set), O Wine Tumblers £25, Linen Tableware from £10, Ink Ceramic Bottles in Diamond £30 and Stripe £20, and Arbori Dining Table £1,495. You can't go wrong with the crisp, clean look of fine white china dishes and plates especially when they're designed and made by legendary ceramicists Thomas Rosenthal. The subtle concentric pattern of the Loft Dinnerware range, shown above, contributes wonderfully towards stylish modern home decor. Moroccan Dinnerware from £9 shown with Mahogany Satin Cutlery £145 (24 Piece Set), Monochromatic Bowl £10, Linen Tableware from £10, and Traditional Moroccan Glass from £3. Ethnic inspired patterns give an eclectic feel to the dining room as shown by this beautiful collection of dinnerware which has been traditionally fired and hand painted in Morocco. Pair bold patterns such as those above with simple accessories and solid woods to really bring out the exotic feel. Siirtolapuutarha Dinnerware by Marimekko including Side Plate £20 and Teapot £67. When it comes to "food porn", brunch is by far the most popular meal of the day for insta-influencers. So if you're planning to show off your culinary creations try Marimekko's iconic collections of dinnerware - mixing modern Nordic form with their trademark illustrative patterns, these dishes are just the thing for lazy Sunday dining. Coal Black Enamelware by Falcon including Deep Plates £40 (set of four). The utility-chic of enamelware has made a major resurgence over the last few years in no small part thanks to trendy start-up restaurateurs who love its simple style and durability. While Falcon's classic blue with white rim design is still a staple of the kitchen cabinet, these new black and white dishes give a sharp, modern contrast to the range. Shop Dining Back to top
    • Bring Back The Dining Table
      In People’s Homes
      Bring Back The Dining Table
      What does dinnertime look like in your house? Do you all sit around the table and chat about your day, or are you all on the sofa, plates perched on your laps, as you eat? If the second scenario sounds familiar, you’re not alone. More of us are living busier lives, largely thanks to smartphones increasing connectivity and many of us working longer hours. We believe the dining table is an important feature of any household. As well as providing a space for homework and crafts, families can also sit together and enjoy a meal or discussion around them. With so many of us distracted by technology these days, we believe meal times at the dining table are a good opportunity for the family to bond and share stories from the day. With many finding it difficult to come together as a family for dinner, Heal’s wanted to look at what’s happening at mealtimes and explore the significance of the dining table in the modern home. Does having a table make a difference to relationships? Can something so simple bring a family together? Here’s what we found. All Together Now It seems many of us think it’s important to share mealtimes together yet it is still a contentious topic within families. In fact, one-third of families are getting into disagreements about not sitting at the dining table each night. Women would prefer more time together with their partner at dinnertime, with 38% feeling unhappy if their partners opt to sit elsewhere, and those in the 35-to-44 age bracket are especially frustrated. The Blake Dining Table with Marble Top Attitudes to sharing mealtimes vary from city to city, too, with Mancunians being the most likely to be around the table for dinner. Manchester is one of the strictest cities when it comes to sitting down together, with over half of residents (51%) choosing to do so. Interestingly, London was second on the list (44%). As the busy capital where everything is fast-paced, it’s heartening to see so many families taking the time to share a meal. Well Connected While many of us are trying to get everyone to sit together at mealtimes, there’s one major factor that seems to be building barriers to helping families do this: the mobile phone. We seem to be a nation of phone addicts, with almost one-third of us (32%) using them at the table and over a quarter (28%) admitting to not switching off their mobile at mealtimes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s younger people that find it the hardest to switch off during dinnertime, with 46% of 25 to 34-year-olds being the worst for using their phones at the table, closely followed by the 18 to 24-year-olds (44%). This drops significantly to 29% for the 35 to 44-year-olds, however, this is the age group who struggle the most with being away from their phone during dinner. Of those asked, more women than men find it harder to leave their mobile. Over half (54%) think it’s difficult to keep it away from the dining table. In addition, if you happen to be in Manchester and you can’t resist bringing your phone with you to the table, you’re not alone. This was the worst city (44%) for keeping the mobile next to the dinner plate at mealtimes. The Lisbon Dining Table, part of Heal's Bespoke Dining range It’s not all black and white As well as lots of us struggling to keep our mobiles away while we eat, there’s some deceptive behaviour among parents when it comes to who’s allowed their phones at the table. Of those asked, 11% admitted to checking their phones mid-bite, even though their children aren’t allowed to. Fathers are the biggest culprits, with 13% banning mobiles at mealtime but hanging on to their own anyway. Parents in the 25 to 34 age group are the most likely to do this, while those in the 55-to-64 age bracket are the strictest, imposing a blanket ban on phones at the dining table. Overall, however, almost a quarter (24%) allow children to keep their mobile with them. Should you be a child or young adult in Bristol, you’re least likely to be able to combine sending to your WhatsApp group with dinner as 72% of parents don’t allow it. And if you’re in Belfast, your parents are the biggest culprits. A quarter use their own phones while not allowing the kids to do the same. Get Together As more of our time is taken up by our phones, it seems we’re less likely to sit down together and enjoy a meal as a family. Perhaps it’s time to turn off our devices, enjoy each other’s company, and bring back the dinner table.