Still looking for the perfect cup
People who love food tend to be picky about where they put their food onto. In fact, a beautiful plate or bowl can brighten up a meal and a spoon with the perfect roundness and deepness can elevate the experience of eating a soup or a one-bowl-meal. Ergonomics do play a huge role in everyday utensils, but it’s difficult — if not impossible? — to find a one-fits-all formula. As Margarida and André say “everyone has its perfect cup”. They are the hands behind MARGARIDA FABRICA, a brand of handmade ceramics. They have an ongoing project called “The Perfect Cup”, their journey towards creating the perfect coffee cup. Their interest for it derives from both being coffee drinkers, but also because they identify its consume as being crucial in many cultures. They’ve been talking about this with clients and friends, yet the demand goes on.
Margarida studied Equipment Design and founded the brand (which, in english, means MARGARIDA MAKES) in 2010. Her purpose was to design pieces for the everyday life. It all started with table and kitchen pieces, although in December 2016 the first lamps and jars were born. When creating a piece, the first essential component and the one the user is confronted with right away is its shape and design. Those have to fulfill certain demands as containers, wether they are plates, cups, bowls or dishes. Since used for eating, another determinant factor is that the materials used can’t be harmful to our health. For instance, the glazes used are free from lead. In the end, we can see some delicate, elegant and organic shaped ceramic pieces.
“The memories we bring to the atelier refer to the act of eating, the place where we do it and who we do it with. The products aim to take the food to the table as much as they want to create good experiences and memorable gatherings”.
And confirming what I’ve said in the beginning, about food lovers having idealistic ideas of kitchen and table utensils, they told me they have indeed already created some unique pieces according to some clients’ demands.
“We receive some peculiar requests, not only from chefs, but also from clients who cook really well and have very specific ideas of how to present their dishes to their family and friends. From a butter dish with a special feature for its better preservation, to a deep plate for a lamb’s stew, with a large flap to accommodate a toasted piece of bread as a side, there have been many requests from our clients”.
For Margarida and André, their favourite thing to eat in a MF piece is a fresh gaspacho in a Copenhagen cup. What would you like to eat in these lovely ceramics?
