Plates

Dinner plates, side plates and the sizes in between

Size is the first choice. A dinner plate carries the main course, while a side plate sits to its left for bread or a starter and does just as well for toast at breakfast or a slice of cake in the afternoon. Our plates measure from 10.5cm to 33cm across, and from 1cm high at the flattest to 6cm at the deepest, where there is room for pasta or a spoonful of sauce. A few are measured by length and width instead. They run from 15cm to 29cm long and 11cm to 18cm wide.

Fit is worth settling before you buy. Measure the depth of the cupboard shelf where your plates will live and the height of your dishwasher's lower rack, then compare both with the diameter on the product page. Plates at the larger end need room in each.

What is ceramic, and why it suits a plate

Ceramic is clay that has been shaped and then fired in a kiln until it is hard and keeps its form. A glaze is a thin coat of glass that melts over the clay during firing and seals the surface, leaving it smooth and easy to wipe clean. Almost every plate we stock is ceramic, with one or two in glass.

Ceramic has a reassuring weight, so a plate sits steadily on the table, and it holds warmth. Most of our plates are oven safe, which means you can warm them in a low oven before serving and keep a meal hot for longer; the oven row on the product page says which.

Reactive glaze, hand-painted and printed plates

The finish decides how a plate looks on the table, and we stock several. A reactive glaze is mixed to change in the kiln: as it melts, the minerals in it move and settle, so the colour can pool, speckle or shift in tone across a single plate. Two plates in the same reactive glaze can differ a little, which is part of their appeal. A few have a layer of glass fired over the glaze.

Other plates are painted by hand, either all over or as brushwork added to a printed design, called a decal, that is fired onto the surface. Brushwork varies slightly from one plate to the next. A few are hand-stamped, and a few have a crackle glaze, where fine lines run through the surface and can deepen as the plate is used. A smaller number come in a single solid glaze, for a quieter look.

Plate sets, single plates and building your own

We sell plates in sets of four, enough to lay a table for a family supper, along with a few sets of two or three and the odd set of six. Others are sold singly. A set is the simple route when you want every place to match. Single plates let you build to the size of your table, add one for a guest or replace a plate that breaks.

Where a design comes in more than one size, a dinner plate and a side plate in the same finish make a matched setting. Buying singly also lets you mix two or three designs and add to them over time.

Blues, greens and multicoloured plates together

We stock plates in blues and multicoloured designs, with a few in green, rose, white, grey or red. Blues and greens share a cool tone, so a green side plate on a blue dinner plate looks chosen rather than mismatched. A multicoloured plate already carries plenty of colour, so pair it with a single shade taken from it rather than another busy design.

The same thinking works across the whole table. Pick one colour from your plates and repeat it in a bowl, a mug or a napkin, and the setting holds together even when no two pieces match.

Dishwasher, microwave and oven: what each plate can take

Every plate in the range is food safe. Almost every one is dishwasher safe, and most are microwave safe and oven safe too, though not all, so check the care rows on each product page before a plate goes in. Where a plate is not dishwasher safe, wash it by hand in warm water with a little washing-up liquid and dry it straight away.

Ceramic dislikes sudden changes of temperature. Let a hot plate cool before it meets cold water, and never move a plate from the fridge straight into a hot oven. When you stack decorated plates, a paper napkin between them helps protect the surface from scratches.

Christmas plates for the festive table

As well as plates for every day, we stock Christmas plates with festive designs. Lay them for Christmas lunch, set one out with mince pies on Christmas Eve, or bring them out for a winter supper with friends. Most of them can go in the dishwasher afterwards; the care rows on each product page say which. The rest of the year, store them flat at the back of a cupboard, ready for next December.