Styling our tables at The Cook’s Place for supper is a real passion of ours, and when guests arrive for supper, we want nothing more than for them to feel instantly welcome. We want them to know they’ve landed in exactly the right place for an evening promising good food, great drink, and the best of company.
One way we achieve this is by ensuring our Chef’s Table is exquisitely dressed. It’s Gilly’s eye for design and colour that makes guests gasp – for all the right reasons. A beautifully styled table instantly whets the appetite for the dishes to come.
Gilly is a true creative and knows exactly what makes a table feel special. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to travel far to bring her vision to life. Bowley & Jackson, a family-run homewares store just a hop, skip and jump away from The Cook’s Place, always has the perfect accessories to make our Chef’s Table sing. With items sourced from around the world, Gilly says proprietor Alex “has a very good eye”.
We’re lucky to have their bricks-and-mortar store right on our doorstep, but you too can browse their collections online and shop to your heart’s content.
For Gilly, spring and summer styling is all about pops of colour, and Bowley & Jackson’s placemats and Danish candles bring her tablescapes to life effortlessly. Here’s just a few of her favourite items…
Round Woven Placemats
“I love the pops of colour on the jute trim of these handmade seagrass placemats. With eight colours to choose from, you can keep things neutral with white or natural tones – or do what I do and mix and match the brightest shades: think orange, turquoise and yellow. Perfect for summer tables.”
Jungle Animal Candle Holders
“For a recent dinner at The Cook’s Place celebrating an evening of Afro-fusion flavours with MasterChef semi-finalist Olayemi Adelekan, I used their leopard and tiger candle holders to bring the theme to life. They perfectly complemented the eclectic flavours our guests enjoyed that evening. Though inspired by antique candle holders found in English country houses, I can’t help but love their sense of kitsch!”
Danish Candles
“Once you’ve chosen your candle holders, you need the perfect candles to match. Bowley & Jackson stock the most beautiful colours – all 47 of them. These rustic dinner candles burn for hours, look stunning on the table, and once you’ve used them, you won’t want to buy candles anywhere else. These are also unscented so they don’t compete with the fragrances of the delicious food being served. Perfect!”
Candles are always a great choice for a table setting. It’s the warm, glow that casts soft shadows that make for a cosy atmosphere and let your guests know the gathering is special and celebratory, which is always the case when dining at The Cook’s Place. Visually, these tall Danish candles also draw the eyes upward, complementing any other centrepiece elements like floral and herb arrangements (a favourite of Gilly’s!) to give the table depth and interest.
Spanish Green Recycled Glassware
“These olive-green glasses bring summer energy to The Cook’s Place whatever the season. Whether you choose the tumblers, the carafe, or both, they make a gin and tonic feel even more special. I can personally vouch for that!”
So next time you join us for supper, it may well be their beautiful tableware adorning the table. And with a few of Gilly’s favourite pieces, you can create the same magic at home.