Studio-To-Table with Wynne Noble!

The art of food these days is about more than what is on the plate. It is the plate; its the people your with, the experience in itself. The saying "you eat with your eyes first" is pretty accurate. You wouldn't want to dig into something that doesn't look all that appetizing. Presentation has a lot to do with that. It's how we choose to display our work and what we display it on. A chef’s flatware is a painter’s canvas. Texture, color, weight, size and shape all can tell a story or have a meaning. The relationship between potters and chefs are growing, as it should. More chefs are turning to studio potteries for custom plates and help work side by side to create new pieces. More chefs are using plates as inspiration in their dishes and you see people really pushing the envelope. The possibilities are endless and really allow a cook to get creative. Some of my favorite plating examples are little canapés with forest forged ingredients displayed on a log or piece of bark just laying there on top of moss, the fence at Blue Hill which holds vegetables sticking upright to mimic there life in the field, or this pork jowl I had earlier this year served in a banana leaf and eaten with your hands to really give that primal jungle feel. It tells a story; the importance of this usage of plating is to push a memory on you, make it personal to you. Food is supposed to touch people, as art is supposed to make you feel something. 

People are always asking me where I pull my inspiration from. There are a hundred different answers to this question. When talking about the art of plating though, there are really only a few. What better place to look for plating inspiration than the plates themselves?! There’s been plenty of times where I’ve already had a shoot or finished a dish where I see a piece of equipment that makes me rethink my whole process. Is reshooting a whole project worth it just for a "better" plate? If you're only looking to show off a recipe and get it to your audience, then the answer would be no, its not worth it. But if your shooting for more than just recipe sharing, if you're shooting food for art, to inspire others, to have your dish come to life, make sense and tell a story to others, than it definitely matters what you're shooting it on. I myself am guilty of re shooting a project, even months after, because I have found a better canvas on which to tell my story, something that will make more sense to people. That’s the thing about artist's: chefs, painters, sculptors, etc. There is more to what we do than what you see. There is more to what we do than what you taste. We are putting our life, our passion, and our story on display in hopes that somebody will relate to it or somebody will feel something. Everything matters; attention to detail is crucial. 

So I'll let you in on one of my latest and greatest secrets. There are many out there but one of my favorite potters right now making custom plates for big NYC restaurants is Wynne Noble. 

Tucked away in Gowanus, Brooklyn is a very talented potter: Wynne Noble, owner of Noble Plateware. I first started following Wynne almost a year ago on Instagram. I stumbled upon one of her plates and simply loved her style. Her glazing techniques, the textures and weight of her plates, how they're all unique and hand made. She's truly a talented artist and was even nice enough to give us a little tour. Wynne is making custom flatware for restaurants such as Empellon, Contra, Momofuku Ko and even Gramercy Tavern. "Each piece of pottery made at our studio is uniquely made by hand with an eye towards form, function, and the warmth of sharing food with friends and family " as said by Wynne herself. Her passion really spoke for itself as I browsed her collection and asked countless questions. I bought some of her stuff to go back to the kitchen with and really can't wait till I'm back in there. You can contact her for custom orders or about shop visits; she's very informative. Wynne also teaches classes out of her studio. I strongly suggest adding some of her pieces to your pantry. 

Be sure to stop by Wynne's shop, tell her I sent you. Browse her Instagram (@wynnenoble) for inspiration and let the creating begin! If you have any questions check out her website here -> www.nobleplateware.com