The best outdoor tableware looks great and can be reused time after time. These melamine plates let you take the party to the garden, beach or campsite without dropping style by the wayside.
Outdoor Plates and Bowls to Make You Do a Double-Take
The best garden dinner sets combine practical materials with the design features of an indoor dinner service, because why not? Entertaining, or making an occasion of it for your own family, is getting more challenging though. As we become more aware of our environmental impact, single use plastic plates start to look less inviting…
One option is melamine, which is harder to recycle than natural materials but tougher to break, making it popular for outdoor tableware. And unlike disposable plastic plates, it can survive many, many uses.
Design-wise, there’s so much more to melamine picnic sets and dinnerware than the bare basic sets we all remember.
Melamine was developed in the 1930s. Its sturdiness and affordability made it a popular choice for organisations who needed practical tableware, from the US Navy to Pan Am airlines.
As families moved towards a less formal lifestyle in the mid-20th Century, this stress-free tableware fitted right in. Melamine quickly became a fixture in many homes – but it wasn’t just the practical aspect that called to customers. It was easily shaped, and often produced in bright and cheery colours.
But it’s easy to think back to those classic sets we remember from the back of the cupboard. There’s some inspirational outdoor tableware out there right now, and it’s anything but dated.
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A Fresh Take on Vintage Melamine Palettes
Fond of the classic primary colours and bold melamine tableware sets? Look out for smart takes on childhood memories, that revive the classic look with details of their own. Elements like geometric handles and colour-coded sets in bold colours are all present and correct.
Can you still remember which colour was yours…?
Flamefield’s 100% melamine set has come up with an appealing twist on the classic four-colour set. Each outdoor plate, bowl and mug features a slightly fresher shade of an old favourite, with a tester card-style stripe.
Though be warned, reviewers have commented that the mugs can only be used for cool drinks. Tea and coffee addicts may need to shop around.
Sun, Sea and Blue Skies
Would it be summer without a hint of coastal inspiration? Seaside style is always welcome, whether you’re packing a beach picnic or setting the table at home. Carrying the look over to your outdoor tableware is made easy by some of the nautical stripes and designs that have filtered through from home to picnic table.
Outdoor brand Brunner has brought maritime motifs and deep blues to this 100% BPA-free melamine picnic set. The price is higher, but the set includes an impressive thirty-six items, and it’s all contained within a reusable box.
Melamine in Minimal Marble
Marble effect melamine tableware? You can find it! Natural materials like marble have come into their own in 2022 as part of with a wave of appreciation for natural materials. If you’re avoiding the real deal for practicality’s sake, it’s still totally possible to echo marble homeware in the garden with the help of some clever swaps.
The marble outdoor tableware set from Manchester-based VonShef gets the contemporary look right with stylish white and grey. Some reviewers who have tried this 12-piece set commented that it’s lightweight and durable. And that’s exactly the aim – achieving the look of delicate tableware without risking fine china out in the elements.
Ceramic Glaze-Inspired Outdoor Tableware
Look for outdoor plates and bowls with an artisan glaze effect if you really want to surprise your guests. This finish is so closely associated with true ceramics that it’s still filtering through, and for good reason.
Let’s be honest, part of the appeal of pottery is the process. At the same time, it’s understandable if you don’t want to risk dropping a gorgeous, handcrafted dish on the patio – and taking it camping is not really an option.
Once you know it’s out there, you can find some pretty convincing imitations of the real deal.
This set from Grove has got the glaze look down to a tee, combined with a little bit of texture for extra measure. Worth noting, it’s not microwave safe, but it’s dishwasher safe at low temperatures.
Outdoor Tableware Fit for a Rustic Bistro
Taking the ceramic style outdoor dinnerware set in another direction, look out for rustic melamine plates for a touch of bistro atmosphere. Where will your al fresco dinner party take you? Tuscany, Provence?
Kampa Artisan’s Terracotta outdoor dining set is made from BPA-free melamine and dishwasher safe in the top rack. So it looks like it ticks the boxes on practicality – and the rustic stylings really appeal.
There’s also a salad bowl in the Kampa Artisan’s Terracotta range, so the centre of your table doesn’t have to break the theme.
Make Melamine Serving Dishes a Centrepiece
Since we’re talking about melamine plates you’ll want to show off, we can’t miss the centre of the table. It’s too easy to overlook serving dishes, then scrabbling for whatever you can find once the food’s ready. But it doesn’t have to be that way, because there are some beautiful designs out there.
Look out for outdoor serving dishes inspired by handpainted designs, for a colourful take on traditional ceramic designs. It’s hard to resist Mediterranean-inspired garden tableware when the sun is out and you can just about imagine yourself souvenir shopping in rambling streets and markets.
This Rio Medallion platter could lend some Mediterranean colour to your outdoor table. It’s a melamine serving dish (again, not suitable for the microwave but it is dishwasher safe) featuring a Moroccan-inspired pattern. And with a reactive glazed finish, it takes plenty of hints from ceramic design.
Now it’s over to you for the finishing touches – the food, and good company.
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