Today I went with my apprentice, Caro, to have lunch with Svend Bayer at his home in Sheepwash, North Devon. He lives in a part of Devon which people in my village call 'mamba country' - 'mamba' standing for 'miles and miles of bugger all'! So, a suitably rustic setting for a hearty, rustic soup, served in one of his comforting soup bowls.
The wooden spoon was made by his son, Bjorn, who showed me a collection of the beautiful spoons he has made.
They are made from apple and maple wood. The finish is silky smooth and they are a joy to use.
We looked at the pots from his latest firing. Many of them are destined for the shop, David Mellor, in London. I especially liked these soup bowls with a beautiful pale celadon glaze inside.
I chose a lovely bowl with 'mishima' decoration. This is a technique which involves texturing the clay surface with stamps and cords and filling the indentations with slip, which is scraped back to create a smooth, patterned surface.
It already feels very much at home on my table as a fruit bowl. A tomato salad would also look delicious in it. A new pot is always a good source of inspiration for cooking. I want to make something special to complement such a lovely pot.
