CHINTI & PARKER MEETS SUMMERILL & BISHOP

Table Dressing
Because it has never been more fun to match your outfit to your table, shop the edits below.

Over the Rainbow
Ideal for long, lazy Sunday brunches, this setup perfectly pairs Summerill & Bishop’s rainbow linen tablecloth with our silky striped PJs.

Marble Magic
Turn weekday dinners into something special with this edit of gold-trimmed table settings. Throwing on our marble shirt dress will complete an elegant aesthetic.

Even though we might not be able to host friends for sociable dinners right now, taking the time to beautifully set the table is a ritual that can make mealtimes a joy. We caught up with June Summerill of luxury homeware brand Summerill & Bishop to chat al fresco dining, signature springtime menus and feelgood tableware.

How did Summerill & Bishop begin?
S&B began over lunch when my good friend Bernie and I were in Julie’s Restaurant in Clarendon Cross, a small village-like part of London. We both loved to cook and entertain, and opposite Julie’s was sitting an empty shop. After a glass of wine, the thought hit both of us… “Let’s open a kitchen shop”. The idea was to create a space which had a kind of purity. Everything should be practical, but also beautiful, and connect with the kitchen… nothing needed to be hidden away – pots and pans, brushes, ceramics, should all be things of beauty, to enhance the kitchen space.

How would you describe the Summerill & Bishop DNA?
Contemporary and creative, with a twist.

What is your current favourite way to style an outdoor dining table?
A simple cloth dressed with a small branch of a tree, or some twigs from the garden. I would place bud vases intermittently between the twigs, bearing simple flowers and ferns. On each folded napkin I would place a leaf. I always use my S&B Clair glasses to add jewel like colour to the simple scheme and my assorted wine glasses, collected over the 26 years of S&B.

For people without a garden, how would you recommend bringing a feeling of the outdoors inside during the warmer months?
Use a lot of green…the freshest colour. Bring the outside in, with ferns and flowers in vases, plus pots with plants – all of which look beautiful on the table. To finish, burn candles with a fresh scent and get the music right; a bit of light Mozart - in the flute and harp concerto you can almost hear the birds singing.

Do you have a signature springtime menu you like to serve?
I would start with layers of grilled peppers, sprinkled with garlic, olive oil and basil andtopped with salted anchovies. It’s a River Café special. To follow would be risotto with asparagus and peas and then panna cotta with berries to finish.

How does setting the table beautifully help to bring some joy to mealtimes during this period of lockdown?
It’s a lovely creative thing, trying to do something a little different for each meal. Making the table interesting and compatible with the food creates a feeling of optimism, which we all need at this time. I always have music playing whilst doing this, which just lifts me even further. Sometimes I tie a napkin with string, herbs and leaves, scatter petals, or use a beautiful handmade napkin ring. A switch of flowers and glasses and a different tablecloth or placemat all creates a feeling of freshness and change. Both things we need a lot of at the moment.