Standing out from the crowd at Quattordici

Parsley in Time helps new Chislehurst restaurant with unique tableware

Quattordici is a restaurant in Chislehurst that opened in early 2019. With a menu built around authentic Italian cuisine and with a striking modern interior design, it has already earned glowing reviews from diners.

Quattordici’s Chris Tekas explains why he think it’s hit the ground running. “We wanted to bring something new to the area, something that captures the essence of a traditional Italian family run restaurant,” he says. “Something intimate, and friendly, but with the attention to detail you see in the finest restaurants.”

“Presentation is very important,” says Chris. Alongside the design of the restaurant, choosing the right table and glassware was vital. “Making your food look great as you serve it enhances the experience, making everything that little bit more special for the diner.”

But picking the right products for Quattordici was tough going, until he discovered Parsley in Time. “I was searching for something distinctive. We didn’t want to have the same look as other restaurants in the area,” he says. “When I saw Parsley in Time’s range, I knew I’d struck gold. They had a much wider and varied choice than other suppliers!”

The experience of working with Parsley in Time impressed Chris as much as their range. “Obviously alongside the more everyday stuff we were looking for a few special pieces. Parsley in Time went out of their way to source unique items for us.”

Among the brands selected for Quattordici are Churchill for tableware and Neville for barware, as well as a selection of products from French manufacturer Degrenne. These are available in a comprehensive range of colours and finishes, allowing for a variety of different styles to be created easily by mixing and matching different items.

One of the most important items to get right was the cutlery. “We wanted to make it ours,” says Chris. “We managed to get some beautiful cutlery, and Parsley in Time were able to add our logo to them – it’s the little details that help take things to the next level.” The cutlery chosen for Quattordici is from Robert Welch, which, like Churchill and Neville, are globally regarded British brands.

The key to Parsley in Time’s ability in making sure every customer gets the right equipment is its individualised service. “We knew we wanted different tableware for different dishes,” says Chris. “Some were going to be purely for fish, others for salads, or pasta. Parsley in Time were happy to get many different samples so we could see for ourselves exactly how everything looked, as well as how easy they were to work with. We needed them to be practical as well as aesthetic.”

Alongside front of house equipment, Parsley in Time helped source kitchenware too. “Our menu is based on traditional Italian cuisine, so we like to prepare it as traditionally as possible too,” says Chris. De Buyer is the brand that Quattordici chose, a French manufacturer with a history stretching back over 180 years which is used at some of the most elite culinary schools in the world, including the International School of Italian Cuisine. “If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us!” Says Chris.

“I’d definitely recommend Parsley in Time to other businesses looking to stand out,” says Chris. “They were very helpful, and went out of their way to get us the perfect items that we couldn’t have found anywhere else.”

You can find a video of Chris talking about Quattordici on the Parsley in Time YouTube channel here.