Wholesaler Casa e Cucina has secured the Australian and New Zealand distribution for Italian servingware brand Zafferano Italia, bringing it to the market for the first time.
Case e Cucina co-founder, Quentin Robertson, says he discovered the range of hand blown and handmade glassware, dinnerware and wine glasses along with his partner and co-founder Jenny Westrup while on holiday in June last year.
“We saw many things that we loved but could not bring everything home,” he says. “We want to bring our love of Italy and passion for great Italian design into the hearts and homes of Australians and our Kiwi neighbours.”
For Westrup, the appeal of Zafferano is that it is a unique range. “We haven’t seen anything like Zafferano here before,” she explains. “The colours and styles are unique and we believe will fit in really well with the Australian lifestyle.”
Casa e Cucina will be exhibiting at Life Instyle Sydney this February, and the pair is confident that the products will appeal to homeware and gift stores that specialise in premium glassware and dinnerware.
“Zafferano is a handmade Italian product and appeals to consumers who are looking for quality and innovative design,” says Robertson. “All of the Zafferano collections combine to offer a complete ‘mise en place’ as seen on some of the best restaurant tables in Europe.”
On show at the fair will be coloured glassware, which Robertson describes as “a modern take on Murano with just enough vintage styling to bring it to a very now look.” The wholesaler also offers Zafferano dinnerware ranges including the ‘Tue’ collection of colourful bowls and share plates, and the ‘Magma’ and ‘Juta’ ranges reminiscent of 1970s stoneware.
The first priority for Casa e Cucina is to build the Zafferano brand in Australia and New Zealand, but Robertson says they are also focused on pursuing other brands.
“Our long-term plan is to represent a small number of complementary products and collections,” he explains. “We love Italy, and when we travel there we see so much innovation in design we feel confident we will be able to add to our range and continue the story.”
By Ruth Cooper
