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John Lewis and ‘naturally fast food’ restaurant chain LEON are set to unveil an exclusive cookware collaboration on September 1.
Specialising in seasonal, naturally fast food, LEON was set up in 2004 by John Vincent, Henry Dimbleby and chef Allegra McEvedy ‘to make it easier for everyone to eat well’.
LEON’s first outlet opened on London’s Carnaby Street and six months after opening, LEON was named the ‘Best New Restaurant in Great Britain’ at The Observer Food Monthly Awards. There are currently 35 stores, with plans to open more across the world. As well as running restaurants, LEON has produced a series of cookbooks which are marketed in the UK and the US.
The department store group said the vibrant 40-piece range ‘takes LEON’s bold colours and iconic illustrations to give a fun and playful feel to traditional cooking utensils’.The collection includes a cast iron griddle plan, cast iron buffet pan, herb chopper, cookware tool set and terracotta tapas dishes, designed with sharing food in mind.
All the products have been developed with LEON co-founder John Vincent, and designed by LEON head of design Jo Ormiston, in collaboration with John Lewis cookshop buyer Nicola Hattersley.
Nicola said: “John Lewis and LEON are a great match, as we have a huge shared passion for developing inspiring products for our customers. It was important to myself and John to develop a range anchored in preparing and cooking food, as well as being a beautifully decorative collection.
“My favourite piece is the cast iron pot; not only is it stylish and a statement piece in the kitchen, it also comes in a beautifully branded wooden box that the customer can then reuse at home for storage and display.”
John Vincent added: “This range is a result of everyone at LEON and my family sitting around a kitchen table, wondering what cookware we would most like to invent. One of my favourite items, the LEON carving board, is my Sunday night. It’s what you need when you have a roast chicken in the oven and BBC1 entertainment show ‘Strictly’ [Come Dancing] results night on the telly.
“It is a testament to the strength of the John Lewis brand how excited everyone in the family – even my kids – are about our creations going into the shops this summer.”
