Wee Birdy

Birdy pick of the week

Hans Bølling's wooden duck (£64) and duckling (£34), from the Design Museum shop. The story behind the inspiration for the pair is pretty cute, too:

"In Springtime Copenhagen, 1959, a policeman stopped the traffic in order to let a young family of ducks cross the street. The moment was captured by a photographer and created such an impression that all the newspapers published a now famous photograph of the ducks, which encapsulates the Danish attention to nature, detail and the ability to appreciate small everyday miracles."

London must-eats: Raclette at Borough Market

There’s much to love about living so close to London’s Borough Market. It’s become our little Saturday morning ritual, where we take it easy and wander around the stalls, check out the new produce, and make a beeline for Konditor & Cook for a “real” coffee (because Monmouth's always too busy). But sometimes? I’m not quite sure how living in such close proximity to cheesy heaven, aka Kappacasein’s raclette stand, is advantageous for my arteries.

The premise for a Swiss raclette is ridiculously simple: a white carb celebration of melted Ogleshield cheese, new potatoes, baby gherkins and pickled onions. But it’s also ridiculously delicious – and the long queues are a testament to this fact. The plus side of the waiting time is that you get to watch the whole mesmerising raclette-making process, which involves scraping hot, bubbling cheese onto your pile of potatoes and gherkins. Oh lordy!

I especially love the acidic, crunchy baby gherkins, which contrast beautifully with the creamy, cheesy potatoes.

They also make the most unbelievably good toasted cheese sandwiches with Montgomery cheddar, onions, leeks and garlic on Poilâne sourdough.

Kappacasein is at Borough Market on Fridays 10am-6pm and Saturdays 9am-4pm, and can be found just opposite Southwark Cathedral.

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London SE4
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Top tea sets: Willow by W2

Willow Black and Yellow Cake Stand, £30, by W2.

Willow Black and Yellow small tea pot, £20, by W2.

Willow Black and Yellow tea cups, £35, by W2.

Loving this modern take on the traditional Willow tea set by London-based design company W2, the same people behind the popular Pantone mug range. Available to purchase online or from their flagship shop on South Bank.

W2 shop
1.22 Oxo Tower Wharf
Barge House Street
London SE1 9PH
Tel. 020 7922 1444
Nearest tubes: Waterloo and Southwark
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm

Top tea sets: Patricia Urquiola for Rosenthal

Small Tea Pot by Patricia Urquiola, £75, from the Design Museum.

Cup and saucer by Patricia Urquiola, £25, from the Design Museum

 
Sugar Bowl by Patricia Urquiola, £35, and Creamer by Patricia Urquiola, £30, from the Design Museum.

I love the amazing new ceramic tea range by Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola for Rosenthal, which is currently on show at the Design Museum. The exquisite detail on the handles is evocative of the almost honey-comb pattern of the open holes in lace or paper doilies. So very suitable for partaking in an avant-garde afternoon tea. Ship in some clotted cream from Devon and away you go! The range is available to purchase from the Design Museum shop. Perfect for Christmas presents, too.

Patricia Urquiola – Purely Porcelain
10 October – 25 January 2009
The Design Museum
Shad Thames
London SE1 2YD
Tel. 020 7403 6933
Nearest tube: London Bridge
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

What to take home Wednesday: Blue Plaques

W2 are the London-based design team behind the clever Pantone mugs (oh, how I desire one in every colour) and they're also the the official licensees of English Heritage, who are responsible for the iconic blue plaques posted on buildings around the capital. The plaques mark the historic home or working place of a Very Important Londoner (VIL).

Blue plaque tea towel, £6, by W2.

The girls at W2 have produced a fabulous collection of Blue Plaque tea-towels and fine bone china mugs, which includes such VILs as Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, Enid Blyton, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx. I only have one question: is it an oxymoron to hanker after the suffragette Pankhurst women tea-towel as well as the Enid Blyton?

W2 shop
www.w2products.com
1.22 Oxo Tower Wharf
Barge House Street
London SE1 9PH
Tel. 020 7922 1444

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10am -6pm

Nearest tubes: Waterloo and Southwark