The Culture of Cutlery


From the Cutlers’ Company Collection, a selection of over thirty pieces has been selected from their extensive collection begun in 1934. Included in that are several examples by London cutler Ephraim How, well known for his exquisite craftsmanship, who became master of the Cutlers’ Company in 1706. These will be shown with five award winning cutlery sets from the Company’s Contemporary Cutlery Competition, founded in 2021.

Across the exhibition we have examples of cutlery and flatware from a broad spectrum of sources, including hand-forged pieces from the likes of Louis Osman, Rauni Higson, Simone ten Hompel and Rebecca de Quin; production ware from stalwarts of the British design scene in the mid-century period David Mellor and Robert Welch, and those bridging the gap in between such as contemporary producers Richard Fox and Grant Macdonald.

A designer of cutlery takes agreed forms – handles, a blade, prongs or tines and a bowl – and shapes them for comfort, beauty, taste, texture, balance, impact, experience and more. Research has proven that the particularities of the design can influence the experience of the food consumed. Whether eating quickly over a keyboard at lunchtime or savouring a meal during a fine dining experience, we will each know whether the cutlery is comfortable, and meal enhancing or not, and so through history the form has been the site of great experimentation. Join us to explore this journey, from the personalised cutlery of the medieval period that travelled with its owner, to the boundary pushing winning entries of the Contemporary Cutlery Design Competition, established by the Cutlers’ Company in 2020.

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Associated Events:
18 MAY 2026: Online talk: Cutlery on the Move: The Journey of Portable Utensils
20 MAY 2026: Creative Inspiration Workshop: The Art of Cutlery Design


Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 9am – 6pm.
Free admission.