WHEN Sally Gordon asked restaurateur and chef Tony Bilson to appraise some of her work during a visit to Millthorpe earlier in the year she had no idea it would lead to one of the biggest contracts of her career, and an exposure to an international audience.
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That meeting led to an incredible opportunity.
“Tony was in Millthorpe to open La Boucherie and I had a couple of my plates there for sale,” said Mrs Gordon.
“I asked Tony if he could come to my workshop and appraise my work and he kindly agreed,” she said.
Thinking she would receive some advice on how to proceed to perhaps tweak her designs, Mrs Gordon said she was taken completely by surprise.
“Tony said he just loved my work and asked me if I could produce 120 pieces for him by December for the restaurant,” she said.
“He said he was keen to have serving plates that could be taken to the tables,” she said.
Although that meant several weeks of hard work, Mrs Gordon took up the challenge.
“When you work like this you find there will be about 20 per cent of pieces that aren’t suitable and so they have to go as seconds,” she said.
Mrs Gordon has just delivered 190 pieces to the restaurant made up of dinner settings and serving plates which is the bulk of the order.
“I just have a few pieces to go,” she said.
“It has been incredibly rewarding and of course hard work but these kinds of opportunities rarely come along,” she said.
Mrs Gordon made the plates and serving dishes in southern ice porcelain.
“I like it because it is extremely white and very strong,” she said.
To finish the product she turned to a technique of Celadon glazing which is a technique developed by the ancient chinese.
The plates and serving dishes for Mr Bilson’s restaurant in O’Connell Street in Sydney are branded with the distinctive Bilson’s logo.
“This Celadon technique which the Chinese developed was designed to imitate jade both in its strength and appearance,” she said.
Although there are a few more pieces to be completed and delivered by February Mrs Gordon said she is delighted with the finished product.
“Tony Bilson has even taken it one step further and now wants me to provide stock in display boxes for sale from the restaurant,” Mrs Gordon said.
So in another boost for the village of Millthorpe, Mrs Gordon has enlisted the aid of craftsman Jim Walters to create the presentation boxes.
“This has all been very labour intensive but certainly well worth it as it is a big thrill to have my work in the restaurant,” she said.
