Natural single use tableware makes guests smile, brings wealth to poor and turns waste into a usable product

Natural single use tableware makes guests smile, brings wealth to poor and turns waste into a usable product

In the summer of 2008 Vikram Kandula and Frederic Sanders, co-founders of Hampi Products (www.hampiproducts.com), walked down the sunny beach of Bloemendaal, North Holland. In their bag they had their first batch of Hampi plates. Their plan was to convince the beach clubs and restaurants that the hampi plates were perfect for serving food on the beach. The first three chefs were busy, the fourth was interested but already had his stocks for the season, and the fifth, squinting at the sun, asked “How soon can u deliver 5000 of these?”

Since then Hampi Products has been building a network of restaurants, beach clubs, catering companies and stylists who use the hampi plates to bring a smile on diners in the Netherlands and, increasingly, throughout Europe.

“Hampi plates are a simple but brilliant concept: we basically transform waste leaves into a well designed and appealing range of disposable products. In this way we can offer environmentally responsible food companies and eco-conscious consumers an alternative to flimsy and non-biodegradable disposables or inconvenient crockery. At the same time, we bring much needed investment and employment to developing regions in southern India,” say co-founders Frederic and Vikram.

Hampi plates are tableware (plates, cups and soup bowls) made from naturally shed leaves of the areca tree. The plates are absolutely chemical free, bio-degradable and based upon the authentic areca leaf plates which have long been used in India. Redesigned by Dutch designer Studio Smeets they are stylish single use neccessities for any barbeque, picnic or outdoor event. Of course, they can also be used for more formal occasions like walking dinners, buffets and indoor catering events.

Hampi plates are currently used by over 40 catering companies and restaurants, at beach clubs along the Dutch coast, and are sold by Dutch retail chain Sissy Boy Homeland.

Characteristics:
- Single use disposable plates
- Biodegradable
- Compostable – in a period of 2 months
- 100% natural and chemical free
- Light weight
- Strong enough to use with fork and knive
- Can be used to serve hot food and soup.
- Can be used in an oven up to 200 degrees C. for 3 mins.
- Can be used to store food in a refrigerator.