Monday 14 September 2020

We recently chatted with the wonderful Ilona Topolcsanyi, co-founder of Melbourne-based ceramic studio, Cone 11. She wants every meal, however casual or ceremonious, to be worthy of the good plates. Combining her passion for craftsmanship, hospitality and philanthropy, Ilona has created The Good Plate, in partnership with Bendigo Pottery.

Through The Good Plate, Ilona has raised close to $6,000 for Scarf since April 2019. We're incredibly grateful for this ongoing support, and we encourage you to check out their beautiful range - a percentage of profits from all purchases will be donated to Scarf to help us keep achieving our mission! 

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Scarf: Why did The Good Plate choose Scarf as your "good cause"?

Ilona: I’m a first generation Australian. After a three month boat trip, fleeing communist Europe in the late 50’s, my father arrived in Australia aged 10 with his parents and three younger siblings. Although it was still hard work arriving in a foreign country penniless and not knowing the language, there were still jobs a plenty. They arrived on a Saturday, the following Monday my grandmother, a talented seamstress, was working in a clothing factory in Collingwood, my grandfather, a blacksmith, was working as a maintenance fitter and tuner in a factory in Brunswick that made cast iron manhole covers. We put far too many barriers to work in front of new Australians who are trying to find a better life and who have so much to contribute.

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Community is at the heart of The Good Plate. In a time when we are experiencing even greater levels of isolation, The Good Plate draws on the centuries old power of ceramics to draw people from a diverse range of backgrounds together and to reinforce their sense of belonging through the sharing of food.

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How has lockdown 2.0 impacted The Good Plate?

Our design studio is currently in stage four lockdown but our partner, Bendigo Pottery is luckily only in stage three. The lockdown, in fact the whole pandemic has made the things much more difficult for us here at The Good Plate. We’ve had to find new ways to communicate, to deliver to our customers and to problem solve. Like everyone, we’ve been tripped up several times by last minute changes, but we face challenges head on because we believe in what we are doing.  

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Why is it more important than ever that the general public support local businesses?

Buying locally strengthens communities. Local purchases keep the wealth in our neighbourhoods, increasing the prosperity for the people around us, our friends and our families. Community is at the heart of The Good Plate. In a time when we are experiencing even greater levels of isolation, The Good Plate draws on the centuries old power of ceramics to draw people from a diverse range of backgrounds together and to reinforce their sense of belonging through the sharing of food.

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What is The Good Plate focussing on at the moment?

The Good Plate is focusing on connecting with people at home to give them an opportunity to have Australian-made tableware range to plate up all their delicious meals from cafes, bars, producers, growers, and artisans they are getting delivered to their door. You might be at home but you can still "plate up" like a pro.  

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Follow The Good Plate on instagram.

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We're extremely grateful to receive donations, which are tax-deductible thanks to Scarf's charity status. If you/your business would like to donate to Scarf to help us achieve our mission, please get in touch: [email protected]. 

Photos supplied: The Good Plate (Photographers: Jana Langhorst and Kristoffer Paulsen)