What do you get when you combine The Wolseley’s monochrome motif with a signature stripe? A limited-edition egg cup that brings elegance to our favourite morning ritual
Blending The Wolseley’s timeless black and cream palette with her signature stripes, homeware designer Issy Granger has hatched a truly special treat – a limited-edition egg cup that will make its debut at our Piccadilly restaurant over the Easter weekend. The Wolseley x Issy Granger collaboration sees the designer’s sell-out hand painted egg cup reimagined in our signature colours, complete with The Wolseley’s logo discreetly on the underside. Our boiled eggs and soldiers will be served in these special edition cups during the holiday weekend. They’ll be available to buy online throughout April too, alongside a breakfast gift card – perfect for Easter gifting and for enabling that touch of Wolseley breakfast magic at home.
Designer Issy, who’ll also be stocking the cups online for the spring season, reveals the inspiration behind her designs, as well as why breakfast – that very British ritual – remains her favourite part of the morning.
What does the British breakfast ritual mean to you?
Breakfast is undoubtedly my favourite meal of the day. If I’m ever having trouble falling asleep at night, the promise of eggs and Marmite toast in the morning is all it takes to help me drift off. I truly believe that a good British breakfast is essential for setting up for the best possible day ahead.
What are your own earliest breakfast memories?
When I was a child living in Yorkshire, we kept chickens. One of my earliest memories has to be getting up first thing in the morning to collect their eggs to bring indoors for dippy eggs and soldiers. They were so fresh and absolutely delicious. These days, with the addition of my baby son Kasper, my morning routine has slightly evolved. But we still all eat breakfast together and I like to spend as much time as possible savouring it.
Tell us about the inspiration behind the limited-edition egg cup…
I’ve always had a fondness for stripes – they are such a joyful design. Our original collection at Issy Granger was inspired by the bold stripes of circus tents, especially the circus that came to town near our home in Battersea, London. For this new collaboration, we’ve taken our popular signature stripe design and blended it with The Wolseley’s timeless black and cream colours. The result is a perfect balance of classic and contemporary.
Tell us a little about your design process?
The process has always been rooted in the everyday. I find inspiration everywhere – whether the beauty of nature or the simple objects we use day to day. I’m always on the lookout for interesting shapes and patterns too. Once I have an idea, I begin by sketching on paper, exploring countless versions of the design until I find the one that feels just right.
What feels special to you about the concept of ’tradition’ – whether that’s in homeware design or the art of breakfast?
What I enjoy about ‘tradition’ is the potential it offers to blend the old with the new. I love the idea of carrying on the tradition of great craftsmanship and so I work exclusively with makers who use time-honoured techniques to bring my designs to life. As for breakfast, tradition for me means coming together as a family, sharing the start of the day, and creating happy memories around the table.
Limited edition The Wolseley x Issy Granger egg cup, £26; thewolseley.com; issygranger.com
