THE LONG LUNCH
Just because you like Christmas to be relaxed doesn’t mean it can’t be special. That’s how ceramicist Joy Smithers likes to roll, so when she threw a family lunch in the airy barn of her eastern Sydney home – where she creates beautifully crafted platters, dishes and bowls for her Batch# label – the careful consideration of the dishes and decor made it a gorgeously modest but meaningful occasion.
In pride of place was Joy’s versatile range of future kitchen heirlooms, which she’s based on her own needs. “I make selfishly,” she says. “For me, the necessity comes from having a big family [partner Gary, three children and a large extended clan] in a small space where everything has to go into the dishwasher. I think the happiness I feel from making my pieces actually goes into the work. I want it to be like a footprint – and not make landfill. Batch# products have to be beautiful, durable and multi-purpose.”
One of Joy’s most popular pieces is the Welcome platter, made to hold a store-bought pavlova. “I’m not a very good cook,” she admits. “And I used to have a tiny house with a table for six, which I’d squash 10 people around. That’s why the Welcome platter has a little lip on it – so you can slide the pavlova towards you to serve.” Other pieces have found their own purpose.
