How will you show off your new culinary skills to friends and family?

Brits have had to become more creative in their cooking with difficulties getting hold of some food items, having more mouths at home to feed and restaurants and pubs closed.

Take a Look At The Churchill Stonecast Collection

Research completed by The Brand Nursery during lockdown revealed that 97% of shoppers were planning more carefully when to shop, and 89% were thinking more about what to shop for. Around half the sample also reported doing more home baking and home cooking. A study from Tesco revealed that more than a fifth of Brits are now cooking every meal from scratch compared to just one in eight before the lockdown.

Social networks such as Instagram have been filled with food photography of lockdown dishes. But is the new-found love of home cooking here to stay?

CINNAMON BUNS aka Kannebullar ???? As @gerrycinnamon would say She's a Belter ?? Cannot beat them still warm from the oven, with vanilla and orange Glaze #simplethings #cinnamonbuns #gerrycinnamon #kannebullar #everydayisadoughday #parttimebaker #homebaker #slowproveddough #gotbunshun #cinnamonchallenge #scandivibes #cookinginlockdown #covideats #simpletekkers

Whether you are already planning your first home dinner party for when the lockdown is fully lifted or you simply want to showcase your dishes in a better light on social media, it's important the crockery you serve it on suits your style.

Back in 2012, research carried out at Oxford University really put the spotlight on the importance of the plate. Professor Charles Spence revealed that food tasted better when it had been eaten with heavy cutlery and crockery. So many people focus purely on the taste and flavours of the food but for chefs it’s about the bigger picture. Some chefs prefer to serve dishes on a simple white plate so diners can clearly see all the colours and ingredients within the dishes. Other chefs prefer to use colours and textured plates and bowls to provide a stunning backdrop to their dishes. Some crockery has even been created with Instagram in mind with finishes that reflect the light better. These days, you often see different styles of crockery for each course rather than one style suiting a whole menu.

If you want to follow in a chef's footsteps and improve your food presentation at home, then Churchill crockery is a perfect place to start. It has won the Restaurant Reader's Choice Award for the tableware category six years running. Our experts have picked out eight ranges which will really give your home-cooked dishes that wow factor.

1. Discover Stonecast, an exciting collection of rustic and hand decorated products inspired by the changing seasons and fresh ingredients. The rustic collection is revived from a design in the Churchill archives, dating back to the days of the James Broadhurst factory.
   
   
   
2. Haze is a contemporary addition to Studio Prints, a collection of designs inspired by traditional studio pottery. The Haze design features a multi-tonal pattern inspired by the process of spraying glaze on to ceramics. It also has a decorated underglaze in Churchill’s semi matte Vellum finish.
   
   
   
3. The Menu Shades range of Churchill plates and bowls features a matte glaze in subtle and soft tones. A mottled Caldera texture enhances the tableware surface. They are available in Ash Black and Smoke Grey.
   
   
4. Part of the Studio Prints range, the new Kintsugi design is a modern interpretation of the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery. The intricate crackled design features a subtle, reactive texture that makes each piece unique.
   
   
   
5. For those looking for something white and traditional Vellum is a collection of Churchill Super Vitrified shapes decorated in an innovative and durable semi-matte glaze. The subtle and tactile semi-matte finish offers a minimalist platform to create striking food presentation.
   
   


6. The Nourish collection features a range of Churchill bowls and dip pots decorated in artisan style glazes that create tonal variation and unique pieces. It is ideal for those serving up grazing options with bowl foods and side dishes. It’s a perfect accompaniment when offering fresh and local dishes from around the world.
   
   
   
7. Isla is a stunning new comprehensive collection of embossed crockery items. These Churchill plates are lightweight, durable and available in Ocean Blue and Shale Grey.
   
   
   
8. Inspired by the fluidity of water, the premium Stonecast Aqueous design imitates a liquid pooling effect. It’s really contemporary and is available in two-tone Bayou, a colour combination reminiscent of the tones found in natural bodies of water.
   
   

We’d love to see the dishes you have been serving up at home during lockdown. Tag us in your posts using @BunzlLockhart on Instagram.