Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

Give Your Kitchen European Sensibility With Flotsam + Fork

Ann Binlot
By

give kitchen european sensibility flotsam fork
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Adrianna Fie was so fascinated by food that she pursued a master’s degree in food studies from New York University, and when she moved to Madison, Wisconsin, she worked at the Kitchen Gallery, where she learned about all the accessories one can use in one, as a cheese manager at Metcalfe’s Market, and then she took a job at Butchery Underground to learn about meat. A little over two years ago, Fie took a trip to France, visiting several kitchen and food shops. Fie was so amazed by the amount of interesting products she couldn’t find in the United States that she created Flotsam + Fork, an ecommerce site dedicated to making them available outside of Europe. The Manual spoke with Fie about Flotsam + Fork, her travels, and the products Manual readers should scoop up.

Why did you feel that there is a need for a website like Flotsam + Fork?

Recommended Videos

I wanted to create Flotsam + Fork as a place for people to find products that are not easy to find in the United States, especially well-made products from companies with great stories or makers that I find inspiring.

Related

What are some of your favorite discoveries while traveling?

Always the food! I love to visit markets and grocery stores, bakeries, butcher shops, everything!

I like to do some research before I go, but my favorite way to discover a place to to walk everywhere and peek into unique local shops– from hardware stores to inspiring design stores like Merci in Paris. As much as I love finding a new product, or beautiful packaging, the most memorable part of trips for me are the meals and market experiences.

What are some of the key qualities a product must have to be featured on Flotsam + Fork?

I want every Flotsam + Fork product to be well-made, classically and simply designed, and still affordable. Affordable doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the cheapest option, but it will be something that you will want to keep forever.

I look for products that are still made in their home country, often by traditionally-minded companies that have made a decision to keep manufacturing locally, rather than outsourcing. It’s important for me to support these companies, and to provide information so that our customers know what they are supporting as well.

Are you planning to visit additional countries to look for products? Where and why?

I’m actually heading out on a scouting trip this week! We’re headed to the Netherlands, with a day trip detour over into Germany to visit a 200-year-old twine company and several linen weaving factories. I like my scouting trips to be an even mixture of research and random discovery, poking around kitchen shops and hardwares stores. In this case, Northwestern Germany has a long history of linen and textile manufacturing, and the Netherlands, is of course known for pottery, cheesemaking, and the De Stijl design movement.

What are some essentials for the homes of Manual readers?

My favorite things in the shop are some of the most functional, while still being beautiful. Manual readers should have the best clothespins in the world, this workhorse can opener for home or for picnics, a little sharpening stone for their pocket knife, and a drip-free olive oil can for kitchen or tabletop.

For more information, visit flotsamandfork.com.

Editors' Recommendations

Ann Binlot
Ann Binlot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…
Ranked: The 11 best Bill Murray movies ever
He's starred in a lot of films, but if you're a fan, you must see these Murray movies
Bill Murray from Lost in Translation

A name that is and should be widely recognized in comedy, Bill Murray has been around to provide laughs for decades. Bringing his own unique qualities to the screen, Murray has carved for himself a niche based on his personality that simply cannot be copied. Between his masterful physical comedy to his perfectly timed and hysterical line deliveries, Bill is truly a one-of-a-kind talent. From his many roles over the years, the films he stars in are either because a certain director or repeat collaborator has a great bond with him, or simply because he is able to steal the spotlight no matter the assignment. Due to this, he has been given opportunities to play cameos in later films such as Dumb and Dumber To, Get Smart, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and a cameo as himself in Zombieland, which has got to be his best cameo.
All the way from wacky and zany to introspectively deep, Bill Murray portrays a lifetime of emotions in our list of films today. If you watch him closely enough, his performative nuances will make you laugh, cry, and think about what it truly means to be an actor. Murray is loved as a human being worldwide (for the most part), who has reportedly shown his face at random bars and parties just for a kick, becoming the owner of four minor league baseball teams, spontaneously studying philosophy and history in Paris, and starting his own golf apparel line. These and many other reasons are why we are here today to celebrate his accomplishments on screen, so sit back and scroll through the 10 best Bill Murray movies ever.

11. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Read more
The 9 best golf movies of all time – from Caddyshack to The Legend of Bagger Vance
Do you love the game? Then get inspired to get back out there by watching these movies
Happy Gilmore

When it comes to sports movies, some of our favorite films have always been golf adjacent. There's just something about this slow-paced and overwhelmingly frustrating game that we can't get enough of. So now that spring has arrived, it feels like the perfect time to go back and rewatch some of the best golf movies of all time.
Whether you're a seasoned pro or a complete amateur, these great golf films have a little something for everyone. Whether you're looking to experience the drama of the game through a comedy or a biographical spotlight, we've got you covered.

Tommy's Honour (2017)

Read more
The 11 best Clint Eastwood movies (acted in and directed), ranked
Here's a good place to start if you want see Eastwood's best of the best
Clint Eastwood in Heartbreak Ridge

 

If one were to mention the greats from classic Hollywood cinema (especially Western movies), Clint Eastwood’s name would be one of the first to come up. A highly successful actor, producer, and director, Eastwood has developed his own unique style of film that follows a narrative format with a monumental ending every time.
Before his illustrious cinema career, Eastwood worked as a lumberjack, a firefighter, a swimming instructor, and a bouncer to get by. Kicking off his film career in 1955 as a few unnamed extras, Clint has since spent the following over 65 years committing his life to the practice of film and acting. As a director, and unlike David Fincher and his meticulous directing, Eastwood has been known to get what he wants in one take without storyboarding, rehearsing, or changing the script at all. Considering some of the great directorial works he has produced, this is impressive beyond belief but not exactly unexpected from a character like Clint.
Since there are so many Eastwood features to pick from (72 acting credits on IMDB), this list is about the films he has directed and acted in. This means that we will, unfortunately, have to omit some of his greatest performances to date (Dirty Harry, A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Escape from Alcatraz, Hang ‘Em High, etc.), despite them being as great as they are.

Read more