Blog Single

Circus Tableware: A Trade Buyer’s Guide for Scottish Bars, Pubs and Restaurants.

Circus Tableware in Raven, Denim & Chambray — vitrified porcelain plates, bowls, platters & ramekins for Scottish bars, pubs & restaurants.

Circus Tableware is one of the more distinctive ranges we stock at Lothian Supply Company — a textured, matt-finish porcelain collection built for operators who want their plating to do some of the talking. This guide walks through the three Circus colourways, the full piece range, and where each item earns its place on a bar, pub or restaurant pass.

What Is the Circus Tableware Range?

Circus is a vitrified porcelain collection finished with a matt surface and a digitally printed circle pattern that runs consistently across every piece. That consistency matters in a trade setting — when you’re replacing or topping up stock, new pieces match what’s already on the shelf, plate after plate, service after service.

The whole range is dishwasher safe, which is non-negotiable for any kitchen running through high covers, and the vitrified body is built to withstand the daily knocks of a busy pass rather than just looking good on a single photoshoot.

Three Colourways: Raven, Denim and Chambray

Circus Tableware comes in three distinct finishes, so you can pick a tone that suits your venue rather than defaulting to plain white.

Circus Raven

A dark, almost charcoal-black textured surface. Raven gives food the strongest visual contrast of the three colourways, which makes it a popular choice for venues plating brighter dishes — salads, seafood, desserts — where you want the plate to frame the food rather than compete with it.

Circus Denim

Soft blue tones with a slightly worn, vintage-denim character. Denim suits casual dining rooms and gastropubs looking for a relaxed, lived-in feel without moving into rustic or farmhouse territory.

Circus Chambray

A lighter, softer blue-grey than Denim, with the same textured matt finish. Chambray works well alongside neutral or pale interiors, and pairs easily with both Raven and Denim if you want to mix colourways across a multi-course menu.

All three share the same digitally printed circle motif, so kitchens can mix colourways within a single collection without it feeling mismatched.

Walled Plates and Platters for Plating Up

The walled plate is the workhorse of the Circus range, available in four sizes so kitchens can standardise across starters, mains and sharing boards:

For sharing-led menus, the rectangular platters give you more real estate for boards and family-style service:

Bowls and Presentation Bowls for Sharing Plates

With small plates and sharing menus now a fixture in Scottish bars and gastropubs, bowls need to do more than hold soup. Circus bowls come in two depths to cover both:

Ramekins, Dip Pots, Chip Pots and Sauce Jugs

This is where Circus Tableware really earns its keep on a busy bar or restaurant menu — the small-format pieces that carry sauces, dips, chips and condiments to the table without ever looking like an afterthought.

Ramekins and dip pots are sold in packs of 12 rather than 6, which makes sense given how quickly they turn over on a busy service floor — they’re usually the first thing to need topping up.

Why Vitrified Porcelain Suits a Busy Pass

It’s worth being clear on the material, since it’s doing the real work behind the visual appeal. Vitrified porcelain is fired at a higher temperature than standard ceramic, which makes it denser, more chip-resistant, and more consistent piece to piece — important when you’re ordering repeat stock months or years apart and need new plates to sit cleanly alongside older ones.

The matt textured finish also has a practical upside over high-gloss tableware: light scuffing and cutlery marks are far less visible than they would be on a glossy white plate, which keeps the range looking presentable for longer between replacement orders.

Building a Circus Tableware Order

Most venues run a single colourway throughout, but mixing Raven, Denim and Chambray across courses is a straightforward way to differentiate starters from mains, or food from sharing boards, without changing supplier or pattern. Whichever combination suits your menu, all three colourways and every piece size are available to order through Lothian Supply Company.

Browse the full range or get in touch with our team at orders@lothiansupplycompany.co.uk, or visit the trade store to place an order.

Related Posts