Barbotine Gratin Baker
The other potter we visited on our October trip to France, sponsored by the French Trade Commission, was Philippe Beltrando-Barbotine, who makes pottery that is beautiful, rich, heavy, with gorgeous glazes, and of the highest quality.
We can all use a sturdy baking dish for our gratins and casseroles. Philippe's are some of the best around, with their graceful shape, thick clay walls, and gentle flare at the sides forming handles. And, as you can see, pretty enough to go from oven to table. The Barbotine gratin baker is 11" in diameter and 3 1/2" tall, with an interior depth of 3".Philippe's poterie has earned the coveted EPV* designation, one of the French Living Heritage companies, honored as an artisan of excellence. He certainly deserves it.
*The
Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company, or EPV) label is a
mark of recognition of the French Ministry of the Economy, Industry and
Employment, put in place to reward French firms for the excellence of their
traditional and industrial skills. The companies, their products, and their
manner of production are carefully examined, and only a few are considered
worthy of the designation. The EPV label requires a number of specific
criteria, including: “They put into practice rare skills that draw on a mastery
of traditional techniques.”